This Thursday Night’s Entertainment sees the return of the fun filled School Sports Night; this includes the Egg & Spoon Race, Sack Race, 3-Legged Race and many many more.  For those of you who attended last year, and those intrigued about this thursday night, we’ve attached some photos to give you an idea of the nights events!  The Races will begin directly after the final games (approx 9.45 / 10pm).    We hope to run it outside, weather permitting, but by the looks of todays weather……..we will alternatively be holding all the School Sports Night games indoors.  We hope you can all make what promises to be a very entertaining night!

Captains please ensure all of your team know what time your game is kicking off and we would ask all players to arrive at least 20 mins before their game begins.
All match times for this week are now are available at http://www.irishrugby.ie/tagrugby/wheretoplay/connacht_sligo_rfc.php

There is still an opportunity for Tag players to be featured in the Player Profile in the Sligo Weekender, so if you or any of your team are interested, please let us know asap!

Please note you are permitted to wear Sports Goggles which are secured with elastic, however Glasses are NOT allowed.

See you all on Thursday!
Sligo Tag Committee, sligotag@gmail.com

The Sligo Rugby Club 2011 Calendar, in aid of Sligo Cancer Support Centre, is now available to pre-order online for just €10 (+€2.50 post and packing). We’re expecting delivery this coming Wednesday (December 1st) so be among the first to get your hands on what is going to be a very much coveted piece of art Yes – it’s yet another nude calendar for charity but this one is different in one key area – our boys actually played in the buff while being photographed.

Please note that online sales and dispatch are being handled by Shooting Stars (who also did the photography and design). Please contact Ross Mannion at Sligo RFC if you have any questions about distributing or helping with sales. Use the Buy Now link above to place your order!

Sligo’s U16s powered their way into the final of the Connacht U16 league with a superb team performance against a strong Buccaneers outfit at Strandhill on Sunday.

Sligo RFC’s Under 16 Squad (photo supplied by ShootingStars.ie)

The home team scored four tries without reply on their way to a convincing victory.

Buccaneers kicked off and immediately put the home outfit under pressure, but some fine driving play by Sligo forwards Diarmuid O Dowd Hill and Jamie Mc Govern gave outhalf Enda Gavin the space to clear his lines and avert the danger.

Sligo then went on the attack and began to gain a foothold in the visitors half. A penalty awarded on the 10 metre line was kicked into the corner 8 yards from the Buccaneers try line. Hooker Matt Davey’s throw was gathered by Niall O Rourke and the forwards rumbled towards the try line before being stopped short. A number of pick and drives followed before powerful prop forward Fabian Zawada collected and crashed over for the opening score. The difficult conversion attempt fell just short.

Buccaneers responded and started to use their pacy backline to try to stretch the Sligo defence but some fine tackling, particularly from flanker James O Hehir and winger Cian Mulligan snuffed out the danger.

Sligo upped the pace in the second half and their work at the breakdown was beginning to reap rewards. 10 minutes into the half a sweeping left to right move gave centre Enda Roche the opportunity to attack. Roche carried into the 22 before superbly exchanging passes with supporting no 8 Eddie Connell. The move was stopped short but the Sligo pack piled in and quickly recycled the ball allowing substitute scrum half Ross Gordon the chance to release the backline. The ball was moved to Roche who finished off the attack he started with a well deserved try. Gavin made no mistake with the conversion.

Sligo,s third try arrived 15 minutes into the half. An O’Rourke lineout was driven into the Bucc’s 22. The Sligo pack took on the challenge and sucked in the visitors defence before the ball was moved to Enda Gavin. The outhalf darted through a gap in the defence bfore linking up with Sean Finnegan who raced ahead and touched down to the left of the posts. The conversion attempt rebounded out off the post.

The final score came with 5 minutes left on the clock. A well rehearsed line out move 15 metres from the visitors line gave Matt Davey the chance to break clear and the hooker made no mistake as he burst through the cover and touched down in the corner.

Sligo; C. Mulligan, D. Burke, E. Roche, S. Finnegan, E. Kilroy-Talbot, E. Gavin, C. Kerins, F. Zawada, M. Davey, J. Mc Govern, N. O’Rourke, D. O’Dowd Hill, G. Knecht, J.O’Hehir, E. Connell, A. Donnellan, R. Gordon, P. Saba, K. Devanney, T. Cadden, C Mc Laughlin, A. Nairn, J Mc Gynne, M. Leydon, M Gerritty, J. Mc Goldrick.

