OLD WESLEY 1St

tEAM SquAD 2010-11

Back Row: (L to R) Matt Crockett, Tristan Goodbody, Robbie Bannister, Derek Wallace, John Carroll, Richie Murphy, Barry McLoughlin, Johnny Butterworth, Stephen Walshe, David Whately. Middle Row: (L to R) Dan van Zyl, Mark Kinlan, Richie Jermyn, Ian McCann, Ian Cassidy, Marc Geraghty, Richie Morrow, Graeme McCoy, Darragh Kelly, Simon Goldsmith, Oltian Derveshi, Tom OBrien, Robert Deacon.

Front Row: (L to R) Jimmy Byrden, Rory Stynes, Alan Large, Colin Wallace, Brian Hastings (Capt), Niall Dineen (President), Greg Jacob, Philip Hosie, Brian Doherty, Alan Thompson, Pat McDonald.

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Vintage season for J3 squad

What a season; age and guile matched with youth and flair. All this and more went into a vintage season for the OWRFC J3 squad. Swainer, Kinners and Leeso worked hard to pull a squad together during the off season. They produced a composed and elegant mix of former senior players and young bucks, playing for fun on their way up in the world alongside chiselled veterans. Old hands such as Macnaughton, Farrar, Kinlan were joined by new recruits (Sheridan, Kidd, Laporte) and long serving greats (McClatchie; the Johnstons, Alan and David) and both little and big Sean ONeills prospered alongside Paddy OShea, Lucozadeloving (we only supply water at this level!) Ross Johnston as well as Ian Logan and others stepping into the breach as the injuries mounted up.

turLOugh OriOrDAn

Vintage season for J3 squad (Contd)

The J3s had gone two seasons unbeaten at home under lights, and now topped the table with a perfect points tally of 45 points after nine games. They accrued a positive points difference of 177, with 45 tries for, 12 against... not many leagues titles have been won with such little work from the boot!! Yet this is very much a demonstration of Leesos positive coaching philosophy, producing a sumptuous mixture of attacking flair and forward precision augmented by the grit of Kinners and other veterans in the pack. Craig Petrie demonstrated consistent nous alongside focussed and purposeful aggression during his captaincy, leading from the front and shirking no challenge or obstacle. Crawford Kidd added Scottish mettle to a rotating back row alongside Petrie and Neil Stanley, with Howie Meredith providing worthy cover and showing what speed can do later in a game. Richard Walsh was a twnety-minute wonder on more than one occasion. Eric Browne and Shane Davey were immense and hugely consistent all season in the second row. Kinners stood up to one more final season with French signing Matthieu Laporte leading the charge alongside Trev Farrar whose darts were vintage. The pack were collectively immense, with Gary Hamilton, Keith Kane, Ian Logan, Andy McCormick, Howie Meredith and Derek Wallace all making crucial impacts at various stages of the season. Richie Thompson and David Johnston shared out-half duties, each serving up the kicked penalties when required and showing great experience in marshalling their back lines. Jamie McConnell somehow managed to keep the Spanish 7s scrum half Facu Lavino out of the starting line-up. Little Sean ONeil stepped into the breach when McConnell was unavailable due to decorating his new apartment with his girlfriend, and more than made a mark across the park. This season exemplified all that Leeso holds up honesty, commitment and collective effort. The squad had served up an unbeaten league season as they faced into the Moran Cup in the spring. (Continues on page 61)

Everyone who togged out for the J3s this season made a contribution to the collective endeavours in the League and Cup, not least a range of utility forwards and backs who contributed hugely. Comfortable wins away to Naas and at home to Bective Rangers preceded a home romping against RCSI. At home to Trinity and then away to Monkstown further bonus point wins were secured. Early Decembers appalling weather saw fixtures against Naas and Clontarf postponed. The long festive layoff might have prefigured losses in fitness and gains in girth. However the lads won 30-3 at home to Clontarf in the New Year, maintaining momentum and laying down a marker to themselves. Trinity were put to the sword 29-12 on 18th February, the League Pennant was awarded that night and quite a few ales were imbibed! A further bonus point victory at home to Monkstown, and a walk-over awarded against Clontarf closed out the league in March.

J3 Metro League
Consistency in the league was the aim from the outset; failure to secure the top spot in their section the previous year still rankled greatly. Then commenced a superlative sequence of bonus point league victories, though some opponents offered more than others. Re-fixed games and the usual commitments of life stretched the squad at times. However, their collective commitment shone through.

Richie makes his clearance during the Cup Final

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Vintage season for J3 squad (Contd)

Moran Cup
After a 38-0 first round victory over Terenure, the J3s faced Greystones away in the quarters. Here they closed out a tight 13-3 win, retaining their lead in the face of a strong wind and relentless Greystones onslaught in the second half.

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This squared up an away semi-final against DLSP. That the J3s lost only once the previous season, away to DLSP the eventual league winners ensured strong support for each side, as well as a tasty interest in victory. Richie Thompson showed considerable class in the kicking department, replacing Johnston, while McConnell moved out to the wing to replace OBrien. Little Sean ONeill marshalled the pack in committed defence. Having relied on tries in the league, the J3s showed versatility in the cup, demonstrating that field position and committed defence has its place. Indeed the defence on display from Old Wesley in the quarter- and semi-finals was immense, and they beat a fancied DLSP 120 to progress to the final. The final against Lansdowne in Donnybrook on 18th April saw two highly fancied sides clash for the final silverware of the season. In what was something of a scrappy first half, Lansdowne lead 10-0 at the break. Old Wesley clawed their way back into contention with a penalty followed by a converted try, only to see Lansdowne match them and extend their lead further. Johnson touched down for his second try, again converted by Thompson, levelling the scores at 17-all with five minutes remaining. Lansdowne clinched victory with a dropgoal. Three points stood between the J3s and a memorable double at the close of the 2010-11 season. Johnson scores to the delight of his team mates in the final

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They took their chances well and played to their own strengths in away Cup fixtures chalking up controlled victories over Greystones and DLSP, both residing in the Senior Section of the league to which OWRFC J3s ascend this coming season. One and all can hold their heads up high every ounce of commitment asked for was given, and this season was all about a squad united and playing for each other. Coach Leesons relentless commitment to his players, and junior rugby in general, must be saluted by one and all. Week in and week out over the last five years he has been there at every turn, recruiting, encouraging, organising. Alongside Dave Swaine and Stuart Kinlan they moulded a squad that went the distance and more. Thanks to all our supporters over the past season your support is always welcome and hugely appreciated. We look forward to seeing you on the side lines next year!

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Wishing all the best to Old Wesley Rugby Club for 2012

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Annual Club Dinner

This years Annual Club Dinner saw the largest attendance for many years, which was due, in no small way, to the Guest Speaker on the night New Zealand rugby legend Sean Fitzpatrick. Sean is rated by many as the greatest player ever to wear the Silver Fern. He played 92 tests for the New Zealand All Blacks between 1986 and 1997, 55 of them as captain. He won a World Cup Medal in the inaugural World Cup in New Zealand / Australia in 1987. During his speech he talked about his Irish roots in Tipperary and about his interest in Hurling, especially as Tipperary were now All Ireland Champions. It was fitting then that Niall Dineen presented Sean with a Hurley at the end of the evening. Well done Niall for delivering such a high profile speaker, which contributed so much to what was an excellent night.

