The season may be ended, but there’s still lots to do! The Club continues its fundraising efforts, with the focus now firmly on the refurbishment and development of the dressing rooms and player facilities. We are appealing to all members and friends of Sligo RFC to donate any saleable items, vouchers, hampers or services to the club. Please contact Peter Gillespie 087 859 5731 or any other club member with your commitments. The auction will take place at 2pm on Sunday 19th May in the clubhouse.
Sligo’s Conor Mitchell and Sean Mullin make their Connacht Junior debut
Sligo’s Conor Mitchell and Seán Mullin made their Connacht Junior team debut last weekend in the Junior Interprovincial Championship opener against Ulster. The visitors proved too strong for the boys in green and they came away with all 4 points, plus a try bonus point in their 20-36 win in Castlebar RFC. Connacht’s next game is away to Leinster on May 4th.
Congratulations to the U16/17 players, who travelled to Wales last weekend to take part in the Osprey Challenge Rugby Festival. Sligo won all their pool games, beating Boyne RFC in their final game to win the trophy. Many thanks to those who organised the tour and to the coaches who braved the trip with the 40 players.
Oisin Diffley accepts the Osprey Challenge Trophy on behalf of the Sligo RFC U16 & U17 touring side
Sligo RFC Easter Rugby Camp some of the juvenile section pictured with coaches Chris O’ Neill, Ross Mannion, Simon O’Malley and Colm McWeeney
Over 40 boys and girls, aged 6-16 and with all levels of rugby experience, took part in the TotalHealth SkillZone, one-day Connacht Rugby camp
Katelyn Benson and Ruth Flanagan, two of the many girls at the Easter Rugby camp last week
Words of advice from coach Colm Mc Weeney
The focus of the day was small sided games which were fun and fast flowing. The event was run by Ross Mannion, Chris O’Neill, Simon O’Malley and Colm McWeeney, all Connacht Rugby staff who are IRFU accredited coaches, involved in both the Regional and Interprovincial squads.
Connacht U17s Eddie Coyle, Micheal Broaders and Daire Cregg, with Assistant Coach Gavin Foley
The Connacht Rugby U-17 squad recently returned from a two-match tour of North Wales as part of their development ahead of the summer programme. Based out of Colwyn Bay, the 30-man squad completed a five-day, multi-faceted trip which incorporated strength & conditioning, on-pitch training, video analysis, goal and values setting, pool and sea recovery sessions and challenge matches against Sale Sharks U-17s and Cheshire County U-17s. Sligo were well-represented with Micheal Broaders, Eddie Coyle and Daire Cregg, along with Connacht U17s Assistant Coach Gavin Foley.
Connacht Rugby and Totalhealth Pharmacy are delighted to announce details of this year’s Connacht Rugby Summer Camps. In total 19 rugby clubs from Connacht will be hosting one week-long camps, starting on Monday 1st July in Sligo RFC. Registration is open now, and every child who attends will receive our brand-new Connacht Rugby ¼ Zip Top as well as a rugby ball and one junior ticket to a selected Connacht Rugby match next season at the Sportsground. Full details and booking info please click here.
Sligo RFC hosted a visiting rugby team from Portland, Maine last week. Over 50 players and supporters were doing a tour of Ireland to celebrate their club’s 50th anniversary.
Sligo RFC & friends from Portland, Maine after a challenge game in Hamilton Park
They played against a combined Development, Gulls and U20s team in Hamilton Park and the home team showed them no mercy, running out 20-12 victors over their guests.
The team and their travelling support were given a warm Irish welcome in the clubhouse afterwards, with entertainment by Dean Mahon. Thanks to Ross O’Boyle, Niall Gray and to all those who organised the visit.
Congratulations to Hubert Gilvarry, from the Sligo Grammar School and Sligo RFC, who was chosen for the Connacht Schools XV of the Year. The top 15 were picked by a panel of judges for their performances in this season’s Schools Cup.
Hubert Gilvarry is selected on the Connacht Schools XV team
The team were formally presented with their jerseys and introduced to the Connacht crowd at half-time of the Guinness PRO14 clash with Cardiff Blues in the Sportsground.
Sligo RFC are delighted to announce a recently agreed and renewed sponsorship partnership with SIS, who have come on board as a valued Club sponsor 2019-2021.