At Hamilton Park last Sunday Sligo brushed aside a Buccaneers side in a clinical display that showed forward dominance and back play of the highest calibre. They scored eight trys with six conversions in a wonderfully entertaining display that had quality written all over it. After last weeks superb display against high flyers Monivea  the confidence was high and this showed from the off giving there opponents nothing easy and putting pressure all over the park which yielded scores from an early stage.

This Sligo side  have a superb set of backs and given any half chance they will punish sides . In the process of winning they managed to score eight trys ,seven through their backs with one from prop Adrian McHale having got the scoring pass from Gavin Foley. On an afternoon when the rain held off and with a slight wind Sligo kicked off and they were immediately on the offensive. This yielded an early penalty chance for Paddy Pearson but the kick drifted wide. Sligo were immediately back on the attack and continued to apply pressure. Eventually the midlanders defence cracked with Pearson putting Jordan Farrington in under the posts. In fact the half became the Paddy and Jordan show with Farrington getting in next followed by a superb second try by Farrington as he waltzed past his opposite number. Buccs got back one score in the half when their heavyweight forwards engineered a try close to the posts. This left the half time score at 21 to 7 but at this early stage Sligos relentless work up front and their powerful defence was going to tell on their opponents as the game wore on.

The second half  started like the first and soon became a procession as the Sligo backs ran riot and the forwards got totally on top of their opponents. Trys from Adrian McHale Ted Mulvany David Gerrity and Andy Feeney left Buccs reeling and it could have been more only for some brave defence from the midlanders.

This squad has a fine mix of youth and experience and with a dry pitch and good conditions they are joy to watch. As in any good rugby team you firstly need a sound forward foundation and Sligo have a group of forwards at the moment that when they switch on can give anyone a game. With a superb lineout featuring the giant James Wilson and the naturally talented Peter Mullan they are definitely the best in the province at this level. The scrum is equally dominant with the likes of the superb twenty year old Jason East backed up by Adrian McHale Dara Cox and the rising star 19 year old Thomas Gormley.

More photos from this game are available on our facebook page. Courtesy of Rory Raftery.

Sligo progressed to the quarter finals of the Heineken Connacht Junior cup when they defeated pre-tournament favourites and current title holders Monivea in a superbly contested encounter at Hamilton park, Strandhill on Sunday. The home team produced a performance full of character and determination to impose themselves and ultimately dominate the visiting Galway men. A large crowd of supporters from both camps witnessed a hugely physical,
but always sporting , battle between the  teams currently occupying the top two positions in the Connacht Junior league.

Playing into the stiff breeze, Sligo kicked off and immediately tried to gain a foothold in Monivea territory, but some good kicking by Monivea put the home team under pressure and a penalty was conceded inside the Sligo half after 6 minutes. A quick tap from Monivea scrum half Darren Blade earned his side an extra ten metres before out-half Ger O Connor elected to go for the posts and put his team into an early lead. Sligo’s Paddy Pearson restarted and a clever kick forced a knock-on from the Monivea catcher. From the resulting scrum number 8 Peter Mullan picked and quickly moved infield before setting up the ruck. Scrum half Billy Leahy quickly moved the ball to Pearson who made a half break before being hauled down on the 22. Monivea infringed at the breakdown, the referee awarded Sligo the penalty, and Pearson made no mistake in securing the three points.

Sligo again responded and some fine driving play by Jason East and Adrian Mc Hale put them in a good position inside the visitors 22, however, over-exuberance at the breakdown caused the concession of a Penalty and Monivea were able to clear. Sligo again fell foul of the referees whistle after 24 minutes when another penalty was conceded at the ruck 4 metres inside the Sligo half . O Connor elected to go for posts and was rewarded when his huge effort crossed the
bar to put his side back into the lead.

Monivea were now up to full speed and were starting to get the upper hand in the forward exchanges. Things looked very ominous for the home team on the half hour when during a sustained Monivea attack Pearson was penalised for joining a ruck from the side on the Sligo 22. To the horror of the home crowd the referee produced a yellow card and the outhalf was banished to the sin bin for a 10 minute break. O Connor converted the penalty to put
his side 6 points ahead.

