Ballymena R.F.C.

nkBallymena RFC

Full name	Ballymena Rugby Football Club
Union	IRFU Ulster
Founded	1887
Ground(s)	Eaton Park, Ballymena
Chairman	Neil Patton
President	Dr. Syd Millar
Coach(es)	John Andrews
Team kit
Official website
http://www.ballymenarfc.com/

Ballymena Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland. It is affiliated to the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club fields six adult teams and an under-20 team. In youth rugby there are under-18, under-16 and under-14 teams. The first team will play in Division One of the AIB League in 2007-08, in addition to the Ulster Senior League and Ulster Senior Cup.

Contents 1 Formation 2 Notable players 2.1 Ireland 2.2 British and Irish Lions 3 2009/10 Squad 4 Sources 5 External links

Formation

The club was first affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union in 1887, but the club did not participate in league competitions until 1922 when it decided to play in the Junior League in the 1923-1924 season. In 1953 Ballymena became a senior club. The club had to wait until 1963 for its first senior success - the Ulster Senior Cup. Many more successes have followed since that date.

Notable players

Ireland

The following Ballymena players have represented Ireland at full international level.

Jonathan Bell Isaac Boss David Humphreys Willie John McBride Matt McCullough Syd Millar Dion O'Cuinnegain Trevor Ringland

Steve Smith Harry Steele James Topping Andrew Trimble Davy Tweed Paddy Wallace Bryan Young

British and Irish Lions

The following Ballymena players have also represented the British and Irish Lions ^[1].

Willie John McBride: 1962, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1974 Syd Millar: 1962, 1968 Trevor Ringland: 1983 Steve Smith: 1989

See also Category:Ballymena R.F.C. players

2009/10 Squad

• Full-backs: Ricky Andrew, John Nicholl, Jamie Smith
• Wings: Stephen Castle, Roger McBurney, Tommy Seymour
• Centres: Matthew Banks, Chris Brigl, Peter Budina, Michael Smith, Alan Smyth, Andrew Trimble, Paddy Wallace, Ian Whitten
• Out-halves: P. Campbell, Rory Drysdale, Ian Humphreys, Luke Marshall
• Scrum-halves: Isaac Boss, Gareth Fisher, Allen McCluggage, Richard McCrudden, David O'Hara
• Front-rows: James Carson, Andrew Ferguson, Adrian Kirkpatrick, Simon Shawe, Bryan Young
• Hookers: John Burns, Chris Candell, James Taggart, Andrew Warwick
• Second-rows: Darren Best, Matt McCullough, Darrell O'Kane, Chris Smyth, Dan Tuohy, Mark Wilson, Bob Young
• Wing-forwards: Joel Andrew, Mark Connaughty, Ryan Fisher, Ross Hackney, Andrew Kerr, Paul Pritchard, Paul Smith
• Number 8s: Chris Henry, Sam McKinney (captain)

Sources

External links

• Ballymena RFC website
• Ulster Rugby website

AIB League Division 1 Ballymena Ballynahinch Blackrock College Buccaneers Clontarf Cork Con Dolphin Dungannon Galwegians Garryowen Old Belvedere St Mary's Shannon UCC UCD UL Bohemians Division 2 Bective Rangers Belfast Harlequins Bruff Clonakilty Corinthians DLSP Dublin University Greystones Highfield Lansdowne Malone Old Crescent Old Wesley Terenure College Thomond Young Munster Division 3 Ards Banbridge Barnhall Connemara County Carlow Instonians Midleton Naas Navan Nenagh Ormond Portadown Queen's University Rainey Old Boys Sundays Well Suttonians Wanderers

Rugby union in Ireland Governing body Irish Rugby Football Union Provinces Connacht Leinster Munster Ulster National teams Ireland Wolfhounds Universities Exiles 7's U-20 Schoolboys Women's British and Irish Lions Competitions Ireland at the Rugby World Cup Pro 12 All-Ireland League British and Irish Cup Related articles International players

Ulster Rugby Part of the Irish Rugby Football Union Competitions Ulster Senior Cup Ulster Senior League Ulster Junior Cup Ulster Towns Cup McCrea Cup Ulster Schools Cup Medallion Shield Senior clubs Ards Armagh Ballymena Ballynahinch Banbridge Belfast Harlequins City of Derry Dungannon Instonians Malone Queen's University Rainey Old Boys