MY CLUB: UCD RFC
Sports Centre,
Belfield,
Dublin 4
info@ucdrugby.com
By DAIRE WALSH
WITH three wins and one draw from eight outings to date, UCD have accumulated 16 points in the Ulster Bank League Division 1A table, which leaves them just three points shy of the play-off positions.
The students also have a second consecutive Leinster Senior League Cup final on the horizon after Christmas and director of rugby Bobby Byrne is looking forward to that showpiece encounter with Clontarf.
“Look, it’s a nice competition to be involved in. I suppose each year we use the early stages of the Leinster Senior Cup as a warm-up for the Ulster Bank League and if we happen to progress in the latter stages of it, we take it very seriously. It’s a competition with a fantastic history and tradition,” remarked Byrne.
“We won it in 2010, I think it was the first time we’d won it in 30 years. It was very enjoyable, and then we won it again last season, in a very close final against Terenure.
To be in the final again is a great achievement. We’re delighted to be in the final, but it’s going to be a very difficult game against Clontarf.”
Byrne has been in his current role for the past four years, having started his adult playing career with the College back in the 1980s. He also had spells in the capital with Terenure College and Blackrock College, before later returning to Belfield in a coaching capacity.
“I played in UCD in the 1980s. I was captain of the club here in ’85, and then I came back in the ‘90s to coach again after my playing career for a couple of seasons. Then I came back again about ten years ago. So, I’ve been involved largely with the senior side for the last 10 years or so, and the last four years as director of rugby.
“When I left UCD (as a player), I played for Terenure for a period of time, and also for Blackrock for a period of time before I came back. I had very good experiences in both clubs.”
Including a women’s team, UCD currently field seven sides from Under 20s (As and Bs) up to adult level. The U20s are seen a stepping stone to the senior side and when you take into account the youthfulness of the present senior team, it is clear that this will continue to be the case.
Byrne explained: “The U20s is the sort of foundation for our senior side. Where guys come into college, by and large most guys play two seasons at U20 level. We have a situation at the moment at firsts where we’ve a very young side.
“So, we’ve quite a few U20s on our first team this year.
“This year’s U20s is basically a first year side rather than a second year side, but the U20s would be the foundation to everything that we try to do here.”