The next 10 minutes proved to be defining ones for the outcome of the game. With Sligo reduced to 14 players the pendulum was surely swinging in the visitors favour. The locals however had not read the script and as one they raised their game superbly and made light of the absence of their colleague. Gavin Foley kicked the restart which was superbly fielded by Joe Sweeney. The Sligo forwards piled in and drove towards the Mona 22. James Wilson
carried before being halted 30 metres out. Leahy moved the ball quickly away before centre Jordan Farrington made a half break. The visitors illegally prevented the attack and Farrington having taken over the kicking duty coolly chipped the penalty kick through the uprights. Sligo’s confidence continued to grow and with Wilson and Mullen combining well with hooker Ross Mannion at the line out and flanker Cathal Culhane
starting to control the breakdown the tide was starting to turn in their favour. Pearson returned from the sin bin just before half time and was quickly called back into action when his team earned another penalty to the right of the posts inside the Galway sides 10 metre line. A well executed kick set the half time score at 9 points all.

The second half begun much as the first half ended with the home team gaining the upper hand in most areas and cleverly using the wind to keep the visitors pinned back in their own half. Monivea gamely tried to run the ball out of defence but time after time huge Sligo tackles put paid to their efforts. One noticeable effort from Foley on the hard running Monivea number 8 Eoin Rooney drew a huge cheer from the home support. Sligo continued to press and finally edged in front after 50 minutes when the Monivea backline rushed offside to try to stifle a promising Sligo backline move. Pearson again opted to go for the posts and expertly kicked his team into the lead.

The home side now had their tails up and continued to hunt for a try which would put the game beyond doubt. A sweeping right to left move saw Farrington put into space. The centre sped towards the line before cutting back inside, winger Gary Collins had positioned himself perfectly to receive the try scoring pass but Farrington was caught and the opportunity was lost.

With seven minutes left on the clock more fine work saw Sligo awarded a penalty on the Monivea 22. Pearson lined up the kick but to the dismay of the home support the kick drifted narrowly wide. The holders were not going to let their title go without a fight and threw everything at Sligo in the closing stages. Their pressure was rewarded with a penalty inside the Sligo half with time up on the clock. O Connor lined up the kick to try to bring the game into extra time but his effort fell short and wide allowing reliable full back David Gerrity to collect and touch down. The long blast followed much to the delight of the jubilant home supporters.

Sligo’s reward for this victory is a home quarter final against Buccaneers next sunday and they will be hoping to retain their fine form for that encounter.

Sligo Team: David Gerrity, Andrew Feeney, Jordan Farrington, Gavin Foley, Gary Collins, Paddy Pearson, Billy Leahy, Adrian Mc Hale, Ross Mannion, Jason East, Trevor Sweeney, James Wilson, Joe Sweeney, Cathal Culhane, Peter Mullen. Subs : Gary Conneely , Martin Feeney, Jamie Bowes, Dara Cox, Frankie Feeney.

View more photos from the game courtesy of Rory Raftery here.

John Callaghan President of the IRFU visited Sligo to attend the Sligo v Tuam Junior game on Sunday last. John Callaghan from the Armagh club as part of his year in office has decided that he should visit as many clubs as possible and Sligo RFC were honoured by his presence. He enjoyed the game which he thoroughly enjoyed and is a big supporter of the grassroots game all over Ireland. More photos available on facebook.

Click here to view the rest of the images from this game.

Sligo slumped to their first Connacht Junior league defeat of the season when they were beaten by a well organised Corinthian outfit at Cloonacauneen on Sunday.

A late Corinthian try broke the hearts of the visitors who led by 2 points with 3 minutes left on the clock. Corinthians kicked the game off and Sligo immediately went on the front foot with a superb catch from Jason East before driving into the heart of the tribesmens defence. Some good positional kicking gave Sligo a foothold in the blues half. A series of rucks ensued before Sligo were awarded a penalty on the home 10 metre line. Paddy Pearson stepped up and bisected the posts with a well judged effort.

From the restart Sligo went back on the attack and a Pearson break on halfway almost broke the last line of defence. From the resulting ruck the home team infringed and Sligo were awarded a penalty 10 meters from the touchline. Sligo elected to kick but Pearson’s well struck effort drifted narrowly wide.

Corinthian’s again responded and went on the hunt for a score bringing their speedy backline into play. One foray into the Sligo half looked to be set to reap dividends but a huge tackle by centre Gavin Foley halted the attack and gave his team the opportunity to clear the danger.