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OLD WESLEY SEniOr SquAD - 2011 - 2012

CLuB CAPtAin 2011 - 2012
greg Jacob: Age 29 Position: Centre/Flanker height: 6ft 1ins Weight: 95Kgs Landscape gardener Greg was educated at Kilkenny College, he joined the club two seasons ago after a number of years playing with Carlow. Greg is a keen hurler and was a member of the Wexford hurling panel two seasons ago.
Ciaran Condron Age: 25 Position: Second row height: 6ft 3ins Weight: 107kgs Student Educated at The High School Dublin, Played U.20s with Trinity for two years before gaining his colours in 2008. Joined the Club last season from Trinity. Second season in senior squad. Matt Crockett Age: 29 Position: hooker height: 5ft 10ins Weight: 14st 6lbs Doctor Former Welsh Schoolboy International. At Trinity he represented the Irish Universities & The Irish Amateur Club side. Played for Cambridge in the Varsity match at Twickenham in December 2008. Oltian Dervishi Age: 20 Position: Prop height: 6 ft Weight: 106kg Student Oltian was educated at Newpark Comprehensive and played for Leinster Schools Section A. Was on the Pennant Cup winning team. Graduates from our Under 21s and made his AIL debut last year.

Conor Boyd Age: 21 Position: Wing Forward height: 5ft 10in Weight: 80kg Student Conor was educated at St. Columbas College. Has been a member of our u21s for the last three seasons and was a member of the Pennant winning team in 2010. First year in Senior Squad.

Colm Brady Age: 22 Position: Wing/Centre height: 6ft 2in Weight: 87kg Accountant Attended the hurling stronghold of St. Kierans College, Kilkenny. Represented Irish youths and is in his first season in Old Wesley. Colm joined the Club from Kilkenny.

Arron Campbell Age: 31 Position: Full Back/Wing height: 5ft 11ins Weight: 13st 4lbs Sales representative Former Barnhall player joining us from Tullow RFC where he was captain two seasons ago. Second season in senior squad.

Wesley Deverell Age 22 Position: Wing/Full Back height: 5ft 10in Weight: 82kg Student Wesley was educated at Kilkenny College and was a member of the u21 Pennant winning team of 2010. He rejoins Old Wesley this season following a year with his home town, Portarlington.

Shane Duignan Age 22 Position: Backrow height: 6ft 4in Weight: 100kg Student Shane was educated at St. Gerards and was a member of Under 21 Penant winning team in 2010. First year in the senior squad.

Eoin Fitzpatrick Age 20 Position: Fullback/Centre height: 6ft 2in Weight: 105kg Student Eoin was educated at Wesley College and has played Under 21 for the last two years. First year in the senior squad. Was a member of the Gale Cup and Pennant winning teams in 2010.

ivan Campbell Age: 21 Position: Backrow height: 6ft 2in Weight: 98kg Student Ivan is a former captain of Wesley College SCT and played Leinster Schools at under 18 and 19 level. Has played for Old Wesley since mini rugby days and this is his second year in the Senior Squad.

John Carroll Age: 27 Position: 2nd row height: 6ft 4ins Weight: 16st Political Advisor Educated at Ashbourne Community College. John joined the club from Ashbourne RFC. Fourth season in the senior squad.

ian Cassidy Age 21 Position: Scrum half height: 6ft. 1in Weight: 85kg Student Educated at Wesley College and has been a member of the u21s for the last two seasons. Played on the Pennant winning team in 2010. Second season in the senior squad. Represented Leinster Schools and u19s.

David Flower Age: 24 Position: Wing height: 5ft 9ins Weight: 83kgs Student (Food Science) Educated at The High School and with the club since 2005. Played two seasons at Under 20s, this is Davids second season in the senior squad.

Marc geraghty Age: 23 Position: Out half height: 5ft 10ins Weight: 12st Student Marc represented Leinster and Ireland at youth level and Ireland at U19s. Second season in the Old Wesley senior squad.

Michael glynn Age 22 Position: Scrum half height: 5ft 10in Weight: 80kg Student Educated at St Gerards, Michael joined the Club last season and was a member of the J2 Cup winning side. First year in Senior Squad.

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Simon goldsmith Age: 27 Position: Prop height: 6ft 3ins Weight: 17st 2lbs Banker Educated at The High School Dublin. After two seasons playing with the clubs U20s, this is his seventh season in the senior squad.

tristan goodbody Age: 25 Position: Prop height: 183cm Weight: 104kgs Engineer Educated at St. Columbas College, Trinity and UCD. He joined the Club last season from Trinity where he represented Irish Universities.

Eoin gorman Age 21 Position: hooker height 5ft 10ins Weight 98kg Student Educated at Newpark Comprehensive, Eoin has played for the last three seasons on the U21s and was a member of the Pennant winning side in 2010. He captained the U21s last season. First year in Senior Squad.

Aco Keating Age: 21 Position: Wing height: 6ft 1in Weight: 82kg Student Aco was a member of U21 Squad for the last two years. Educated at Newpark where he was a member of the McMullen Cup winning team. Was on the Pennant winning team in 2010. First year in the Old Wesley Senior Squad.

Darragh Kelly Age: 22 Position: Front row height: 6ft 1in Student A former pupil of Maorist College, Athlone, Darragh joined us from Buccaneers last season. He has represented Connaught at Youth and Under 19s levels. Second season in senior squad.

nigel Kinlan Age: 22 Position: Centre height: 5ft 11ins Weight: 15st 3lbs retail Manager Educated at The High School Dublin, Nigel came through the Old Wesley underage system. Won an U21s Pennant medal in 2010. Fourth season in the Senior Squad.

Stephen harvey Age: 21 Position: Centre / Fullback height: 6ft 2in Weight: 86kg PE coach Stephen was educated at Villiers School, Limerick and joins Old Wesley from Nenagh Ormond. Represented Munster at u16, u18 and u19 levels. First year in senior squad.

Michael hastings Age: 28 Position: Centre height: 6ft Weight: 13st 9lbs Solicitor Educated at Wesley College. Former Munster U21s player, Michael joined his twin brother Brian at Old Wesley in 2009, having captained UCD in Div. 1 previously.

David henshaw Age: 22 Position: Prop height: 6ft.1in Weight: 114kg Student David was educated at Marist College, Athlone where he captained the SCT. Represented Connaught at u17,u18,u19 and u20. Joined this season from Buccaneers where he played in AIL Div 1 last season.

ian Mcgann Age: 20 Position: Second row height: 6ft 5ins Weight: 101kgs Student in Dit Educated at Wesley College. Made his AIL debut in 2009. A member of the U21 Pennant winning team. Played for Leinster u19s. Third season in the senior squad.

Barry McLaughlin Age: 22 Position: utility Back height: 5ft 11ins Weight: 12st 7lb Student Educated at Wesley College where he represented Leinster Schools in 2006/07 season. Barry has played in two Purcell Cup Finals for the U20s. This is his fourth year in the senior squad.

Ken McLaughlin Age 20 Position: Outhalf height: 6ft 1in Weight: 84kg Student Ken was educated at Wesley College and played with UCD under 21s before joining the Club last season. Joins his brother this season in the Senior Squad.

