Galwegians RFC

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Galwegians RFC
Full name Galwegian Rugby Football Club
Union IRFU
Nickname(s) Wegians, Sky Blues
Founded 1922
Region Connacht
Ground(s) Crowley Park, Galway (Capacity: 2000)
Chairman Paul Shelly
President John Gaffney
Coach(es) Cory Brown
Captain(s) Brian McClearn
League(s) All-Ireland League Division 2A
Team kit
Official website
www.galwegians.ie

Galwegians Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club in Galway, Ireland. The Galwegians senior side plays in Division 2A of the All-Ireland League, the Irish domestic club competition.

Galwegians field over 16 teams including Senior, Junior (Seconds), Thirds, Fourths and Women's XV, and underage sides at all levels from U20 to U7.

The Connacht Rugby squad features a number of players who played for Galwegians. The Connacht Women's representative side is constituted predominantly from Galwegians.

History

Founded in 1922, Galwegians has a long and distinguished history at the forefront of Connacht Rugby.

Jimmy Joyce was the club's first international in wartime 1943. The tradition continued into the 1950s with Dicky Roche, Brendan Guerin, Charlie Lydon, Tony O’Sullivan and Johnny Dooley each gaining caps. More recently, Eric Elwood, Gavin Duffy and John Muldoon have played regularly for Ireland.

The golden age of Galwegians rugby was the five-in-a-row Connacht League and Cup double in 1955-1960, an unprecedented feat in Irish rugby, when Wegians were arguably the best team in the country, regularly beating the other senior clubs in Ireland.

Of current Connacht "Senior Clubs" Galwegians have the record of winning the most Connacht Senior Cup with 30 wins to date, although UCG have won 34 but became a "Junior Club" in 1996.

Since 2000 Galwegians have 6 Connacht Senior Cup and 7 Connacht Senior League titles including Cup and League doubles in the 2000-01, 2001–02, 2011–12 and 2012-13 seasons.

Galwegians Junior team broke a 34 year wait for Connacht Cup glory by beating Monivea in the final to become Heineken Connacht Junior Cup Champions in 2008, and repeated that feat in 2012.

In 2011 the Galwegians U17 team were All Ireland U17 champions[1] and in 2012 the Galwegians Womens team were All Ireland Womens Cup winners.[2]

Honours


Last Updated: 28-09-2013

Notable players

Ireland

(Player capped while playing with Galwegians RFC)

MEN

WOMEN

  • 1997 - Stephanie Dowling Folan
  • 1998 - Sue Ramsbottom
  • 2003 - Nuala Ni Chadhain
  • 2008 - Carol Staunton
  • 2012 - Ruth O'Reilly

Barbarians

Several Galwegians players, including Eric Elwood have represented the famous Barbarians, the most recent to play while in Galwegians colours were Jimmy Duffy and Willie Ruane who played against the Combined Service (British) at Burnaby Road, Portsmouth on 10/11/1998 in a game won 51-20 by the Baa-Baa's.

IRFU Presidents

Galwegians surely hold the distinction of having provided more IRFU Presidents than any other club. The incumbents have been:

  • 1945-46 - Henry Anderson - L.D.S.I.,
  • 1958-59 - Johnny Glynn
  • 1968-69 - Chris P Crowley
  • 1981-82 - John Moore - B.Sc.
  • 1996-97 - Bobby Deacy - F.C.A.[4]
  • 2002-03 - Don Crowley - B.E.,Eur. Ing., C.Eng., M.I.E.I.[5]
  • 2012-13 - William B. (Billy) Glynn [6]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/23047.php
  2. ↑ http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/26138.php
  3. ↑ Loughney set for Ireland debut - http://www.connachtrugby.ie/2012060782862/loughney-set-for-ireland-debut
  4. ↑ Bobby Deacy RIP - http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/15434.php
  5. ↑ IRFU President 2002-03 - Don Crowley - http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/11898.php
  6. ↑ Billy Glynn Elected President Of The Irish Rugby Football Union - http://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/26846.php

External links

Division 1A
Division 1B
Division 2A
Division 2B
Governing body
Provinces
National teams
Mens
Womens
Competitions
Related articles
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