Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 25th February 2023.
Six Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ competition finals, as well as one Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy 1/4 Final replay, took place during the week in the build up to two Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield semi-finals, two Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Plate semi-finals, two Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Subsidiary Shield semi-finals, two Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Bowl semi-finals, two Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy semi-finals and the one long awaited outstanding Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Cup semi-final played on Saturday 25th February.
On Tuesday 21st February Foyle and Londonderry College was the venue for the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Bowl final when Antrim Grammar School played Coleraine Grammar School.
Following an exciting game, the Coleraine Grammar School team emerged as 52-12 winners.
Following the game Stephen Graham, former King’s Scholar’s RFC and Dungannon FC winger, presented the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Bowl to the winning Coleraine Grammar School captain, James McMillan.
On Wednesday 22nd February the three Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv finals were played.
Methodist College, Belfast 2ndxv played Campbell College, Belfast 2ndxv in the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup at Deramore Park.
The Methodist College team won the game by 21-17 and retain the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup.
Following the game, Greg Irwin, Chairman of the Ulster Rugby Committee, presented the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2nd Cup to Tom Healey, captain of the victorious Methodist College, Belfast team.
Royal School, Armagh 2nd xv played Belfast Royal Academy 2ndxv at Friends’ School, Lisburn in the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Plate.
Following another closely contested game the Royal School, Armagh team emerged as 14-12 winners.
Following the game, Evan Morton, a member of the Ulster Branch, presented the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Plate to Peter Finlay, captain of the winning Royal School, Armagh team.
Rainey Endowed School 2ndxv played Foyle and Londonderry College 2ndxv in the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Trophy at Ballymena Academy.
The Rainey Endowed School team recorded a comfortable 33-7 victory having been 7-5 down at the interval.
Following the game, Stephen Black, Principal of Ballymena Academy, presented the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2nd Trophy to the captain of the Rainey Endowed School team, Mikki Kelly.
On the same afternoon Larne Grammar School entertained Lurgan College in the replay of their previously drawn Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy 1/4 Final game.
The Lurgan College team won the game by 15-5.
The Larne Grammar School team scored an unconverted first half try through Ethan Duncan
The Lurgan College points came through tries from Andrew Richardson and Lewis Chambers with Thompson Owen adding one conversion as well as one penalty.
The Lurgan College team will now travel to play Portadown College in the semi-final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy.
On Thursday 23rd February Banbridge Academy Medallion played Enniskillen Royal Grammar School Medallion in the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Trophy at Royal School, Armagh.
This game finished as a 12-12 draw.
Following the game, Sam Grattan, representing the Ulster Branch, presented the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Trophy to the winning captains, Noah Haughey from Banbridge Academy and Sam Paton from Enniskillen Royal Grammar School.
On Friday 24th February Queen’s University RFC was the venue for the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Plate when Belfast Royal Academy 3rdxv played Wallace High School 3rdxv.
The Wallace High School team, having built up a first half lead of 6-0, went on to win the game by 11-0.
Following the game, Neale Wilson, representing the Ulster Branch, presented the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Plate to Andrew McCluskey, the captain of the victorious Wallace High School 3rdxv.
On Saturday 25th February both Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield semi-finals took place at neutral venues.
Ballymena Academy Medallion played Belfast Royal Academy Medallion at Rainey Endowed School in a closely contested game the Ballymena Academy team won by 14-13.
Meanwhile, at Pirrie Park, Royal Belfast Academical Institution Medallion played Campbell College, Belfast Medallion and won this game by 27-17.
The Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Committee is very grateful to all the schools and Queen’s RFC for the provision of the excellent facilities at all the neutral venues required to host these games.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Plate semi-finals Ballyclare High School played Royal School, Dungannon in a game the Royal School, Dungannon team won by 24-7.
Methodist College, Belfast played Wallace High School and recorded a 36-19 victory.
In the semi-finals of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Subsidiary Shield Down High School played Belfast Royal Academy and won the game by 19-7.
The Down High School team scored three tries through Ben Cassidy and “Man of the Match” Rhodri Philips, who touched down twice. Rhodri was also successful with two conversion kicks.
The Belfast Royal Academy team scored one try through Frank Davis with Ryan O’Hare adding the conversion.
Royal School, Armagh played Ballymena Academy and won the game by 26-10.
The Royal School, Armagh team scored three tries through Jay Forrest, Sam Montgomery and Josh Watterson. Josh converted two of the tries with the remaining points coming through a penalty try.
Connor Drain scored the Ballymena Academy try with Tristan Ferguson adding one conversion as well as one penalty.
In the semi-finals of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Bowl Banbridge Academy hosted Omagh Academy and won the game by 37-21.
The Banbridge Academy team scored five tries in the course of the game. Tom King, Jonny McCrum, with two, Harry Wan and Connor Magee were the try scorers. Andrew Jackson added three conversions as well as two penalties. The Banbridge Academy flanker, Adam Logan, stood out with his “Man of the Match” performance.
The Omagh Academy team competed strongly throughout the game. They scored three tries through Bailie Smith, Allister Crawford and Connor Huey. Andrew Johnston was successful with all three conversion kicks.
Friends’ School, Lisburn hosted Rainey Endowed School and won the game by 13-8.
The Friends’ School team had to work hard to emerge eventually as winners from this tense Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Bowl semi-final encounter.
Joel Barron scored an unconverted try to give the Friends’ School team a 5-0 lead.
Rainey Endowed School responded with an Owen O’Kane penalty to reduce their arrears to 5-3 at the break.
A Paddy Moore penalty, early in the second half, extended the Friends’ School lead to 8-3. Then, following good work from Ruairi Doyle, Finlay and Angus Crawford, Ethan Mehaffey touched down for an unconverted try to increase the Friends; School lead to 13-3.
Intense Rainey pressure, in the closing stages of the game, was rewarded when Glenn Caldwell touched down for an unconverted try.
This ensured the final scoreboard read Friends’ School, Lisburn 13 Rainey Endowed School 8
In the semi-finals of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy Cambridge House Grammar School played Bangor Academy and won the high scoring game by 28-18.
The Cambridge House Grammar School team scored four tries through Jacob Oliver, who ran in for a hat trick, and Josh Dobbin. Deane Agnew was successful with all four of his conversion kicks.
The Bangor Academy team scored three unconverted tries through Jonah Topping, Josh Stewart and Todd McEvoy with James Montgomery adding one successful penalty kick.
Portadown College played Lurgan College in a re-run of the 2022 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy final.
This time it was the Portadown College team that emerged as winners with a 27-10 scoreline.
Scott Craig, Bobby Newell, Mike Flack, Nathan Thornton and Tom Neill scored the Portadown College tries with John Speers adding one conversion.
The Lurgan College points came through a Sam Stevenson try with Thompson Owen adding the conversion as well as one penalty.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Cup, the second semi-final was finally played when Methodist College, Belfast 3rdxv met Campbell College, Belfast 4thxv in a game the Campbell College, Belfast 4thxv won by 47-7.
The Campbell College, Belfast 4thxv will now meet Royal Belfast Academical Institution 3rdxv in the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Cup.,
