Anyone have an idea who will be in the academy next year? We have Daragh Leader and Sean O'Brien seems to be a dead cert. Anyone else?

actually im kinda wrong, both players named above play both loosehead and tighthead.
for roscrea walshe played loosehead but for ireland under 18's played tighthead

ormond lad wrote:

connachtexile wrote: What position does Jacob Walshe play again?

tight head prop

walshe is a loose head, heffernan covers both but started the leinster quarter finals/semis as tighthead

connachtexile wrote: What position does Jacob Walshe play again?

tight head prop

What position does Jacob Walshe play again?

Cistercian Roscrea lads, Sean O'Brien from Clarinbridge and Jacob Walshe from Aughrim, selected for Ireland U19 training squad. Ciaran Gaffney, Salthill and Oisin Heffernan of Clifden, selected for Ireland U18 squad for Euro championships in March, together with Abbeyleix man, Rory Moloney. Heffernan played with Leinster this year.

Munster are allegedly using their feminine wiles to lure Paratta back to the [strike]Dark[/strike] Red side. Would be a shame to lose a potential talent like him.

Lads who won the connacht u17/19 youths leagues?
Munster u17/19 finals on Saturday in Cork
Highfield play Bandon in 19s and Waterpark play Clonakilty in the 17s

Navan play Athy in Leinster u19 final tomorrow in MUI Maynooth

Whoever wins/has won connacht leagues will be home to munster champions in all ireland semis

Good point - the popularity of tag rugby means thousands of women have been introduced to (a variant of) the game.

On the branch/clubs thing I know of friends who can't get to Connacht games because of clashes with club commitments, there seems to be a disconnect even between the amateur and professional sides of the branch.

I think there needs to be a more concerted effort made between the branch and the clubs. Bucs did it and are doing it so there's no reason why Galwegians or Corinthians couldn't make a similar effort even Sligo I.T. which has a big student population. If there is structures put in place and supported we should slowly get the numbers up. There's enough sisters/girlfriends/friends of players at these clubs to try and get a team together. We should also start promoting it with at 7's tournaments etc.

You make a good point in general. If there is a problem with numbers its not with buccs atm but could be with the other teams.

Couple years ago two girls from my office played for Galwegians (both have since retired due to injury).

They were then the only 15-a-side womens club team in the province. The provincial side was Wegians + College + a few Connacht girls playing for teams elsewhere in Ireland. Games against other Connacht sides (college excepted) were sevens or touch depending on the oppositions level of experience.

So the womens game is only just getting off the ground; I'd take criticism with a pinch of salt (could the team denied a chance to retain their title field a 15-a-side team, did they have enough subs, front rows etc. and so on).

My dad was one of the pioneers in getting womens soccer going in the province over the last 20 years, and one of the main problems in womens soccer was that the dropout rate (school-college; college-work; work-family life) was way higher than in the mens game; almost all women were done playing by their early/mid twenties at the latest whereas it's very common for men to play on into their 30s. If you add in that most of the new female rugby players will not have played at underage level, and consider the fact that rugby positions are far more specialised than football, it may take a long time to build up a comparable structure in rugby.

I see the connacht branch are coming in for a lot of critisism for their organising of schools and underage club competitions in the province over the last few years. Leaves a lot to be desired apparantly on the fixture availability and promotion side of things especially. A lot of comments left on one site in lead up to cup finals yesterday were not about game but hoping that branch wud do better job this year. Aparantly there wasnt even a microphone available last year.
Lots of critisism for organisation of womens game eas well in connacht. Seemingly buccs werent allowed defend their title this sesson. No reason given by poster. Anyone know why?

Ga1wegian wrote: Senior Development Cup Final result - Clifden 8 St. Enda's College, Galway 11.

First ever rugby cup win for St. Enda's - yet another school buying into our great game.

They used to participate in the City and Schools Cups back in the 70's/80's, good to see both them and the Bish back competing. And that's hard for a Jes lad to say...

Senior Development Cup Final result - Clifden 8 St. Enda's College, Galway 11.

First ever rugby cup win for St. Enda's - yet another school buying into our great game.

Connacht Rugby ‏@connachtrugby
Full Time Score at the Sportsground, @MaristRFC have won 2 in row!

Marist College 23 Garbally College 11