Sligo doubled their advantage after 20 minutes when following a free kick award inside the home 22 scrum half Billy Leahy released Jason East who drove for the line before being held up 15 metres out. Second Row Jamie Bowes took over the charge and drove for the line before being stopped short. The Corinthians defence pushed up offside and Sligo were awarded the penalty. Pearson stepped up and converted the kick to put his team six points ahead.

Corinthians again responded following the restart and were awarded a penalty on the Sligo 10 metre line but Outhalf Eric Flynn’s effort fell short and was cleared by the Sligo defence.

Sligo almost crossed the Corinthian line on the half hour. Good play by Simon Coulter allowed Billy Leahy release his backline. Centre Jordan Farrington stepped inside the cover before linking with Pearson who was stopped narrowly short. The home team regrouped and forced the error allowing the clearance kick. The score remained the same until half time.

The second half began with Sligo setting up camp in Corinthian territory. A penalty award after 10 minutes allowed Pearson the opportunity to add another three points to his teams total and the outhalf duly obliged with a well struck effort.

Corinthians were stung into life and began to put pressure on the Sligo defence. From a scrum on the Sligo 22 the ball was moved to out half Eric Flynn who deftly chipped the ball over the pressing defence before collecting his own kick and racing in to the left of the Sligo posts. The conversion brought the score to 7-9 in favour of Sligo.

Corinthians now had the finish line in sight and were starting to return Sligo’s clearance efforts with interest. Their concerted pressure was rewarded with three minutes remaining when a break down the blindside was latched onto by full back Evan Kilroy who outpaced the visiting defence before touching down and breaking Sligo hearts in the process. The extras were added to leave a final score of 14-9 to the Galway outfit.

Next Sunday Sligo take on Tuam in the league at  Strandhill and will want to produce an improved performance before their Heineken Junior Cup showdown against high flying Monivea on Sunday week. Kick off next Sunday is at 2.30

Sligo: Julian Rippon, Ted Mulvaney, Jordan Farrington, Gavin Foley, Andrew Feeney, Paddy Pearson, Billy Leahy, Adrian Mc Hale, Ross Mannion, Jason East, Peter Mullan, Jamie Bowes, Trevor Sweeney, Gary Conneely, Simon Coulter. Replacements Daragh Cox, Martin Feeney, Frankie Feeney.

Corinthians: Evan Kilroy, Kevin Russell, Richie Forbes, Stuart Cooke, Alan Quinn, Eric Flynn, Hugh Griffin, Brendan Barret, Dastch Barber, Cathal O Shea, Colin Raftery, Seamus Murphy, Mark Byrne, Luke Cummins, Barry Mc Cann. Replacements Alan O Toole, Kim Williams, Ronnie Ferguson.

Photos of this game can be found here.

Sligo made it six wins from six matches when they overcame a previously unbeaten Corrib outfit in a tough Connacht junior league encounter at Hamilton Park on Sunday.  The home team need a big second half performance in which they scored three tries to overcome their tenacious visitors.

More photos available here

Corrib won the toss and elected to play with the aid of the strong breeze in the opening half. The opening exchanges were dominated by the visitors as they used their well organised pick and drive game to work their way into the Sligo half. Their scrum was causing difficulties for Sligo and their lineout was functioning effectively.This early dominance was rewarded on 17 minutes with a penalty on the Sligo 10 metre line but the kicked effort drifted wide of the Sligo posts.

Sligo responded, and worked their way in to the Corrib half. Some good work by the pack earned a penalty 15 metres from the left touchline. Paddy Pearson’s well struck kick looked destined to go through the uprights but the ball fell short allowing Corrib to eventually clear the danger.

Both sides continued to attempt to break the deadlock before half time but the defences won out and nothing was registered on the scoreboard before the interval.

Sligo upped the tempo in the second half and some fine kicking gained them a territorial advantage. This advantage was rewarded on 50 minutes with a penalty award just outside the Corrib 22. Paddy Pearson bisected the posts to put Sligo 3 points to the good.

The home team continued to press and pinned their opponents back in their own 22.The backrow unit of Simon Coulter, Cathal Culhane and substitute Joe Sweeney were beginning to win the battle at the breakdown. Adrian Mc Hale A lineout take by Peter Mullan was moved infield. Quick rucking saw the ball transferred to Gary Conneely who brilliantly handed off a would be tackler before off loading to  Jordan Farrington. Farrington evaded a number of tackles prior to linking with his forwards. A ruck ensued and the ball was moved wide to the awaiting Andrew Feeney who made no mistake in finishing
in the corner. Pearsons well struck conversion attempt drifted narrowly wide.

