By Seamie Briscoe
Boyne Rugby Club, at their Shamrock Lodge home on the Ballymakenny Road, are presently undergoing serious development of their facilities which will see a new top of the range 4G pitch installed very shortly. The club is progressing with its ongoing development on and off the pitch with playing facilities and also improvements to its clubhouse. It caters for children and youths from mini’s to under 18’s and they field teams in the Leinster and North East Area Leagues and Cups each season.
The Mini Section from 6 years up to 13 years of age have numerous blitz competition all over Leinster and they practice every Saturday morning. From 13 years onwards the players play full 15 a side rugby and the club field teams at each age group from under 14’s right up to under 18’s. Success has been synonymous with the club in advancing players to representative level, the lates being, Mahon Ronan, who is now part of the Leinster Squad having played with Ireland at Youth and Under 20’s level.
There is also a vibrant girls section who have had success last season and the club are hoping that they can once again field a senior team at adult ladies rugby level having been so successful in the past.
Last weekend Boyne’s J1 & J2 sides travelled to Sutton where both teams took on Suttonians RFC in the Leinster League Division 1A. They had mixed fortunes with the J1 team going down on the narrowest of margins on the score 26 : 25.
This was their third match in the League and they were hoping to stay on top of the league table having gained maximum points from their opening two games. They did however, come away from Sutton with two bonus league points which keeps them very much in contention at the top of the league table. However a busy season lies ahead for this team.
The J2 side had a runaway victory over Suttonians 60 : 5 which gave them their first win in this league. Coached by Alan McEneaney and Seamus Sarsfield, this team contains a lot of young players who have come up through the youth section of the club. Hopefully, this win will springboard them to better things to come in this league.
The club also will field a 3rds side this season which John Heeney will be responsible for and they will play in the Metropolitan League. They have yet to “kick off” their season.
So it’s all go, on and off the field, at Shamrock Lodge with Boyne Rugby club certainly continuing to provide the youth and senior players with plenty of activity and facilities to cater for those who are interested in the game of rugby.