Philip hosie Age: 27 Position: Lock height: 6ft 4ins Weight: 17st Building Contractor Educated at The Kings Hospital. Played for two seasons with the U20s and was a Leinster U21 trialist. Seventh season in the senior squad. Phil was team captain in 2008-09 when Old Wesley gained promotion to Division 2.

richie Jermyn Age 20 Position: Centre height: 6ft 1in Weight: 88kg Student Richie joined Old Wesley straight from Wesley College. He has come through our underage section and has played at all age levels in the club. A member of our Pennent and Gale winning u21s in 2010. AIL debut last year.

ross Johnson Age: 24 Position: Wing height: 6ft 1ins Weight: 93Kgs Student Educated at The High School Dublin, Leinster Schools Cricket inter-provincial. Third season in the Senior Squad and leading try scorer two seasons ago in Div. 3.

richard Morrow Age: 26 Position: Back row height: 6ft 4ins Weight: 16st 3lbs Banker Joined Old Wesley from Trinity College in 2009, with whom he won an U20s medal in 2005. He also played for his native Connacht at U21s level.

izak Muller Age 22 Position: Scrum half / Fullback height: 5ft 10in Weight: 85kg Student Izak (Sakki) joins us on a gap year from Free State University, Bloemfontaine, South Africa. He has played for SA schools, Cheetahs Under 19s and Shimlas senior team.

richie Murphy Age: 30 Position: Back row height: 6ft 4ins Weight: 16st 6lbs Richie played for Carlow for a number of years before moving to Arklow. Joined Old Wesley in 2009. Third season in senior squad.

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David OConnor Age 21 Position: Backrow height: 6ft 3in Weight: 105kg Student teacher David is another past pupil of that hurling bastion St. Kierans College, Kilkenny. Has represented Leinster Youths and joins us this season from Kilkenny.

neale richmond Age: 28 Position: Prop height: 6ft 2ins Weight: 17st County Councillor Neale joined straight from Wesley College and played at U20s level. After playing & working abroad he has returned to Old Wesley. He is a sitting Fine Gael Councillor.

John Southern Age 23 Position: Back row / Second row height: 6ft 2in Weight: 100kg Student John was educated at Newbridge College and has played Connaught Under 20s and Leinster Juniors. First year in Old Wesley senior squad.

Ciaran Sutherland Age 19 Position: Prop height: 6ft 1in Weight; 118kg Student Ciaran was educated at Bridgetown VC, Wexford and has represented Leinster at Youths Level. Joins Old Wesley this season from Wexford Wanderers.

gavin telford Age 24 Position: hooker height: 6ft 1in Weight: 105kg Student Gavin is from Mountrath and was educated at the Kings Hospital, Dublin He played AIL for UCD over the past few seasons. Played Leinster U19. Joins Old Wesley this season.

Alan thompson Age: 24 Position: Centre/Wing height: 6ft 3ins Weight: 15st 7lb Student Educated at The High School, joined Old Wesleys senior squad straight from school. Represented Canada at U19s & Leinster at U20s level.

Mark Southern Age 26 Position: Prop height: 6ft 1in Weight; 115kg Engineer Mark studied Technical Engineering at Waterford Institute. He has represented Leinster at both Youth and Junior level, Connaught at U21 level and Irish Colleges. Joins this season from Newbridge RFC.

Michael Stack Age 21 Position: Second row height: 6ft 5in Weight: 100kg Student Michael was educated at Kilkenny College and has played u21s for the past two years. He was part of the Gale and Pennant success in 2010. This is his first year in the senior squad.

rory Stynes Age: 22 Position: Out half height: 5ft 8ins Weight: 85kgs Student Educated at Carlow CBS. Rory is an Arts Student in UCD. Joined last season from Carlow, he has represented Leinster and Ireland at Youth level. Second year in senior squad.

Mark toal-Lennon Age: 23 Position: Full Back height: 6ft 2ins Weight: 95kgs Student Mark was educated at St Gerards, Bray. He played for two seasons at under 20s and played in two Purcell Cup Finals. Won a J2 cup medal last season.

Dan Van Zyl Age: 40 Position: half Back height: 5ft 9ins Weight: 12st rugby Development Officer His fourth season at the Club, Dan is a former Springbok International. He has also played for Western Province, the Stormers, Bristol and Co. Carlow.

Colin Wallace Age: 27 Position: Wing Forward height: 5ft 10ins Weight: 13st 7lbs Banker Educated at Wesley College, Played 2 seasons with the U20s before breaking into the Senior Squad. Won a Moran Cup medal in his first season with the Club.

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OLD WESLEY rFC 2011 - 2012 SEASOn COAChing & MAnAgEMEnt tEAM

David Whately Age: 24 Position: Wing Forward height: 5ft 9ins Weight: 14st 5lbs Actuary Educated at Dundalk Grammer School and joined Dundalk RFC on leaving school. Played previously for Clontarf. Represented both Leinster and Ireland at Youth level and also Leinster at U19 level. Second year in senior squad.

Johnny Willis Age: 24 Position: Backrow height: 5ft 11ins Weight: 15st 8lb real Estate Management Educated at St Andrews College, Johnny played for two seasons for the Clubs Under 20s before Captaining the J2 (under 23s) team. fourth season in the Senior Squad.

ray Wilson Age 21 Position: Wing / Wing forward height: 5ft 10in Weight: 77kg Student Ray hails from Wicklow and was educated at Kilkenny College. He played under 21s for the past three years and was a member of the Pennant winning team in 2010. First year in the Senior Squad.

Mark Kinlan
Assistant Coach

Morgan Lennon
Head Coach

Colin Younger
Assistant Coach

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Centenary Season 1991-1992

In the year 1891 Messrs A. J. and R. J. Crawford, P. W. Robinson and A. H. Kapp, met at the Crawfords home and Old Wesley Rugby Football Club was founded. 120 years have now passed and I cannot believe it is 20 years since I was President in our Centenary Year. In the Presidents Message in the Centenary programme I queried if the gentlemen named above had any inkling of the number of other meetings that would be held in other homes during the 4 years leading up to the Centenary. All those meetings ensured that we had an excellent Centenary season. The Senior squad played 37 fixtures on every weekend during the season and top of the list was obviously beating the Barbarians 37 - 36 in Donnybrook on Thursday 12th September 1991. The opening match on 31st August was against Rosslyn Park whom we played home and away and we also managed home fixtures against Kelso and Edinburgh Academicals. These were long-standing traditional fixtures, which were normally played over the Scottish international weekend. (All these fixtures were of course arranged by our long-standing traditional fixture secretary.)

PhiLiP Orr

It also happened to be Cork Constitutions Centenary and an Old W e s l e y / C o r k Constitution XV played an Ireland XV in Cork on 7th September as a warm up match in preparation for RWC 1991. Ireland played home pool matches against Zimbabwe and Japan in Lansdowne Road in early October and then returned to Dublin for the quarter final where they were narrowly defeated by Australia in spite of Gordon Hamiltons try. We played the first 4 of our 1st Division All Ireland League matches on successive weekends in November against Instonians, Cork Constitution, Young Munster and Garryowen (how would todays squad fancy that) and the remaining 4 matches against St. Marys College, Ballymena, Lansdowne and Shannon during January and February. We finished 4th in the league table behind Garryowen, Shannon and Ballymena (there were no playoffs at that time). Chris Pim (captain) and the squad kept their best to last and won their way to the Leinster Senior Cup final by beating Wanderers, St. Marys College and Monkstown on the way but unfortunately were beaten in the final by Blackrock. The major social occasions of the year were the Golf Classic in Hermitage Golf Club on 23rd May 1991, the dinner after the

Centenary Match v the Barbarians on 12th September 1991, which was held in a marquee in the back car park and of course the Centenary Dinner in Jurys Hotel on 16th November 1991. It was at that dinner that the aforementioned fixture secretary namely Brian Molloy launched his successful presidential campaign with an excellent response to the toast of the club when he donned a scrum cap during his speech while standing in his dress suit at the microphone in Jurys Hotel.

