The Ulster Bank Leagues kick off this weekend across the country and senior amateur rugby in Ireland has received a timely boost in recent weeks with the announcement of increased IRFU funding to the club game.
This season's Ulster Bank Leagues promise to be as competitive as ever with five divisions of 10 clubs all fighting for honours and promotion. Following on from the success of last year's thriller between Lansdowne and Clontarf, the Division 1A Final will again take place at the Aviva Stadium. The final is scheduled to take place in the stadium on Saturday 7th May.
The action in Division 1A kicks off with two Friday Night Lights matches with Old Belvedere hosting Terenure, while the clash between UCD and Clontarf will be streamed live on the IRFU website.
Lansdowne will seek to defend their title but will be pushed hard in what looks to be a very competitive league with both Garryowen and Galwegians returning to the top flight. Lansdowne's opening fixture is a replay of last year's semi-final as they take on Young Munster at the Aviva Stadium.
Both St Mary's College and Dolphin will be looking to bounce back after being relegated from Division 1A at the end of last term but will face tough competition for those promotion spots from Dublin University, Ballymena and Belfast Harlequins who all featured strongly last season.
Division 2A will see Corinthians and Malone looking to rebound following relegation from Division 1B while one of the head to head clashes of the season will be the games between Cashel and Nenagh Ormond.
Division 2B contains the likes of Dungannon, Bective Rangers and Sunday's Well while Division 2C features new boys Dundalk and there will be many exciting days for the Magpies with games against near neighbours Boyne and Navan.
Martin O'Sullivan, IRFU President commented, "It is great for the growth of the domestic game that Ulster Bank continue to support the Leagues. The clubs are the lifeblood of the sport and are the breeding ground of our future provincial and international stars. The IRFU has committed to increasing funding to the domestic game which will enable the sport to prosper and grow and for clubs to continue to play an important role in their communities.”
Jason Campbell from Ulster Bank, commented, "We are excited at the prospect of another competitive season of Club rugby. Last year's Division 1A final at the Aviva Stadium was a fantastic showcase of the quality of the players, the commitment of the volunteers who help to get them onto the pitch and the passion of their supporters.”
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