Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 28 September 2024.
The first of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup Group A competition games took place when Dalriada School hosted Ballymena Academy U16s at the St James Road venue on Monday 23rd September.
Ballymena Academy won the game with a bonus point 24-7 victory.
Adam Torrens scored the Dalriada School try with Chris Finney adding the successful conversion.
The Ballymena Academy team try scorers were Dylan Harrison, Alexander Comiskey, John Ireland and Patrick McCarey. Jamie Gregg added one conversion with Conor Vercoe Rogers adding a second.
On Wednesday 25th September, Campbell College, Belfast hosted Belfast Royal Academy in their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup Group A game.
The Campbell College, Belfast team won this game by 20-11.
In Group B of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup, Royal Belfast Academical Institution hosted Methodist College, Belfast in a game the Methodist College, Belfast team won by 10-0.
On the same afternoon Ballyclare High School played Dromore High School in their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield Group A game.
The Ballyclare High School team won the game by 40-0.
Rainey Endowed School hosted Foyle and Londonderry College in their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield Group B game.
Rainey Endowed School emerged from this high scoring game as 33-24 winners.
In Group A of the same competition, the Wallace High School U16 team hosted the Regent House School U16 team and recorded a 14-0 victory.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Trophy, Friends’ School, Lisburn entertained Antrim Grammar School in their Group B game.
The game, refereed by that doyen of the USRFR, Mark Orr, now in his 41st season of refereeing, and 38th season of refereeing Ulster Schools’ competition games, was won by Antrim Grammar School with a 31-22 victory.
Meanwhile, at the Campsie Playing Fields Omagh Academy hosted Limavady Grammar School in their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Trophy Group A game.
Omagh Academy won the game by 31-10.
On Friday 27th September Bangor Grammar School played Sullivan Upper School at Upritchard Park, home of Bangor RFC.
The Sullivan Upper School team recorded a 43-0 victory in the game.
Players such as Adam Bickerstaff, Rory Fulton, George Patterson and Albie Scott impressed with their input for the Bangor Grammar School team.
The Sullivan Upper School team scored their points with tries from Rodger McMullan, Nathan Noble, with two, Jack Law, Max Readman, Jake Dempster and Lousi Baird. Hamish Johnston added four successful conversion kicks.
Both schools would like to thank Bangor RFC for the provision of facilities and hosting three games at 1stxv, 2ndxv and Medallion levels on the same evening.
Also, on Friday 27th September, Down High School played Royal School, Armagh in a high scoring encounter which finished with the Royal School, Armagh team recording a 47-39 victory.
The Down High School team scored seven tries through Josh Herron, Scott Mitchell, with a brace, Ethan Whyte, Josh McCaughey, Alex Watson and Lewis Connolly. Josh added the extras to two of the Down High School tries.
The Royal School, Armagh team scored seven tries as well in the course of the game. Evan Hughes, Cameron Dale, with two, Cameron Cummings, Reuben Campbell, Thomas Dougan and James Reid scored the tries with Evan adding six successful conversion kicks.
On Saturday 28th September a good range of Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ games took place.
Antrim Grammar School played Lurgan College in a game the Antrim Grammar School team won by 40-0.
The Antrim Grammar School team had built up a 19-0 lead by the break with three first half tries from Eoin Byrne, two of which were converted by Tom McNeilly.
Kyle Brown, Jack McNeilly and Jake Quigley scored the second half tries with Tom McNeilly and Callum Lavery sharing the kicking duties.
Alex McMeekin and Ben Maxwell impressed with their performances for the Lurgan College team.
Banbridge Academy played Omagh Academy and, having built up a 14-0 lead by the interval, went on to record a 28-12 victory.
Ryan Hanna, Sam Leslie, Caleb Cromie and Calum Little scored the Banbridge Academy tries with Peter Lewis adding the extras to all four tries.
The Omagh Academy team contributed a lot to the game and, on the back of good performances from players such as Innes Sheridan, Philip Crawford, and Adam Coulter, Matthew McClung scored two second half tries, one of which was converted by Jack Adams.
Belfast Royal Academy hosted Methodist College, Belfast on a superb surface, prepared by Anton the groundsman, at the JC Picken Playing Fields at Roughfort.
