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| LATEST FIXTURE UPDATES: All teams ( 20 March 2010 ) |
| It has been really hard to keep up with the demands of this busy and disruoted season but Adrian Brown, under considerable pressure from a panicky Ulster Branch, has come up with the following plan which considers all possibilities. Adrian is very keen that everyone understands that this is a wish list prepared under pressure and that some of the possible matches mentioned are in no way to be seen as disrespectful to any other team involved. SATURDAY 13th MARCH Ballymoney 5 v Armoy (minor friendly) 12:30 kick off. Limavady 2 v Ballymoney 2 (junior 2 league) kick off 12:30 SATURDAY 27th MARCH Ophir U19's v Ballymoney U19's, 12:30 kick off. All Qualifying 1 league matches involving Armagh, City of Derry and Dromore to be completed by 4pm Saturday 20/03/10. POSSIBLE FIRST XV FIXTURES ARRANGED AS FOLLOWS AS INSTRUCTED BY ULSTER BRANCH March 27th - Towns Cup semi final - Dungannon 2 (away) April 5th - Towns Cup Final ( if we get that far ) April 10th - Junior Cup quarter final - Limavady 1 ( home ) April 17th - Junior Cup semi final ( if we get that far ) April 23rd - Junior Cup Final ?? LADIES ROSIE STEWART BOWL FINAL to be arranged |
| ROLLING FINGER BUFFET: A justifiable experiment ( 13 March 2010 ) |
| Last Saturday was, officially, one of the busiest playing days that the club has ever seen. There were very important home games for the Firsts, Thirds and under 17s who were all involved in cup semi or quarter finals. Our two other teams, the 4ths and 5ths had a practice match in the lead up to this week's McCambley Cup contest in Cavan. Changing facilities, pitch availability and social arrangements were all very much under pressure. In an effort to free up space and to afford a little more flexibility to the day, the usual set lunch was replaced by a rolling finger buffet. This idea was fairly well supported but, with visiting teams to be fed and our usual casual but important clients thrown into the mix, things did become very congested. This trial was a worthy and inventive idea which seemed to offer much in terms of organisation. It was disappointing that, on the day, things were so casual that clear difinition between user groups could not be maintained. Saturday was a grand day for our club and those promoting our facilities must be commended for their divergent thinking and willingness to break the mould. It should also be noted that our congestion problems were caused by the superb performances of our playing members on the field and as such, they are problems that we should really be looking forward to solving (no matter what way is tried) in future years! |
| Semi Finals on Waide's, and Clelland's Minds (With Johnston now in on the act!!!) ( 13 March 2010 ) |
| SATURDAY 13TH MARCH 1st XV away to Dungannon (Town's Cup semi final) 2nd XV TBC 3rd XV TBC 4th XV away to Cavan (McCambley Cup semi final) 5th XV TBC U17 U15 U13 at home to City of Derry Youth Cups (11.30 AM) 1st XV fixtures still to come: COLERAINE, League Junior Cup Quarter Final at home to Limavady: keep checking Dromore, League Armagh league Saturday 27th March 3rds Forster Cup Semi Final away to Monaghan |
| LADIES MAKE THEIR FIRST FINAL! ( 13 March 2010 ) |
| On Sunday (28th February), Ballymoney Ladies Rugby Team entertained Cavan Ladies at Kilraughts road. In this, their first season of rugby, the Ballymoney Ladies had reached the semi final of the Rosie Stewart Bowl. On a day perfect for rugby, the Toon Ladies received the kick and immediately put the visitors under pressure, pushing them back deep into their own territory. This was to be the order of the day, as rarely were the Ballymoney Ladies inside their own half. Strong scrummaging and quick hands from scrum half and captain Gill Powell were the order of the day, as time and again Ballymoney pushed Cavan backwards. Ever watchful out half Sam Hickinson worked the ball to centres Jodie McAneaney and Claire McLaughlin, setting up penetrating attacks by wingers Bronagh McDonnell and Paula Rosborough and ably assisted by full back Alex Shirlow. Strong pack leadership was provided throughout the game by no. 8 Julie Newton, who continually led by example, breaching the visitors defence, providing blistering tackles and keeping the momentum going forward. The strong front row forwards of Charlene McClaffery, Frances McIlmoyle and Andrea Barkley were driven forward in the scrums by the engine house second rows of Nicola Pattison and Heather Mitchell. Wing forwards Darlene Lyons and Carla Dickie provided pressure on the Cavan backline by bursting off the defensive scrum. The Ballymoney lineout worked well throughout the game, the Ladies winning their fair share of their own put in and Cavan’s. Midway through the first half, inside centre McAneaney fired the ball to her outside counterpart McLaughlin, who broke the Cavan line and ran in the first try, which was duly converted by Dickie. The score at the halfway point 7 – 0 to Ballymoney. The second half again saw the Ballymoney Ladies put Cavan under