Birr RFC

Last updated

Birr
Full nameBirr Rugby Football Club
Union IRFU
Leinster
Nickname(s)The Birr Grizzly Bears
Founded1887
Ground(s)Riverside, Birr (Capacity: varies)
PresidentChristy Hogan
Coach(es)Alan Dodd
Kit left arm blacklower.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body thin blackhoops.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm blacklower.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts greensides.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks 3 stripes green.png
Kit socks long.svg
Team kit
Official website
www.birrrugby.ie

Birr RFC is an Irish rugby team based in Birr, County Offaly, playing in Division 2B of the Leinster League. Formed in 1887 the club is one of the oldest clubs the country. [1] The club colours are green and black.

Contents

In June 2013 Birr rugby club won 5000 euro from Ulster bank rugby force. The Birr Under 13 team won the midlands league in the 2011-2012 season.

History

The early years

Birr RFC was first founded in 1887, the local newspaper reports on a rugby match in Chesterfield School (on the Banagher Road) between a Birr XV and a team from Galway Grammar School.

The club grew, disbanded and reformed in its early years, mainly as a result of both world wars.

The club purchased our Moorpark Grounds, consisting of 4.5 acres in the centre of Birr Town in 1963 after reforming and proceeded to win the Midland League in 1963-64 and has been in continuous existence since then.

1970s-1980s

The 1970s provided a significant chapter to rugby in Birr. During this era Birr became one of the pioneers of youth rugby in the province. A thriving underage rugby culture evolved in Birr RFRC under the guidance of a continuous stream of volunteer coaches and mentors over the intervening years and the club purchased a further 7.5 acres of land in 1975 approx 4 km south of Birr off the N52 road in Ballyeigan. Leinster Provincial honors followed at Under 15 level in 1976-77 and at Under 17 level in ‘77-78.

For many years Dooley's Hotel provided facilities for Birr RFC. In the early ‘70s the County Arms Hotel provided facilities until 1983 after a merger with the Ormond Lawn Tennis Club. A new clubhouse with meeting, changing and entertaining facilities was built, at a cost of over £150,000 with significant local fundraising, bank loans and the assistance of a Department of Education Sports Capital Grant and a Department of Labour Youth Employment Grant. Following the demise of The Ormond Lawn Tennis Club the club reverted to the Birr Rugby Club.

The club in the nineties

In 1996/97 Birr 1st XV team gained promotion from Division 4. Birr 2nd.XV won their section also in Division 4.

In 1997/98, Birr maintained Division 3 status, narrowly failing to gain promotion to Division 2. Having secured a bye in the first round of the Smithwicks Provincial Towns Cup, Birr accounted for New Ross, and Mullingar to be beaten in the semi-final by Naas, the eventual winners of the Cup.

In 1998/99, Birr for the 2nd time in its history reached the semi-finals of the Provincial Town's Cup. Again, the club was beaten, this time by Naas to a scoreline of 15 - 3. Birr's youths section embarked on their very first international tour when 39 players and eleven accompanying coaches/adults were hosted by Ellon RFC, near Aberdeen, in Scotland. The travelling party won the locally arranged tournament at both under 10's and under 12's.

Losing many of its players to retirement, the 1999/2000 season was very disappointing for the club as it was demoted to Division 4 of the Leinster League. The disappointment of the season was lifted when the club embarked on a very ambitious and successful tour to Argentina. The youth section hosted Ellon RFC at mini level. Ellon RFC won the specially commissioned CARA Cup and both club twinned at Youth level.

The new millennium

In 2000, following negotiations with the then Birr Town Council, and including an exchange of freehold and leasehold properties, Birr RFC acquired a long term lease on Council lands at Riverside. This site contains 2 full-size rugby pitches in the centre of Birr town.

Fortunes again changed as the 2000/2001 season again saw the club gaining promotion by winning Division 4. Due to the Foot & Mouth epidemic in both the UK and Ireland travel restrictions forced the cancellation of many tours including the return tour to Scotland by the mini section.

2010 - 2020's

Birr 1st XV won the Provincial Towns (J2) Plate in the 2011-12 & 2018-19 seasons.

The 2015-16 season saw the 1st introduction of Women's Rugby in Birr at Under 15 and Under 18 level.

The club has had notable success at underage level with a number of youth players representing Ireland at youth level from U18, U19 and U20's such as Peter Dooley, Shane Delahunt, Michael Milne and Jack Regan.

Peter Dooley represented Ireland at youth level including the 2014 U-20 World Cup and Six Nations, and has progressed from the Leinster academy to being a full member of the first team squad.

Shane Delahunt represented Ireland at youth level in the same years as Dooley and was also part of the Ireland squad for the 2014 Six Nations Under 20s Championship. Originally starting in the sub academy in Leinster he eventually switched to Connacht and went on to become a full member of the first team squad. Both Peter and Shane played against each other in the 2015-16 Pro 12 final.

Jack Regan played for Ireland U-19s, Leinster U-20s and Leinster 'A', as well as for UCD in the top flight of the Ulster Bank League before switching to the Ulster academy.

Chris Maloney represented the Leinster U-18 Clubs and went on to play for Ireland Youths and Aaron Browne represented Ireland at U-19 level.

Michael Milne played for Ireland U-18, U19 and in the 2019 U20 World Cup. He is current in the Leinster academy and has made his first cap for the provinces senior team.