Corrib’s kick off didn’t travel the required 10 metres which handed the initiative to the locals. Following the resulting scrum a huge Pearson kick forced Corrib back into their own 22. Sligo continued to pile on the pressure and picked up another try when an attempted clearance was blocked by Pearson. The Sligo out half brilliantly latched on to the loose ball and raced to the line for a well deserved score. The extras were added to bring his teams total to 15.

The third and final try was the pick of the bunch. James Wilson secured a lineout on the Sligo 10 metre line.  From the ensuing ruck Billy leahy broke down the blind side before linking with Julian Rippon. Rippon fed the supporting Culhane who drew the cover before offloading to the awaiting Pearson. Pearson changed direction and evaded 2 Corrib tacklers before racing to the corner for the final score of the game.

Next week sees Sligo travel to Ferbane to lock horns with division 1b outfit West Offaly Lions in the preliminary round of the Connacht Junior Cup. A home tie against  Monivea appears the probable outcome for the winners of this tie but Sligo wont be taking anything for granted and will need to be at their best to advance to the first round proper.

Sligo; David Geritty, Julian Rippon, Jordan Farrington, Gavin Foley, Andrew Feeney, Paddy Pearson, Billy Leahy, Ross Mannion, Gary Conneely, Adrian Mc Hale, Peter Mullan, James Wilson, Cathal Culhane, Simon Coulter, Trevor Sweeney. Replacements: Thomas Gormaley for Conneely, Joe Sweeney for Trevor Sweeney, Ted Mulvaney for Rippon.

More photos (Courtesy of Rory Raftery) from the game can be found here.

Persistent rain through the night and early morning resulted in very slippery conditions for Sligo’s third outing in the U-17 League. Last season both the U15 and U16 teams travelled to Westport and conceded league points. However, there was a palpable resolve in the Sligo camp to prevent a recurrence in this season’s campaign.

Westport RFC v Sligo RFC U17 League – Images by Shooting Stars

The conditions made it difficult for players to settle into the game and the opening minutes same handling errors on both sides. A dream start for the visitors seemed on the way when, five minutes into game, Sligo recycled possession a number of times and sent Diarmuid O’Dowd Hill powering towards the line with out-half Michael Martin and winger David Burke in support. David received the ball 10 metres from the line and crossed over for a touchdown but play was called back for an infringement.

In the ensuing period play was largely between the respective 22-metre lines. However, it was in this period that Sligo dominance in the set pieces came to the fore. In the scrummage Sligo’s front five comprising the Davey twins, Gerard Melly, Diarmuid O’Dowd Hill and Daragh Tonry were formidable while the line-outs saw excellent jumping and first-rate handling by Sean Donnelly and Jake Roemer.

The first score of the game came in the 17th minute when the Sligo team was awarded a scrum on the opposition 22-metre line. A solid Sligo scrum moved play towards the line and, in a pick-and-drive, the back row advanced further and in the final phase Diarnuid O-Dowd Hill broke from the ruck, was tackled but not held, and crossed to put points on the board. Jimmy Mullins scored the conversion.

Fired-up by this setback the Westport team attacked the Sligo lines from the restart and in the ensuing passage of play a penalty was awarded to the home side and was ably scored by the outhalf.

The next period of play belonged to Sligo and the efforts were rewarded when, on the 26th minute, the home side was penalised for not releasing and James Mullin tapped over to give Sligo a seven-point advantage.

However, the Sligo score drew a similar attacking response from the Westport because, two minutes after the penalty, the home side worked the way deep into Sligo territory and, in an impressive passage of play, crossed over for a try in the corner. However, the conversion attempt failed leaving Sligo with a two-point advantage at the interval.

In the third quarter the Sligo side sought to bring more variation into their game and, from quality-ball from set pieces and broken play, the back line attempted to work the ball wide but simply couldn’t get to terms with the playing conditions.

The final quarter saw the Sligo pack’s most impressive display of the game when opting to retain possession and starve the opposition of opportunities. The line-out performance, rucking and mauling were very impressive.

The final talking point of the game arose when the Westport back line sought to play from a deep defensive position. Good containment by the visiting forwards led to a breakdown followed by a kick-ahead towards the in-goal area; the ensuing scramble saw Sean Conlon narrowly miss a try-scoring opportunity as the opposition cover secured the touchdown. Moments later the final whistle sounded leaving Sligo unbeaten run intact.