Connacht Schools Rugby Senior Cup

Connacht Schools Senior Cup
Sport Rugby Union
Founded 1913
No. of teams 5 (season 2014–15)
Most recent champion(s) Garbally College (2015)
Most titles Garbally College
45

The Connacht School's Rugby Senior Cup is an annual rugby union competition for secondary schools affiliated to the Connacht Rugby Branch of the IRFU. Boys, usually of seventeen or eighteen years of age, compete for the Cup with rival schools from within the province of Connacht. The first round matches are typically played towards the end of January, with the final being played in the Galway Sportsgrounds the week before Saint Patrick's Day.

Historically Garbally College, Ballinasloe have been the most successful school in the competition lifting the cup 45 times, while Coláiste Iognáid have been the most successful team since the turn of the millennium winning in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011.

The current holders (2015) are Garbally College who beat Summerhill College, Sligo by 19–18 on 18 March 2015 in the Galway Sportsgrounds.

2011 Competition

This year's competition has reached the final stages. Defending champions Sligo Grammar School beat Rice College, Westport 38–0 in the first round (quarter final). In the Semi-Final they then faced Marist |College, Athlone winning through to the Final narrowly by 12–7.

In the other half of the draw former Schools Cup heavyweights Garbally College lost to last year's beaten finalsts Coláiste Iognáid 0-19. The Jes then went on to beat comfortably Athenry Vocational School by 30–5 in the Semi-Final to advance to face Sligo Grammar on Wednesday 9 March 2011 at the home of Connacht Rugby the Galway Sportsgrounds.

Note: The format of the competition changed in 2010 from the format up to 2009. In 2009 every team played in the Senior Cup with the teams who lost their first game playing in the Development Cup. In 2011 12 Schools played in the Development Cup, with the two finalists qualifying for the 1/4 finals of the Senior Cup along with six other teams.

Round 1

Semi-Final

Final

2012/13 Competition

Defending Champions Marist College, Athlone will be favourites to retain the trophy in 2012/13, with competition likely to come from Sligo Grammar School and outsiders Colaiste Iognaid and Garbally College.

The Competition this season is being played in Two Pools of three teams, with the first two teams in each pool qualifying for a semi-final slot.

Pool 1:

Pool 2

2014/15 Competition

The Competition this season is being played as one pool of five teams, with the first two teams qualifying for the final. The five teams who competed in the Cup were Marist College, Athlone, Sligo Grammar School, Colaiste Iognaid, Garbally College and Summerhill College, Sligo. Summerhill College, Sligo topped the group with 13 points with Garbally finishing on 12 points in second place to set up a final between the two.

Garbally College edged out Summerhill College, Sligo in a thrilling final by 19–18 on 18 March 2015 in the Galway Sportsgrounds to claim their 45th title.

Performance by school

School Outright Titles Shared Titles Runners-Up Total Finals Last Title
Garbally College, Ballinasloe 45 6 51 2015
St. Josephs College, Galway (The Bish) 12 1 2 15 1994
Coláiste Iognáid, Galway (The Jes) 12 1 13 2011
Sligo Grammar School 10 10 19 2014
Marist College, Athlone 3 2 5 2013
Ranelagh College, Athlone 2 2 1923
Galway Grammar School 1 1 1941
Collegians 1 1 2 1951
St Sarans College, Ferbane 1 2 3 2004
Wilsons Hospital 1 1 1966
Clifden Community School 1 1 1975
Summerhill College, Sligo 1 1 n/a
Portumna Community School 1 1 n/a

1910s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Other Competitions

Senior League

  1. No Final Played. 2nd Place: Sligo Grammar School

Senior Development Cup

Senior City Cup

Senior and Junior Cup Doubles

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mackenzie, Linley (10 March 2011). "Coláiste Iognáid grab their sixth title". The Irish Times.
  2. ↑ "Coopers star as Marist College claim title". The Irish Examiner. 15 March 2012.
  3. ↑ "Back-to-back titles for balanced Marist". Irish Independent. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  4. ↑ "Sligo’s late rally secures cup glory in Connacht". Irish Examiner. 28 March 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Keller the hero as Garbally take title Garbally College 19 Summerhill College 18 Connacht Schools Snr Cup final". Irish Independent. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.

Sources