The Belfast Royal Academy team recorded a 33-17 victory with their points coming through tries from Hadwyn Hughes, Frank Davis and Caleb McWhinney and Conor McVicker having a great morning off the tee with three successful conversion kicks as well as four successful penalty kicks.
The Methodist College, Belfast team scored three tries through Oliver Gartley, James Reid and Matthew Bell. Louis Curran was successful with one of his conversion kicks.
Carrickfergus Grammar School hosted the Donaghadee RFC U18 team and, at the end of this fast-paced game, emerged as 29-7 winners.
The Carrickfergus Grammar School team had taken a 17-0 first half lead with tries from Max Matuszewski, Saul Logan and Joshua Oluwatula. Alex McAllister added the extras to Joshua’s try.
The second half saw the Carrickfergus Grammar School team score two more tries through Harry Bell and Alex McAllister. Alex added the conversion to his try.
The Donaghadee RFC U18 team contributed much to the game and got rewarded for their positive attitude when their industrious captain, Andrew Graham, touched down for a try which was converted by James Coulter.
Coleraine Grammar School entertained Regent House School and eventually won a very closely contested game by 19-15.
Louis McGowan scored the Coleraine Grammar School try to which Joshua Hawe added the conversion as well as four successful penalty kicks.
Isaac Lowe and Noah Miskimmin each scored a try for the Regent House School team with Josh Colville adding one conversion as well as one penalty kick.
Dalriada School played Cambridge House Grammar School in a closely contested game the Dalriada School team won by 28-24.
The Dalriada School team scored four tries through Zach McIlhagga, Isaac Moore, with two, and Matthew Fox. Alfie Millar was successful with all four of his conversion kicks.
Justin Marks capped a fine personal performance for the Cambridge House Grammar School team with a hattrick of tries and two successful conversion kicks. Henri Kyle touched down for an unconverted try as well.
Enniskillen Royal Grammar School played Ballymena Academy in a game which finished with a hard earned 17-14 victory for the Ballymena Academy team.
Thomas Barnett and Callan Kelly scored the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School tries with Sam Paton adding the extras to both.
Olli Collins and Jacob Cassan scored the Ballymena Academy tries with Reuben Allen adding two successful conversions as well as one successful penalty kick.
Larne Grammar School played Ballyclare High School in a game the Ballyclare High School team won by 42-10.
The Larne Grammar School points came through a penalty kick from Ethan Duncan, a try from Ethan Duncan and a conversion from Ethan Duncan.
The Ballyclare High School team scored six tries with Andrew Cooper running in for a hattrick and Austin Adair, Zach Thompson and Ross Ferguson touching down for one try apiece. James Woodside added three successful conversion kicks as did Jude Semple.
Royal Belfast Academical Institution entertained Terenure College, Dublin and found themselves with a 22-12 lead going into the final few minutes only to lose the game by 24-22 with a Terenure College goal during the final play of the game.
George Craigan scored two tries for the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team with Andrew Purcell and Connor Patton touching down for one try each. Charlie O’Connor added the extras to one of the tries.
Benny Dohnal, with two, Michael Kennedy and Cian Hyland scored the Terenure College tries with Will O’Leary adding two successful conversion kicks.
Royal School, Dungannon hosted Grosvenor Grammar School on the WK Armstrong pitch where both schools contested for the Chiko Trophy.
The Royal School, Dungannon team won the game by 14-3 with Jacob McNutt and Jack Patterson scoring the Royal School, Dungannon tries and Jack Evans adding two successful conversion kicks.
Shea Taggart kicked a penalty for the Grosvenor Grammar School team for whom Mark Press and James Campbell impressed with their performances.
Wallace High School played Campbell College, Belfast in an exciting game the Campbell College, Belfast team won by 22-19.
The Wallace High School team scored three tries through Michael McCavery, Alex Stevenson and Daniel Macklin-Copeland. Luke Dillon was successful with two of his conversion kicks.
Leo Graham, with one, and James Wells, with two, were the Campbell College, Belfast try scorers. Henry Ralston was successful with two conversion kicks as well as one penalty kick.
As well as fielding three senior squads against Wallace High School, Campbell College staff managed also to get a fourth senior squad out on Saturday morning to play a game against the Malone RFC U18 team. The Malone RFC U18 team won this exciting game by 21-19.