Notable players

Club honours

Provincial Towns (J2) Plate: 2011-12; 2018-19
Midland League: 1963-64

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulster Rugby</span> Rugby union team in island of Ireland

Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Irish regional pool of the United Rugby Championship and in the European Rugby Champions Cup, each of which they have won once. Ulster were the first Irish team and the first team outside England and France to win the European Cup in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby union in Ireland</span> Third most popular form of football in Ireland, organised on an all-island basis

Rugby union is a popular team sport on the island of Ireland, organised on an all-Ireland basis, including players and teams from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Its governing body, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), was founded in 1879, making it the third oldest rugby union in the world after the RFU (England) and the SRU (Scotland).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Wesley R.F.C.</span> Rugby club in Ireland

Old Wesley Rugby Football Club was founded in 1891 from the past pupils of Wesley College, Dublin. Since then it has become one of Leinster's most famous clubs. It plays in Division 1B of the All-Ireland League. The club won the Leinster Senior Cup in 1909 and 1985 as well as winning the AIL Division 2 title in 1989 and the AIL Division 2A title in 2015. They celebrated their Centenary year in 1991 with a match against a star-studded Barbarians team featuring Internationals such as Eric Rush, Pierre Berbizier and Tony Underwood. They won the eleven-try match in dramatic fashion with a last minute drop-goal to win 37-36.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast Harlequins</span> School in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Belfast Harlequins is a multi-sports club located off the Malone Road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. The club name provides the overall umbrella for rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey, and squash. The club is associated on and off the field with Methodist College Belfast (MCB).

Ards RFC is a rugby club based in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, playing in the Ulster Rugby Championship Division 2. It is affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club currently fields three adult teams and a women's team, North Down Women, who are a combination of players from Ards, Bangor and Donaghadee. Three youth teams also play at under-18, under-16 and under-14 levels. There is also a rapidly developing girls' junior section and a very successful mini rugby section in the club. The club works in close collaboration with local schools such as Regent House Grammar School, Movilla High School and Strangford College who provide much of the playing talent at the club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballymena R.F.C.</span> Rugby team

Ballymena Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland, playing in Division 2A of the All-Ireland League. It is affiliated to the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club fields five adult teams and an under-20s team. In youth rugby, there are under-18s, under-16s and under-14s teams.

Rainey Old Boys Rugby Football Club is situated in the market town of Magherafelt, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland playing in Division 2B of the All-Ireland League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suttonians RFC</span> Rugby union football club in Dublin, Ireland

Suttonians Rugby Football Club is affiliated to the Irish Rugby Football Union. The men's 1st XV team plays in Division 1A of the Leinster League. The women's 1st XV, nicknamed 'Tribe', play in Division 1 of the women's All Ireland League.
The clubhouse and grounds are based at the JJ McDowell Memorial Grounds on Station Road, Sutton, Fingal.
The Club fields five senior sides with underage teams from under 6 age grade up to under 20, men's and women's.
Suttonians is one of only four Northside Dublin clubs to have played in the All Ireland Leagues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dundalk R.F.C.</span> Rugby football club in Ireland

Dundalk Rugby Football Club is an amateur Irish Rugby football club from Dundalk, County Louth. They compete in Division 1B of the Leinster League.

The Irish Schoolboys rugby union team is the national team for secondary school students and under-18 school players in Ireland. There is an equivalent Ireland under 18 clubs side that play international rugby.

Naas RFC is an Irish rugby club based in Naas, Leinster. They play in division 1B of the All-Ireland League. The club colours are green and white hoops with black shorts and green socks. The Club is the biggest rugby club in Kildare with one of the biggest underage structures in Leinster and 15 LRR referees. The club grounds are located at Forenaghts, 2 km to the East of the town.

Daithí Regan is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Birr and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team between 1989 and 1999. Regan currently works as a hurling analyst with Newstalk's Off The Ball and with TV3 as part of the expert panel on Championship Live.

Tullamore RFC is an Irish rugby team based in Tullamore, County Offaly, playing in Division 2C of the All-Ireland League

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roscrea RFC</span> Rugby team

Roscrea RFC is an Irish Rugby union club based in Roscrea, County Tipperary, playing in Division 3 of the Leinster League. The club colours are maroon and white.

North Kildare RFC is an Irish rugby team based between Maynooth and Kilcock, County Kildare. It is part of the North Kildare Club, which also includes cricket, hockey, bowls, tennis and bridge sections. It is also the home of Bear Gym.

Wexford Wanderers RFC is an Irish rugby team based in Wexford, County Wexford, playing in Division 2A of the Leinster League. The club colours are blue, white and black. In addition to the First XV and Second XV there are also youth sides from U7 to U18 as well as a women's team, and U12, U14, U16 and U18 Girls teams.

Athboy RFC is an Irish rugby team based in Athboy, County Meath, playing in Division 3 of the Leinster League. The club colours are red, purple and black.

Antrim RFC is a rugby club based at Allen Park in Antrim, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club presently field a First XV in the Ulster Minor League East 1 Section, finishing runner up in the 2013/14 season. The squad train at Allen Park on a Tuesday and Thursday evening at 7:00pm. The club also include a Viking Minis section for children between the ages of 5-11, maintaining close links with local primary schools and in particular, Antrim Grammar School.

Shane Delahunt is a professional rugby union player from Ireland. He primarily plays as a hooker. Delahunt currently plays for Irish provincial side Connacht in the Pro14.

Jack Regan is an Irish rugby union player, currently playing for the Highlanders in Super Rugby and the Mitre 10 Cup side Otago Rugby. He previously played for Irish Pro14 team Ulster Rugby. He plays as a lock.

References

  1. ↑ "Club Focus: Birr RFC proudly flying the rugby flag in hurling stronghold". Independent.ie . 28 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.