pressure. From the kick, the ladies chased the opposition down, forcing errors from Cavan. Ten minutes in Newton grabbed the ball, before charging through the Cavan defence to score beneath the posts. Dickie again added the conversion. In their bid to return home having scored at least some points the Cavan team made a charge on the Ballymoney defence, and through a moment of poor communication from Ballymoney, were able to score a converted try in the Ballymoney half. Subs Lauren Boyd and sisters Judith and Emma Elliott, were on hand to provide relief to the tired Ballymoney legs and were introduced in the closing 15 minutes to provide a valuable contribution to the Ballymoney game. The Ballymoney determination was evident as again the backline provided accurate ball to McLaughlin, who evaded the Cavan defence before running in her second score of the day. Dickie kicked the final points of the day bringing the final score to 21 – 7 to the Toon Ladies. Afterwards, Captain Powell commented “We really didn’t know what to expect today from the Cavan Ladies. We had our worries as we have a couple of girls out injured at the moment. However, credit must go to the team, as we focused on the job at hand and through good communication, strong tackling and accurate ball handling, we proved that our weeks of hard training can produce the desired result”. The final of the competition is expected to be held in April, the exact date and venue to be announced by the Ulster Branch. Watch this space. |
| TOWN'S CUP DRAW REVEALED BY ULSTER BRANCH ( 12 March 2010 ) |
| Powerade Towns Cup Semi Final Draw By now you will probably be aware that the draw for the Semi Final of the Town’s Cup took place at last Wednesday’s Competition Committee meeting and is as follows: Dungannon v Ballymoney Clogher Valley v Enniskillen Matches to be played on Saturday 13th March with any necessary replays being played on or before 27th March. |
| NORTH WEST 200 CAMPSITE: YOUR HELP NEEDED ( 12 March 2010 ) |
| As all members will know, financial times are very lean indeed. At its February meeting, the Club Executive discussed planned spending on all aspects of club life and it has become obvious that some fundraising needs to be done so that some of our taken for granted luxuries can be afforded next season. The club plans to run a North West 200 Campsite in May. A sub committee wil be set up with Johnny Hannah and Garry McIlwaine reporting back to the Executive. What we need now, in this time of uncertainty, is your help. We would like offers of help at this PLANNING STAGE. We would like to hear from any club member who could help with our planning. If your strengths are in this area, we promise that you will not be forced to work through the whole scheme if that is what you wish. Later we will be seeking help from club members who are willing to assist with ORGANISATION and then another set of more ahnds on helpers for the RUNNING of our campsite. This is, potentially, a very interesting financial project and, if run well in the first year, could create a model for future members to follow with a lot less inconvenience. Please step forward now and offer your help at this PLANNING stage. Email garrytoon@virgin.net to indicate your interest. |
| AN ULSTER BRANCH DECISION ( 05 March 2010 ) |
| Fixtures secretaries all over Ulster have been struggling to ensure that fixtures are fullfilled, cup draws are up to date and leagues completed. This has been a horrible and almost impossible task which, we thought, had finally fallen into place by the middle of this week. In an unusual turn of events, however, plans have been thrown into turmoil as a result of emergency discussions tonight (Wednesday) at Ravenhill. With rumours of some irregularities at an earlier stage of the season involving another club, various fixtures have been put on hold pending the outcomes of these investigations. Thought to involve more than one team from the same club, there is huge potential for disruption across different levels of over 18 club rugby. Matters are further compunded by the need for "Leading" Qualifying teams to have their fixtures played in time for the play-off matches. Club Chairman Rancher Campbell was reflective, "We have fixtures to arrange and play and our fixtures secretary Adrian Brown has done a fantastic job in realy difficult circumstances. All we can do is remain focussed and take these decisions as they come. Yes, a golden cash cow has been lost from this Saturday but we still very much look forward to the rearranged fixture. In the meantime, our real bread and butter, the league, is where we are to concentrate our efforts this Saturday with our away game to City of Derry (2.00 pm) Although we can at times be critical of our administrators, we should bear in mind that if we are having difficulties juggling our five teams' fixtures, what must it be like for the Branch. We should support them and move forward smartly" |
| PHOTOGRAPHIC TIPS ( 26 February 2010 ) |