Another important aspect of the Centenary was the publication of The Centenary History of Old Wesley RFC written by Ned Van Esbeck. This comprehensive record of the first 100 years of Old Wesley RFC is both intriguing and an enlightening read. In the preface, Ned acknowledges the splendid notes and records that Stan Polden provided, and it was a source of immense regret that Stan did not live to see the completion of the book. The final Centenary events were the Senior and Junior tours to Canada and Portugal in May 1992. (Continues on page 74)

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5 matches were played on the Senior tour in Canada over 3 weeks, 1 in Calgary, 2 in Vancouver and 2 on Vancouver Island in Cowichan and Victoria. Those 5 tour fixtures brought the total number of matches played during the Centenary season to 42. Twenty years on this could now be considered as player abuse. The Junior tour travelled to Cascais near Lisbon and played 2 matches and I was reliably informed that a good time was had by all.

I was extremely honoured and proud to have been the Centenary President of Old Wesley RFC. It was a very successful and enjoyable season and I would like to thank all those Old Wesley members who gave immense amounts of time to organise all the centenary events.

Could this be the end?

Both Stuart Kinlan and David Bursey have indicated that they have retired from playing and are now going to dedicate themselves to helping with both administration and coaching in the Club. Stuart is helping out with junior rugby and Dave has been appointed Manager of the 1stXV. If they end up doing half as much in their new roles as they did on the field of play they will be a great success. Stuart is part of a great Old Wesley dynasty with his father Willie representing the firsts during the 1960s and early 70 and his brother Mark now part of the Senior coaching set-up. There are also other members of the extended Kinlan family playing in the Club. Stuart joined in the season 1990 1991 and in the last twenty years has played over 600 matches at all levels. He played on the 1stXV for ten years and holds the distinction of being the first Old Wesley player to be Drug Tested after an AIL match. Another distinction he has is that of scoring the first try at our new grounds in Ballycorus. Stuart played on many great Wesley sides but one of his great memories is of playing for the J1XV during the mid nineties that included five players that had represented Leinster, including his two front row colleagues Johnny Feehan and Matt King. Also he remembers fondly the great J4 team of 1993 94 that won both the League and Cup double, winning all 24 matches that season, which has to be a Club record. His achievements on the field include 6 Leinster Branch Medals, with two last season at J2 and J3 level, at the tender age of 39. Stuart says that the best player that he ever played with was Chris Pim sorry Robbie and against was Reggie Corrigan.

Philip Orr
Old Wesley RFC Representative to Leinster Branch

(Continues on page 77)

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Could this be the end?

(Contd)
In addition to playing, Dave has also been heavily involved in Mini Rugby over the past decade on Sunday mornings and this has coincided with the introduction of his sons Matthew and Zak to the game. Dave has led many an overseas trip at this level and those of us who know Dave, know that it is a unique experience being on tour with him! Dave was a member of the Old Wesley team that beat the Barbarians 37-36 in Centenary Season [1991/92]. He won 4 Leinster Branch medals during his career and won 2 Floodlit Cup Medals. He says that the best player he ever played with was Robbie Love and against was Mick Galway. At 42 Dave has now said that it is time to hang up the boots which certainly is an end of an era. Stuart and Daves love for the game and Old Wesley is such, that no one would be surprised if we see both of these great servants on the field of play at some stage during the season.

Dave Bursey has also had a wonderful career with Old Wesley. He joined the Club straight from School in 1987 and played for two seasons at U.19 level and has now completed 25 season playing for the Club. Dave represented Leinster at U.19, U.20, and U.21 level and also at Senior Level. He played for both the Leinster and Irish U.21 sides against New Zealand and has the distinction of having an unbeaten record against the mighty All Blacks, having been on the victorious Leinster team and the Irish team that drew. He played 20 seasons in the AIL League which must be a record and played in all three divisions. Dave went on to Captain the 1stXV in 2000 - 2001. To widen his experience Dave spent a number of summers playing rugby in Australia during which he made one appearance at No.8 on the ACT [now known as the Brumbies] playing on that occasion with such stars as George Gregan and Joe Roff - as we all know he also met the love of his live, Jodie in Australia !

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PKF OConnor, Leddy & Holmes

Derek McCullagh Memorial Trophy

During last season Hazel McCullagh and her family presented the Derek McCullagh Memorial Trophy to the Club at the lunch before the AIL match against Ballymena. Derek, a former President in 1989/90, was a true and loyal servant for many years and was involved in very many aspects of the Club until his untimely passing on the 16th April, 2010. One area of the Club that Derek loved and made a great contribution to was the Under 19s which then became the Under 20s and now the Under 21s. Every Sunday for many years he could be seen collecting players, organising kit, carrying the medical bag, bring players to hospital etc and then after the game making sure that the players were all properly looked after.

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There are many members of the Club today who have fond memories of Derek at this level and therefore it is most fitting that Hazel and her family should present a Trophy in his name for the Player of the Year at Under 21 Level in the Club.

Gareth Dunne, The Under 21s Player of the Year pictured with the Derek McCullagh Memorial Trophy which he received at the AGM.

The importance of this level of rugby within the Club cannot be over estimated as many go on to represent our Senior side, as is evident by the number who have played on our 1stXV over recent seasons. Congratulations to Gareth Dunne, whos Dad, Victor represented the Club back in the early eighties, on being the inaugural winner of this prestigious trophy. Gareth was educated at Kilkenny College and has been with the Club for the past two seasons. Gareth had an excellent season playing on the Premier side that were back in the Premiership after a couple of seasons playing in the Pennant competition.
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Hazel McCullagh together with her family presents the Derek McCullagh Memorial Trophy to Niall Dineen, President, at a lunch in the Clubhouse during last season. (L to R) Colin, Jennifer, Hazel, Niall, Gavin and Stephen.
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Back in the Premiership - U21 Season

After the success of the 2009/10 season the Club, coaches and managers felt it was time to up the ante and challenge ourselves at the highest level. Therefore it was decided that both under 21 sides would move up a level from the previous season. The Pennant team were promoted to the Premiership and the previous seasons Gale team were promoted to the Pennant. The players were thrilled and recruitment for a tough season ahead went well. There is a vast jump in physicality at Premier level with the best of Irish schools rugby on view every weekend. With the help of Neil Kiely we embarked on an ambitious strength and conditioning programme. Numbers were excellent with a total of 52 players registered. The season began with an impressive showing at the Annual Newbridge festival, eventually losing to the tournament winners Lansdowne in the Semi-Final, in sudden death injury time. The premier league started on Sunday 10th October at Merrion Road in style with an impressive 29-6 bonus point victory with 4 fantastic tries scored in the process. A great start! This great victory was followed by 5 consecutive weeks of really hotly contested matches and we certainly did not wilt under the pressure. We lost 24-32 to Trinity and only missed out on a bonus point by a narrowly missed conversion.

