Connacht Schools Junior Cup

Last updated

Connacht Schools Junior Cup
Sport Rugby Union
Founded1913
No. of teams7 (season 2021-22)
Most recent
champion(s)
Summerhill College, Sligo (2023)
Most titles Garbally College
42

The Connacht Schools Junior Challenge Cup is an under-age rugby union competition for schools affiliated to the Connacht Branch of the IRFU.

Contents

Competition is confined to students under the age of 16. The final is held in March each year in the Galway Sportsgrounds. It is usually seen as a good forecast as who will win the Connacht Schools Senior Cup in the following years.

Garbally College have been the most successful school in the competition lifting the cup 42 times. They are followed by St Joseph's College, Galway (10 times), Sligo Grammar School (7 times), Coláiste Iognáid, Marist College, Athlone and Ranelagh College (4 times) and Calasanctius College, Oranmore (2 times)

Marist College, Athlone have been the most successful team since the turn of the millennium winning the Junior cup seven times (2000, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2016 ,2018, 2022).

Competition structure

The Connacht Rugby Schools Cup is a three tier competition.

Junior Cup [Junior A Cup]

The premier competition played by the strongest rugby playing schools in the region. Current competition format is two pools [A & B] of three teams playing each other round robin. The Winners & Runner Up in each pool proceeding to the Semi-Finals.

The two other tiers cater for schools who cannot consistently compete at Junior Cup level by reason of playing population or experience.

In total 30 Schools representing all five provincial counties participated in the various Connacht Rugby Junior Schools Cups in 2019.

Connacht Junior Development Cup [Junior B Cup]

Is the Second Tier Competition for schools with established Rugby programs but who due to lower playing numbers or do not have the high level of population experience to consistently compete at Junior Cup Level.
Nine schools compete in three pools of three, leading to semi-finals and a final.

Connacht Junior Emerging Cup [Junior C Cup]

Is the Third Tier Competition for Schools who have recently introduced Rugby programs within their schools.
Nine schools compete in three pools of three, leading to semi-finals and a final.

The target is for schools to establish themselves within the lowest tier initially, and progress through to the highest tier.

Performance by School

SchoolOutright TitlesShared TitlesRunners-Up +1Total Finals +2Last Title
Sq3 bluewhiteblue.svg Garbally College 437502019
Sq2 bluewhite.svg St. Josephs College Galway (The Bish) 1011121991
Sq2 bluewhite.svg Marist College, Athlone 84122022
Sq3 navywhitered.svg Sligo Grammar School 713112008
Sq3 maroonyellowmaroon.svg Colaiste Iognaid (The Jes) 46101987
Sq blank.svg Ranelagh College, Athlone441929
Sq2 rednavy.svg Rice College2132012
Sq2 greenwhite.svg Portumna Community School2132001
Sq2 rednavy.svg Calasanctius College, Oranmore2132010
Sq blank.svg Galway Grammar School221958
Sq2 whitered.svg CBS Roscommon2132020
Sq2 skynavy.svg Summerhill College, Sligo1232023
Sq2 bluewhite.svg St Geralds College, Castlebar112014
Sq2 whiteblack.svg Clifden Community School111976
Sq blank.svg Galway Vocational School111969
Sq2 redwhite.svg St Muiredachs College, Ballina23N/A

+1 Since 1989 (Excluding 1992-4) +2 Only counting wins and losing finals since 1989

Results

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

Other Cup Competitions

Junior Development Cup [Junior B Cup]

2010

2020

Junior Emerging Cup [Junior C Cup]

2010

2020

Other Competitions

Junior B Cup

Junior C Cup

Junior League

2000

2010

2020

See also

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References

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