| The club gallery is now being kept more up to date. There are some great photos there, but their file size means that some users in the countryside are finding it hard to download our gallery. It would be really helpful if captains, photographers etc. would try the following: 1. resize photos to about 600 X 480 pixels 2. save them in jpeg or jpg format There is a wonderful and free little programme that can do this for you. Google, "PIXresizer" It is a small, safe and really easily used tool which can resize all your photos for easy web use individually or in bulk. using this simple wee programme will speed up everyone's enjoyment of our web site. Good Luck, and thanks from all of us out in the sticks with very slow web connections |
| PRE MATCH LUNCHES: AN OPEN INVITATION ( 25 February 2010 ) |
| Club President, Alan Campbell has issued an open invitation to rugby enthusiasts who would like to attend any of Ballymoney's home game pre match lunches. These simple affairs begin at 12.45 pm on all 1st XV home match days. After diners have had their match drink, they are offered a two course lunch with tea or cofee. A complimentary glass of wine is included in the £10 per person costing. President Campbell commented, "Although these lunches are not fund raisers, they add greatly to the sense of occasion for all attending. Qualifying One rugby is the envy of all clubs in Ireland: the friendly atmosphere at lunch always continues on the touchlines. I am at pains to point out that our lunches are open to all in our rugby circles so if you are staying in the area, visting friends or looking for a friendly day out with a free quality rugby match thrown in, ballymoney Rugby Club will welcome you warmly." He commented on recent lunches: "We have noticed an increase in ladies' attendances and personally I am delighted that female friends, relations and supporters are coming to Ballymoney." So that numbers etc. can be properly catered for, you can book your place if you contact the club by the Thursday night of any 1st XV home game through: TELEPHONE: 028 276 62991 EMAIL: garrytoon@virgin.net Come on in, we'll give you a warm welcome. Dates of all home 1st XV fixtures are on the Fixtures Area of this website. |
| DAILY TELEGRAPH PUZZLE SOLVED!! ( 15 February 2010 ) |
| An email from Malone RFC has dated our newspaper cutting (see news item) to the 1958 - 1959 season. Many thanks to Raymond Thomas and Uel Tedford at Malone who seem to have their archives organised very systematically. The power of the internet and our family in rugby! |
| TOON LINKS CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO LOCAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS' SUCCESSES ( 14 February 2010 ) |
| The news that Dalriada school had progressed in the Schools' Cup with a wonderful winning display away to Campbell College underlines the excellent work being carried out in our community with the support of our club. Recent years have seen our links with five local schools strengthened through assistance with coaching, training facilities, social and fund raising events. Indeed, our work at mini maxi level has seen a constant stream of well developed talent flowing into our post primary institutions enabling schools like Ballymoney High, Coleraine Inst and Dalriada to move more swiftly and effectively into development of the fifteen man game. Evidence of progress abounds: Most recently, the good work being done at Ballymoney High by Kenny Dunlop and Dave Watson has seen tremendous progress there in secondary schools' blitzes, leagues and cups as well as the all Ulster medallion competition. As a result, Ballymoney Youth teams are benefiting hugely. At medallion level there has been good joint coaching at Dalriada recently with success achieved in the Ulster Medallion Bowl. Last Saturday's success by the Dalriada first fiteen, however, is another step up and with Toon men Benjy van der Byl, Jamsie Clelland and Connell Devlin directing operations there, we are proud to celebrate their achievements. The next two weeks, however, bring more opportunities for further progress as our own under 17 youth team sets out to play their Ulster Under 17 league semi final at home to Monaghan. Our youth teams embark on their cup competitions this Saturday. This is no mean achievement as other local clubs such as the mighty Dungannon, Larne, Limavady and Coleraine have been unable to recruit and field teams in all of these sections. So it is time for all of us at Kilraughts to celebrate progress and achievement by all of our shared players but we must also realise that if this good work is to continue, Craig Whyte, Toss Skelton and all of our youth coaches will need your help, support and encouragement. Good luck to all in their competitions during the next few weeks. |
| YOUTH TEAMS STILL RECRUITING ( 07 February 2010 ) |