DAViD JErMYn

The following Friday under lights in Donnybrook we very nearly overturned the star studded Lansdowne outfit, eventually loosing 1217. A kind bounce of the ball and we would have taken that game and defeated the eventual winners of the under 21 All Ireland league. At this stage battered and bruised, next we endured an incredibly attritional game against a very physical Belvo side, only to lose to an injury time penalty kick from half way, 18-15. Our final league game of phase 1 of the Super Six ended at Templeville Road again losing narrowly to a very strong St Marys side 22-15.

Ian McGann scores a great try against Wanderers

Contact: David Jermyn or Bruce Lowe

Ken McLaughlin pushes past the Terenure defence
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To summarise we Won 1 Lost 4 but picked up 3 losing bonus points over a 5 week period of competition. Few, if any, of our players had experienced this intensity during their school rugby days. It is fair to say our players are drawn from a pool of schools in the second tier of Leinster schools rugby. Therefore to compete toe to toe with the likes of Lansdowne, Marys, Belvedere and Trinity is testament to the coaching of Morgan Lennon and Andie Adams, who do a magnificent job ably assisted by Matt Brown and Stephen Wallace. (Continues on page 83)
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Planning on being a Pharmacist? a Pharmacist already?

U21 Season Report

(Contd)

We then moved on to the Super Six phase 2 where we eventually finished in 2nd place behind St Marys and just missed out on qualification for a play off to gain entry to the All Ireland play offs. A work in progress for 2011/12. The Pennant side also competed extremely well having stepped up a division and began with a hard fought 22-16 away victory against rivals DLSP, but this was unfortunately followed by a defeat to the ever strong Trinity at Santry. This was followed by the game of the season in Stradbrook where after a titanic struggle and in the 11th minute of injury time, we crossed for the decisive score and Sam Shaw cooly slotted the conversion to take the win 19-13. Another highlight was the 24-8 revenge win over Trinity which kept us in contention to make the play offs. Unfortunately this was not to be and we rapped up a very good season with a nail biting defeat in Donnybrook, to DLSP in the Semi Final of the Purcell Cup. I particularly chose not to include individual player performances, but the squads on the whole, were superb and their overall attitude to training and match day preparations were inspiring. They are a great bunch of lads and a great pleasure for us all to work with. I would like to finish by sharing with you our end of season player awards which trust me were most difficult to select. The worthy winners were:
Gary Foxton on his way to scoring against Terenure

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A classic text book hand off by Gavin Mullen against Newbridge

Player of the Season Premier - Gareth Dunne Most Improved Player Alex Browne Player of the Season Pennant - Conor De Courcy Most Improved Player Andrew Dwyer Joyce Spirit Of Under 21 Steven Chapman To those of last years squad moving on, we wish you every success going forward and I am quite sure it will not be long before we see many of you playing at 1st XV level. Thank you all for a memorable season.

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Over 60s Annual Dinner

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Des Johnson being looked after by Philip Bredin and Johnny Meldrum at his inaugural Over 60s dinner.

Those great stalwarts Bobby Barden & Mel Smyth, enjoying the evening

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Brian Sinnott, Dick Stafford, Fred Yoakley and John Poynton get ready to tuck in.
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A rugby Doc
I never really had any intention of becoming a rugby Doc having had an undistinguished but extremely enjoyable time playing club rugby at Trinity, Old Wesley, St Marys Hospital, London and Bristol, my only interest in rugby once retired was spectating. However, just prior to the inaugural year of the foundation of the All Ireland League I found myself spectating at an important club rugby game between Old Wesley and Terenure. The Old Wesley centre, John Cody, sustained a nasty fracture of his femur during the game and I found myself becoming involved in his on-field management and later transfer to A&E. Following this incident one thing led to another and I was persuaded by the powers that be in Old Wesley to offer my services as Medical Officer to the Club. This came at an opportune time to both myself and to the Club. I had become established in a consultant general surgical practice in the Adelaide and Meath Hospitals and could therefore devote more time to rugby doctoring. With the advent of the AIL, all participating clubs had to have medical cover for both home and away games. I spent an extremely enjoyable four or five years with Old Wesley. My task was made all the easier by the outstanding contribution of the Clubs pysiotherapist Alan Kelly, aka the Great AK! AK coincidentally looked after the physiotherapy needs of the province, i.e. Leinster. Leinster as a province was at that time predominately an Old Wesley side-arm! Its coach and physio were both Old Wesley men and in fact at one stage eleven of the fifteen Leinster team were Old Wesley Club men. However, professionalism was upon us and Leinster appointed Mike Ruddock as their first professional coach and the inexorable change to what is now Leinster Rugby was begun.
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Arthur tAnnEr

My involvement with Leinster again was serendipitous. One evening, while at home, I received a phone call from Alan Kelly. During a Leinster practice session their current full-back, Kevin Nowlan, had sustained an injury to his nose and those present were unable to stem the haemorrhage. I was asked if I could come down immediately to the Old Wesley pavilion and changingroom where I dealt with the fractured nose and thought no more about it. However, the following day, the then manager of Leinster rugby, Jim Glennon, called me and asked me whether I would consider working as Medical Officer for the province. I jumped at it! That was in 1996 and now almost sixteen years later I can look back with many fond memories of my time as doctor with Leinster. In those early days the role of the doctor was very much a hands-on role dealing with injuries as they occurred during matches. There was no other input between games. Leinster in those days played the other three provinces, the European Rugby Cup games and intermittent friendlies. To get a feeling of how much the game at this level has changed I can relate to the first away inter-provincial we played against Munster. Declan Kidney had just been appointed as coach at Munster and we travelled down to play Munster in Limerick, not in Thomond Park, but in Dooradoyle. I exaggerate not if I was to say that there were less than fifty spectators at that game A long way from that epic semi-final in Croke Park which set a record attendance of eighty four and a half thousand twelve years later in 2009! (Continues on page 89)
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A rugby Doc

(Contd)
And if you think that it was only the players that caused problems during away games, I can recount of one Sunday morning returning from an away game in France and on the return flight the consternation of one of the players whose father was missing. All turned out for the best however, when it was discovered that he had taken a wrong turn in the airport, being as tired as a newt, and had managed to board the wrong plane and ended up in Barcelona. However, as professionalism became more and more established within provincial and national rugby these type of excesses disappeared. As the old guard were replaced by the new, so too the old ways yielded to a more disciplined and structured environment. Player preparation medically, physically and mentally became of paramount importance in between games. The role of the rugby doc now involved much more than simply attending injuries on the field of play. The demands on my time then obviously became much greater and I needed to enlist the help of another doctor and then another doctor and then another doctor! At present in Leinster rugby I am ably assisted by Dr Jim McShane, Professor John Ryan and to look after the Leinster A team Dr Brian Devitt. The combined number of games played by Leinster and Leinster A now number more than forty every year. Having other doctors help in this environment has enabled me during the occasional away Leinster game to attend Old Wesley club games in the capacity of Medical Officer. I do this with great pride and am very aware that without Old Wesley I would not have had sixteen wonderful years, a couple of Magners League titles and two Heineken Cups with Leinster rugby.

