Unidare RFC

Unidare RFC
Full name Unidare Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s) Ravens
Founded 1958
Location Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Ground(s) Ballycuris Park, Ballymun,
Dublin, Ireland
Coach(es) Colm Finnegan
Captain(s) Kevin Ryan
League(s) Dublin Metropolitan J4 League
2010-11 5th
Team kit
Official website
www.unidarerfc.com

Unidare Rugby Football Club, commonly known as Unidare RFC, is a Rugby union club founded in 1958. Unidare currently play at Balcurris park, Ballymun in Dublin city, Ireland.[1] The club's emblem is a Raven[1] and they play in Black and Red. The club plays in the Junior (J4) section of the Leinster Branch Metropolitan League.[2]

History

Foundation

Unidare Rugby Football Club was founded in 1958 by workers the Unidare works in Finglas, which is now defunct.[3] During the foundation years (1958–1977) the club participated in the Business Houses Cup Competition and took part in friendly matches during the rest of the season. The club did not have their own grounds but were given the use of a playing field and dressing rooms in Blackrock College by Father Shields.

Business Houses League

In 1977 the Business Houses League was formed. At that time Unidare Rugby Football Club was given grounds in Unidare Industrial estate on Jamestown Road, Finglas. This was developed further by the club with dressing rooms, training lights etc. The club did well in the Business Houses League, winning it for the first time in the 1980-1981 season. AIB had won the competition for the first three seasons of the competition. The club continued to participate in this competition during the 1980s.

Recent developments

In 1990 the club lost its playing fields when Unidare plc sold the land for development, and the club was hosted by Suttonians RFC and Malahide RFC for different seasons. In 2005, the club formed an alliance with Dublin City University Sports to play and train in the Ballymun grounds. As of 2011 and 21 seasons without a permanent home. Unidare in conjunction with The Dublin City Council were allocated the use for Balcurris Park as their new home ground.

Youth Section

In recent years, the club has undergone a revival in interest and membership and has focused in particular on the development of its youth teams. In the 2007/08 season, the club's first competitive under-age side created history[4] by coming runners-up in the Dublin Metro U-18 League, at their very first attempt.[5] The club currently fields youth sides at U-14, U-16, & U-18 and has ten fully qualified coaches currently working in their underage section.[6]

2007/2008 Season

2007/2008 J4 Metropolitan League Fixtures/Results

Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue Match Report
October 13, 2007 De La Salle Palmerston RFC 20 - 24 Unidare RFC Kilternan
October 20, 2007 Unidare RFC 94 - 05 Malahide RFC DCU Sportsground
November 3, 2007 AIB RFC 17 - 00 Unidare RFC DCU Sportsground ...
November 10, 2007 Dundalk RFC 11 - 10 Unidare RFC Dundalk ...
November 17, 2007 Clontarf RFC 8 - 00 Unidare RFC Clontarf ...
December 1, 2007 Unidare RFC 53 - 00 Emerald Warriors DCU Sportsground ...
December 8, 2007 CYM 05 - 10 Unidare RFC Terenure
January 5, 2008 Unidare RFC 05 - 29 De La Salle Palmerston RFC DCU Sportsground ...
January 12, 2008 Malahide RFC 13 - 18 Unidare RFC Estuary Road ...
January 27, 2008 Unidare RFC 07 - 20 Dundalk DCU Sportsground ...
February 16, 2008 Unidare RFC 07 - 49 Clontarf DCU Sportsground ...

2007/2008 Friendly Fixtures/Results

Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue
September 15, 2007 Stillorgan RFC 36 - 14 Unidare RFC Bird Avenue
November 24, 2007 Unidare RFC 00 - 29 Stillorgan RFC DCU Sportsground

2011/2012 Season

2011/2012 J4 Metropolitan League Fixtures/Results

Date Home Team Score Away Team
October 1, 2011 Tallaght 13 - 23 Unidare RFC
October 8, 2011 St. Mary's College B 22 - 21 Unidare RFC
October 15, 2011 Normans 00 - 32 Unidare RFC
October 22, 2011 Malahide 32 - 13 Unidare RFC
November 5, 2011 Milmount House P - P Unidare RFC
November 26, 2011 Railway Union 23 - 03 Unidare RFC
December 3, 2011 Parkmore 32 - 13 Unidare RFC
December 10, 2011 Unidare RFC 08 - 03 Tallaght
January 7, 2012 Unidare RFC 07 - 13 St. Mary's College B
January 14, 2012 Unidare RFC 46 - 0 Normans
January 28, 2012 Malahide 59 - 10 Unidare RFC
February 4, 2012 Unidare RFC P - P Millmount House
February 11, 2012 Unidare RFC P - P Millmount House
February 18, 2012 Railway Union 58 - 10 Unidare RFC
March 3, 2012 Unidare RFC A - A Parkmore

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 IrishRugby.ie - Club contacts - Unidare Ravens
  2. LeinsterRugby.ie - Junior Rugby Area Organisation - METROPOLITAN AREA
  3. LeinsterRugby.ie - Unidare-Finglas going from Strength to Strength...
  4. See Dublin Metro League, AGM Report, May 2008
  5. LeinsterRugby.ie - Unidare-Finglas going from Strength to Strength
  6. Emerald Rugby Magazine, October 2007