| Although the season is progressing well, Craig Whyte, Ballymoney's Youth Convenor, is putting out a general invitation to any young players wishing to have a go at rugby at Under 13 or Under 15 levels. Many of the existing players are new to rugby and the indicators are that they have settled in well and are developing their skills and knowledge in a safe and supportive environment. Both age groups are in the enviable position of having two dedicated coaches, all with good rubgy experience. Players are drawn from a wide backgound with Ballymoney High, Ballycastle High, Dunclug and Loreto College represented. "Our doors are very much open," said Craig, "we have room for more players at Under 13 and Under 15 in particular. We do not expect new players to come pre packed with all the rugby knowledge but are prepared to take new players, and introduce them gradually into our rugby family. We have, this year, been particularly impressed with how young players' soccer and gaelic skills have transferred into our context and believe that new players have as much to offer us as we have for them." Any new player can contact us through garrytoon@virgin .net or through their teachers in school who have received our contact details. Any emails to garrytoon@virgin.net will be forwarded immediatley to Craig. |
| OFFICIAL: EXECUTIVE AGREES TO HARNESS EXCESS WIND AT KILRAUGHTS ( 07 February 2010 ) |
| At the club's February Executive meeting, club stalwart Alan Rancher Campbell outlined preliminary plans for converting the plentiful supplies of Kilraughts wind into energy and funds for our club. Rumours that Johnny Hannah was in some way connected to these plans were confirmed as he was spotted on the club grounds last month when wind conditions were being monitored. Although the "higher than normal" wind readings were good news, they came as no real surprise to close followers of the club. With Johnny knowing watt is watt and a dynamic Rancher sparking up good working relationships with funders, the lads hope that in turn, with two new fans, their contributions will generate plenty of positive energy at the Toon. In a first for the executive, Barney Kelly had nothing negative to say whilst Trevor Fleming hopes, in the next week or two, to be able to shed more light on the matter. |
| WOW... WHAT A FUND RAISER ( 06 February 2010 ) |
| The Ulster Society of Rugby Referees is holding a charity collection on Saturday 20th February. With several dedicated charities set to benefit, all teams will be asked for a £1 per man contribution before all matches on this date. All players should be prepared to part with £1 on the 20th. |
| UNDER 19s: NEW YEAR'S FIXTURE LIST ( 16 January 2010 ) |
| The latest round of fixtures for the Under 19s is set out below: 2nd Jan- Randalstown, Home League. 9th Jan- Larne, Away League. 16th Jan- Ballyclare, Home League. 30th Jan- Ophir, Away League. 6th Feb- Coleraine, Home League. 13th Feb- Carrick, Away league.(possibly 12:30 k/o) 20th Feb- Omagh, Home League. 27th Feb- Donegal, Away League. 6th Mar- Letterkenny, Home League. 13th Mar- Ballymena, Away League. 20th Mar- Rainey, Away league. |
| IRFU: ZERO TOLLERANCE FOR ABUSE OF OFFICIALS (REMINDER) ( 16 January 2010 ) |
| At its March meeting the club's Executive learned of an initiative by the IRFU to stamp out abuse on and around all rugby grounds. In a letter to all clubs in Ireland reference was made to the increase in abusive situations, particularly against match officials. Club stalwart John Patton commented, "It's a welcome return to old values and we at Ballymoney should do all we can to assist the IRFU in its work." The IRFU letter warned of sanctions, including bans and heavy fines to be levied against members and their clubs when instances of abuse of officials were clearly proven. |
| HUGE FERGUSON & LOGUE SPONSORSHIP DEAL UNVEILED ( 17 October 2009 ) |
| (Home Page content which would not load) Last Saturday four sets of new shirts were presented to the club's Youth Section by local Solicitors Gerguson and Logue. This very significant sponsorship deal is a major boost to our club's development and signals yet another step to a more co-ordinated and professional set up. |
| CHILD PROTECTION INFORMATION AND CHECKING ( 09 October 2009 ) |
| Call for ALL Involved with Children to register now!!! At its next meeting, on Monday 5th October, the Executive Committee will discuss a Child Protection action plan which will include proposals regarding unchecked adults who work with children. PLEASE REGISTER FOR ACCESSNI NOW! The Ulster Branch has adopted new procedures for safeguarding our Youth, Mini and Maxi members. These procedures must be outlined to all club members who have any access at all to members under the age of 18. Registration is essential for any member at Ballymoney RFC who: 1. Wishes to be a member of the club's Executive Committee, 2. Wishes to be a member of any other club Committee with Youth involvement, 3. Wishes to work with any club member under 18yrs of age, This applies to all areas of club activity including committees, coaching, refereeing, catering, bar staff, care taking etc. etc. Please plan to attend. Add this date to your diary. More details will be available in early September. Some additional "Child Welfare Policy" info is now available on the IRFU website. Some Ulster Branch info (forms etc.) can also be emailed to you: Send your request to garrytoon@virgin.net with AccessNI as the subject |