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It took some time for the ethos of the nonprofessional era to wear off. For away games played on a Saturday Leinster would travel on a Wednesday and return late on a Sunday. Compare this to what pertains now arriving for the away game twenty-four hours before kick-off and always departing the night of the game no matter how late. As I had a busy surgical practice to run I could not always afford the luxury of travelling with the team (thank God). I would often join the team in time for the game and if possible, depart on the next flight out.

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However, on those occasions that this was not practical I witnessed the problems of being cooped up in a hotel environment prior to a game and the problems associated with being let loose in the away city that night after the game! I recall, in fact, a memorable match, where we travelled to Toulouse in the early days and were hammered on the field by Toulouse. Injuries were minimal. However, that evening in the hotel, I was awakened from my slumber by the needs of three or four players for suturing secondary injuries received while upholding the honour of Leinster and Irish rugby in the town that evening. Not until recently did Leinster have a travelling band of supporters. In fact, in the early days, the only supporters that joined us for away games tended to be players parents and sometimes partners.

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Underage Rugby

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Under 6/7s
These age groups trained together with over 20 training most Sundays. For most it was their first year of rugby and we concentrated on learning basic skills such as passing, catching, agility and team work and having fun... Everyone improved over the season and new friendships were formed between team mates. We played a friendly against Lansdowne in the spring and at the end of season blitz in Old Belvedere we won two matches, drew one and lost one - a great result for their first Blitz. Patricia Parfrey and Jenny Bailey who ensure that Underage Rugby runs smoothly with their organisational skills and dedication. We had a great Fun Day at the end of season with Playball and a visit from some of the Leinster team. Our thanks to Patricia and Jenny for all their hard work and we look forward to a great 2011/12 season. This year we will split into age groups U7 (born 2005) and Under 8 (born 2004). Coaches: Mark Younge, Mark Buckley, Stuart Campbell, Marcus Flynn, Shane Gill, and Roger Laird.

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Our U8 team (born 2003) had another very successful and enjoyable season last year. Average numbers in the group rose to c.25 which meant that we fielded 3 teams in matches. Last season the boys learnt tackling for the first time which they all enjoyed. All of the boys developed their core skills during the year and the new boys adapted very quickly into the group. It was fantastic to see the boys develop into a group of close knit friends. We played a series of matches against a number of clubs including DSLP, Blackrock, Wanderers, Seapoint, Terenure & St Brigids and while the emphasis is on participation, fair play and enjoyment, the teams were very successful winning virtually all our matches.

Highlights of the year included 1) acting as team mascots for the 1st XV match vs Malone, 2) attending the Leinster v Clermont Heineken Cup match at the Aviva stadium in December and despite the extreme cold, the boys really enjoyed the occasion and the match and 3) visits to training in Ballycorus from Sean OBrien, Ricardt Strauss and Heinke Van der Merwe from the Leinster team. New players are warmly invited to join at any time - contact Jason Campbell (087 7988522), Andrew Baird, Rob Cussen, Ian Combe or Aongus OLoughlin. Jason Campbell.
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Underage Rugby
Under 9s
The season just finished was a successful and enjoyable season, albeit with frequent interruptions due to the very cold winter we endured. The squad started off the season with similar numbers to the previous year but swelled in numbers to about 20 boys by the end of the season. This allowed us to field two teams nearly every weekend and to mix and match up players so that everyone got plenty of time playing. This seasons fixtures had us playing against teams that we hadnt played before with trips to Balbriggan, Barnhall and Rathoath which all yielded victories. We also had a very good track record at home and more often than not, both teams were successful. We also entered a couple of Blitzes and our squad acquitted themselves very well in both events. Many thanks to all the parents for all their support over the season and we look forward to seeing all the players back for the forthcoming season. Thanks to Jonny Parkes, David McNerney and especially Geoff Bailey for their energy, coaching skills and commitment. Hopefully next season will be as enjoyable as the last Tom Shaw

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Under 10s
Old Wesley Under 10s 20102011 season turned out to be one of the best for the lads so far, in their short playing careers. The group expanded somewhat over the season, with many new boys starting Rugby for the first time and they were welcomed into what has become a very close group of players. The under 10s will be one of the few teams in the country to go through an entire domestic season in both metro and friendly games un-beaten. This is a testament to the fantastic effort and determination that these boys have put in over the year. We capped off this fine season with this groups first ever Rugby tour, with the obligatory trip to Wales. We set off from Dublin on the ferry for the Victorian sea side resort of Llandudno and stayed in a fantastic hotel, which was a cross between Faulty Towers and a home for the bewildered, but a perfect venue for twenty four 9 year old boys to run wild.

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The tour was fantastic for both player and travelling parent alike, with a game on the Friday night vs Colwyn Bay RC and another on the Saturday morning vs Ruthin RC. The excellent rugby and great activities made up a weekend of non-stop fun. The tour was a great opportunity for the boys to all get to know each other and for the parents to put a name on many of the faces that they would have seen over the years standing on the side lines. Roll-on 2011/2012. Many thanks to Nigel Dunne and Iain Finnegan for their help coaching the lads and to the parents for their on-going support. Craig Brownell

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Underage Rugby
Under 11s
All of the players in the Under 11s squad had a fantastic 2010/2011 season where their basic skills and the quality of rugby improved dramatically. The small number of players within the squad limited us to one team on match days during the season. This one team normally played two matches every weekend, which meant the boys were playing twice as much rugby as their peers. The difference this made to the boys fitness and skills at the end of the season resulted in a brilliant finish to the season. The highlight of last season was the tour, we travelled to England during the first weekend of April. Brian King provided the bus that brought us to Bristol and Bath during this three day trip. Keynsham RFC hosted a minirugby tournament on the Saturday morning where our touring side also played two teams from Chippenham RFC. The OWRFC boys played a stormer and won all three matches during the tournament, job done and the rest of the weekend was all fun. The final game of the season saw the Under 11s put some old foes to the sword up in Ballycorus. This was completed to the great satisfaction of Declan Keane and all players got across the try line to mark a great end to a memorable season.

Such was the enthusiasm that a game of tip rugby was played once a week for most of the summer break. Parents and kids of all ages were involved and this exercise will definitely be repeated next summer. Several new players joined the Under 11s last season and we will look forward to welcoming them back this season. We will also look forward to Rodhri James joining the coaching team for the 2011/2012 season. Guilherme Santos and Louis von der Heide departed for foreign shores at the end of the season and will be hard to replace within the squad. Finally, a big thank you must go to Jenny and Patricia for their help during the season and for organising the tour. Dwayne Harvey The away trip to Corinthians was the highlight of the season. Leaving Wesley early in the morning and playing Corinthians u12 before the 1st XV AIL game and watching there great escape. There is going to be a huge difference this year going to a full size pitch and a full 15 a side team. The boys are also getting bigger, faster stronger and hairier. I would like to thank Paul for his great service over the last few years and wish him and Alan all the best in the future. Burse
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Under 12s
The season started very well with a huge increase in the squad going from 23 players to 35. Paul Francis and myself lead from the front with great back up from a number of parents. We entered the Metro league winning our fair share of games and finishing at the top end of the league. There was some great battles against some country teams (Chris Pims) Kilkenny, Gorey and away to Corinthians.
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Underage Rugby
Under 13s
The under 13 team is for players who are born in 1998. This group of players have been developing and enjoying their rugby since the 2005/2006 season, growing each year with the addition of new members. Last season we successfully transitioned from mini to youth rugby, playing with 15 a side on a full pitch. We competed in both the Metro and Leinster leagues reaching the quarter final in the Cup were we were knocked out to the eventual winners. However, our season culminated in a tour to Belgium where we entered two even 10 a side teams in a Six Nations competition with teams from England, France, Holland, Belgium and the Netherlands. Our two teams finished joint 5th! The following day we narrowly defeated the British Schools of Brussels 1st XV 26 points to 24 in a thrilling encounter, capping off an excellent tour including visits to water parks, local sights and a tour of the European Parliament.