The club would like to congratulate George Mullan and SIS on their continued growth throughout the world. George comes from a great Sligo Rugby Club family. He was in the battle of the Moy back in 1980, played at Senior level for Sligo, Dublin University & Queens University and was also capped for Connacht Under 20s.
Sligo’s dream of promotion to All Ireland League division 2A ended in the most dramatic circumstances with a one point loss to Blackrock College despite an incredible team performance at Stradbrook on Saturday.
Sligo qualified for the division AIL 2B playoffs following an incredible run of form which saw the team move from last place in the league table in December to securing 4th place with a game in hand which opened up the opportunity to lock horns with Blackrock for a place in the playoff final.
Unfortunately for the Yeats men, Lady Luck deserted them when she was needed most and the home team benefited from some incredibly controversial refereeing decisions to finish ahead by the smallest of margins when the final whistle was sounded.
Calum Goddard dots down for Sligo’s 3rd try, after collecting a superb crossfield kick from Mark Butler
With the sun beating down on an unseasonably warm Easter Saturday Blackrock kicked off into the Sligo pack. The pre match instructions from coaches Paddy Pearson and Jason East were to start well and to a man Sligo stood up. With the forwards having secured the kickoff, scrum half Ryan Feehily moved the ball left to Mark Butler. Butler threw a huge pass wide and right winger Calum Goddard, who had moved to the left for the play, collected and used his blistering pace to make his way to the halfway. A sweetly timed pass from Goddard released his left wing Philip Carter who outpaced the cover and touched down with only 45 seconds on the clock and the perfect start for Sligo.
The home team responded with penalty’s on the 10th and 15th minutes before Sligo regained the lead with an excellently struck Jack Keegan penalty midway through the half.
Ciaran Cassidy and Diarmuid O’Dowd Hill try to block the box kick
Sligo were in full flow, Shane O’ Hehir, Rob Holian, and Diarmuid O’Dowd Hill we’re controlling the lineout. Sean Wynne was halting every ‘Rock attack with his unending tackle count, Tom Gormely and Kuba Wojtkowicz were rock solid at the scrum and were a menace in the loose. The work rate from Ciaran Cassidy and Matt Davey mirrored the intent of the Sligo effort. Enda Gavin was sound at full back.
Ryan Feehily scores Sligo’s second try
Sligo’s work rate was rewarded with a classic Ryan Feehily try on 25 minutes, the live wire scrum half leaving three would be tacklers in his wake on the way to touching down in the corner. Keegans excellently struck conversion moved Sligo’s lead to 9 points.
Rock again hit back with a penalty 3 pointer before a pinpoint Butler crossfield kick was superbly collected by Goddard and the speedy winger raced in for Sligo’s third try. Keegan again added the extras to move the score to 9-22.
Sligo’s Sean Wynne makes the tackle
Blackrock came again and worked their way in for a pick and drive try to put the half time score to 14-22.
Following the resumption Sligo struck again, Carter again using his strength and pace to finish another excellent Sligo score. 27-14 to Sligo.
Sligo’s Ciaran Cassidy attempts to block a box kick
Despite playing all the constructive rugby Sligo fell foul of some incredibly controversial refereeing decisions.
Yellow cards reduced the Sligo defensive effort and Blackrock were allowed back into contention with a try on 76 minutes before scoring the match winning try and conversion 6 minutes into injury time against a 13 man Sligo.
Come the final whistle on an emotional day for Sligo, tributes were paid to stalwarts Conor Mitchell and Mata Fifita who are both retiring following the end of Sligo’s season. Former club Captain Mitchell has been Instrumental in the progress of Sligo RFC since his arrival to the club and Fifita has been vital to Sligo’s success.
Sligo’s supporters celebrate another try
The work of Pearson, East, and Manager John Keegan has placed Sligo in rude health and the management team will undoubtedly be targeting promotion when the 2019/20 season rolls around.
Sligo RFC are on the up!
Sligo: Enda Gavin, Calum Goddard, Jack Keegan, Mata Fifita, Philip Carter, Mark Butler, Ryan Feehily, Kuba Wojtkowicz, Shane O’Hehir (Co-Capt),Tom Gormely, Rob Holian, Ciaran Cassidy, Diarmuid O’Dowd Hill, Sean Wynne, Matt Davey. reps Conor Mitchell, James O’Hehir, Shane Boyle, Brendan Cunningham, Niall Gray, Euan Brown, Jason East.