This year, with the majority of player now entering new secondary schools, the emphasis will remain on fun, maintaining friendships and a team spirit whilst improving the basic skills, fundamentals and core values of rugby. Our coaches include, Dermot Caffrey, Bernard Raftery, John Flaherty, Neil OMahoney. Training and matches are Sundays. Any questions please contact Dermot Caffrey E-mail: dermot.caffrey@ johnhinde.com Mobile: 086-8157444.

Under 14s & 15s

The 2010/11 season was another excellent year for this talented group. Early in the year the decision was taken to merge the Under 14s and 15s together, bringing the total number of players to 35 and the coaching crew to 6. With enough coaches to provide good one-to-one sessions for the group, the year worked out a great success. With many players involved in schools rugby we took a decision not to enter the team in the league, but rather to play touring matches and friendlies through the year. Performances on the pitch were excellent again. The focus, however, was really on the development of individual players skills and we were delighted to get assistance from some of the clubs 1st XV, including Phil Hosie and Richie Morrow. We also had a wonderful place kicking session by Adrian Hawe.
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The boys gave their first coaching session - to an English group over from Sir William Stanier Community School. The lads were superb and put their all into helping these fledgling rugby players get up and going at the game. This year saw us introduce a new event and trophy the Tipathon fundraiser, due to its success we hope to make it an annual event.
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Leinster Players visit Old Wesley

Sean OBrien signing autographs for young fans on the day.

Underage Rugby
We were also delighted to have two players from the team selected for the Leinster Metro development squad. We wish both Simon Pleass and Michael Raftery every success in being selected on the team itself in the early part of the season ahead. As in previous years, the season finale was our tour which took us to London. The tour was great fun and the on the pitch activity was hosted by London Irish on a tremendous Sunday morning on their main Sunbury pitch. After the Old Wesley team comprehensively beat a strong London Irish team, they came within one point of beating Richmond. Not bad with only a 10 minute rest between games. Thanks to Robbie, Ben, Maybo, Oliver, Brian and as ever Jenny for keeping everything moving, but in particular, thank you and best wishes to Brendan Fuller and Michael who brought their time with the group to a close at the end of the season. We hope that we might see them back at some point ahead, but I would like to make a point of thanking Brendan for all of his help with the team over the last few years. Much appreciated by all. David Chandler

Some of the ladies who helped make the day such a great success pose with the Leinster players Sean OBrien, Henke van der Merwe and Richardt Strauss

Under 16s/17s
The Under 16s and Under 17s met, as usual, every Sunday in Ballycorus, for a fun filled hourly session. Pat McDonald and myself, along with Senior players Phil Hosie and Richie Morrow in the earlier months, ensured that we had a structured practice. We only had one match before Christmas, with exactly 15 players turning up at Templeville Road, to play St. Marys, whom we defeated in a resounding victory, with some very impressive tries being scored. After the Christmas break, we had matches at home to Corinthians from Galway, and away to DLSP. Finally, we had a return day trip to Galway, to play Corinthians. In those 3 matches we scored an average of 6 tries per game, with solid wins in each match. This team is developing into a very strong unit, who have been playing together for many years. The players are drawn from 9 or 10 schools. There will be many of the team playing for their schools S.C.T. this year, and we wish them all success. Many thanks to Patricia & Jenny for their organising skills. This season we hope to undertake a trip to Northern France, probably in May. Dave Priestman

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Wesley College Rugby

The 2010-2011 season was another successful one for Wesley College Rugby. Several competitive teams are being fielded at each level from U-13 to SCT; in an era where many schools are finding it hard to maintain numbers, Wesley continues to produce several teams at each age-group. The school enjoyed a number of high-points last year. Our talented U-14 team, populated largely by graduates of Old Wesleys Mini-rugby academy, went unbeaten throughout the season, finishing on a high by claiming the Central League title with a decisive victory over Gonzaga. Much is expected of this side, and the coming year at JCT will be the real test for this exciting group. The Junior Cup team lost out at the -final stage in the Fr Godfrey Cup, but went on to win the Fr Godfrey Plate in some style, running out winners over a good CUS side in the final. The SCT enjoyed a fine win over Templeogue in the Cup in January, and were

CrAig PEtriE

very unlucky not to reach the -finals of the Senior Cup proper when they narrowly lost to a fine Kings Hospital side. The Senior team, captained by Greg Hawe, then went agonisingly close to beating CUS in the semifinal of the Vinnie Murray Cup, again putting in a fine display. In November, the Seniors had travelled to the TopFlight schools tournament in Gloucester, and despite playing much larger British sides, took home the Plate with a fine last-minute victory over Yscol Glantaf in the final. At the end of the coming season, the Senior team will tour to Canada in June, following the success of recent tours to Edinburgh, Gloucester, Biarritz and South Africa. (Continues on page 103)

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DOES THIS LOOK FAMILIAR?

Wesley College Rugby

(Contd)
Indeed, rugby in Wesley still has a distinctly Old Wesley flavour; Iain Wallace, Craig Petrie, Peter Wallace, Mark Kinlan, Nick Johnston, Des Golden and Piers White all took on coaching roles within the school last year. It is, as always, a pleasure to see so much crossover and co-operation between Wesley College and Old Wesley. This begins at mini-rugby and works its way right the way through both organisations, and we in the College are very pleased that this link continues to be as healthy and productive as it has been these past years. It is very positive, for example, to see Mark Kinlan bringing his expertise to the Junior pack in the school; by the same token, it is encouraging to see Des Golden taken on as the Old Wesley conditioning coach. We in the College would like to extend everyone in Old Wesley our warmest wishes for the 2011-2012 season. We look forward to seeing many of you on the sidelines of both Wesley and Old Wesley games throughout the year.

It has been very pleasing for the school to have players earn their chance to win representative honours; this season, Joshua van der Flier (no.8) and Peter Tierney (hooker) were selected for the Leinster U-19 squad. Niall Carmody (second row), who will captain the senior side in 2011-2012, was selected for the Leinster U-17 side who toured to Biarritz in May 2011. One of our Junior coaches, Deirdre OBrien, was selected in the Ireland ladies squad for the 2011 6-Nations. Already a fixture in the Blackrock and Leinster ladies sides, she has now represented her country on a number of occasions. Part of how we measure our success in the College has always been to see how many of our graduates continue to play the game on leaving school; it is very pleasing to see so many former Wesley College men pulling on the Old Wesley jersey for the U-21s, and indeed at all levels throughout the club. It has also been tremendously pleasing for the College to see some more of its past pupils making the grade in senior club rugby; Ian Cassidy, Richie Jermyn and Iain McGann, who played in the AIL last season, all played for the SCT of 2009 and all still coach in the College.

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Over the Bar

MiChAEL WEAFEr

I am happy to say this is my 9th season and as always cant wait for it to start. With mini rugby through to the senior teams all the way to the 1st XV... the word is everyone is prepared! Looking back over the past season, we had some memorable nights - Ladies Day was a great success as was the Christmas Party where once again the singsong was fantastic. Over 60s Annual Dinner was a huge success with the number of members reaching up to 90 with its newest member being Phil Orr who kept the bar open till 3.30am debating rugby with Niall Dineen, Des Johnson, Bill Browne and Brian Hastings. Needless to say all had a great night. Every year this gives me a great opportunity to promote the Clubs facilities. For all your celebrations why not consider having them in your own club - everything from Birthdays, Christenings, Xmas parties etc. Every function is individual and special to myself and staff and we promise to make each one a success.
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We had some great functions organised by the Social Committee with Michael Cornicks enthusiasm and leadership bringing a breath of fresh air - looking forward to more of the same! Congratulations to Niall Dineen on his successful year as President - it was a real pleasure to work with him. Looking forward also to working with new President Ivan White and wishing him all the best for the coming year. Also, many thanks to the Executive Committee for all their support throughout the season. I would like to finish by thanking all the Bar Staff for their tireless work. Nothing ever is a problem with them and all credit goes to them for making a wonderful atmosphere in the bar its a pleasure to work with them all. Heres to another successful year! Cheers!!

Michael Weafer
Functions Manager and Club Steward.
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Where it all began...

The oft told story concerning William Webb Ellis picking up the ball and running with it during a school match in 1823 is thought to be apocryphal but a good yarn nevertheless. The first time the story was mentioned was over 50 years later. The game of football at Rugby School between 1750 and 1823 permitted handling of the ball but no one was allowed run with it until the 1820s. Virtually all the leading Public Schools had different versions of the game. Some, like Cheltenham, Shrewsbury and Marlborough played a carrying game, others like Harrow, Eton and Winchester played a kicking game but it was the game that developed at Rugby that was generally adopted in the 1850s and 60s. This was partly or maybe entirely due to the influence of the impressive Headmaster, Dr. Arnold. However it was a violent game and its rules had to be changed significantly by 1871. Hacking, or kicking opponents on the shin and Tripping was permitted. However a player was not allowed to hold an opponent and then kick him! The hacking took place in enormous scrums or loose mauls which could include up to one hundred participants. There was no limit on the number of players. There are drawings and paintings existing which depict such a maul taking place on the main pitch at Rugby. Other excerpts from the rules of football at Rugby, (or laws as the group of lawyers who made the first codifications would call them) make entertaining reading. Though it is lawful to hold any player in a maul, this holding does not include attempts to throttle or strangle, which are totally opposed to the principles of the game. Hacking above the knee is unfair.

MiChAEL hALLiDAY

No player may stand on the cross bar to prevent the ball going over. All matches are drawn after 5 days or after 3 days if no goal has been kicked. In fact Association Football developed following the rejection of hacking and running with the ball in hand. All forms of football were played only in schools, by pupils, until clubs like Blackheath and Richmond were formed and ex public schoolboys in Oxford, Cambridge and Trinity decided to copy the Rugby School blueprint. Dublin University Football Club (1854) is the oldest club in the world in continuous existence and its laws were formulated by Charles Barrington (ex Rugby School) and club captain from 1867 to 1870, helped by the secretary R M Wall, along Rugbean lines. Barrington, whose family were responsible for Barringtons Hospital in Limerick, became the leading pioneer and father of Irish rugby. But what had Irish schools been doing for sport and exercise and is there a comparable development to the English public schools? Walls father was Headmaster of Arlington School, Portarlington, which became an early rugby nursery. When Barrington was in St. Columbas in the late 1850s, before going to Rugby he noted that they played a sort of soccer game. One afternoon a man called Strickland appeared and played in our game. He belonged to the TCD Football Club. He played as we did, but on making a catch he ran with the ball, but when collared and downed would not let the ball go. Our big boys had difficulty in getting it from him. Anyway our masters made him drop it. (Continues on page 109)
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Casa Pasta & Pizza

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Where it all began...

(Contd)

Of particular historical interest to Old Wesley RFC is that Wesley College had football rules formulated by 1862. The ball is on no account to be taken up in the hands; but if caught before it reaches the ground, a free kick shall be allowed. No seizing or holding with the hands is allowable. If the ball be kicked beyond the goals or boundaries, it may be brought into line therewith and a free kick administered. The kick out shall be given across the field, midway between the goals. The game is won whenever the ball is kicked between the goals.

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Barringtons original laws in Trinity in 1868 did not allow the ball to be lifted off the ground. This appears to have been followed by the GAA in 1884 and is still in existence today. American football, with its line of scrimmage, running and kicking also developed from the model of Rugby. An Old Wesleyan called Johnstone gained his colours in Trinity in 1871 and within another decade the school had a thriving rugby club with three teams and regular fixtures against schools and clubs. Past pupils played for the senior team at that time and the son of the Headmaster, Louis McIntosh, played for Ireland against Scotland in 1884 and scored a try. The impetus for the founding of Old Wesley in 1891 was partly the introduction of the Leinster Schools Cup. Past pupils would obviously have been excluded. Wesley, Blackrock and The High School are the three surviving original participants. The connection between club and school would remain strong although the club was at all stages open to all-comers.

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The players must wear their respective colours and fall out at once, upon a given signal from the captain. The school premises in 1861 were numbers 78 and 79 St. Stephens Green. When playing, those from no. 78 wore a blue ribbon and those from no. 79 wore a red one. Those are still the colours of Old Wesley today. The rules clearly bear little resemblance to those of Rugby School but a fair degree of handling was permitted. Hacking and tripping seem to have been absent! In the different versions of football being played at that time there were different laws as to when a ball could be taken up. A clean catch or a ball on the hop could be handled. The mark or clean catch followed by a free kick became the well known rule in Rugby. Australian Rules has a similar rule.

Michael Halliday
Mike was a teacher of history in Wesley College from 1971 to 2005. He attended Wesley and captained the school at rugby and cricket in 1966/67 and went on to gain 93 international cricket caps (25 as captain). He coached the school senior rugby team from 1971 to 1987 and played for Old Wesley during the 70s. Today he plays golf, coaches cricket, talks to Englishmen about Irelands victory in Bangalore and writes bits and pieces on any subject, but usually sport and normally from an historical context.

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Charitable giving to those in genuine need

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Established in 1836, Protestant Aid exists to relieve the horrors of poverty and deprivation on a strictly non-denominational basis, treating all genuine calls for help equally, regardless of religious or social backgrounds. Protestant Aid helps people throughout the Republic whose difficulties have been brought to light through social workers and clergy.

If you have a real financial problem, or know someone else who does, ask your Rector or social worker to get in touch with us. GENERAL GRANTS ANNUITIES HEATING GRANTS EDUCATION GRANTS

74 Upper Leeson Street, Dublin 4. Tel: 01 668 4298. Fax: 01 660 3292. Email: albert.hempenstall@protestantaid.org www.protestantaid.org

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