Buccs And ‘Quins To Meet In December

The new AIB League Division Two campaign kicks off on Saturday, October 27.

The division’s opening day will see Clonakilty, beaten semi-finalists last season, clashing with Buccaneers.

Young Munster, who also faltered in the last-four last April, will entertain Malone first time out, while Belfast Harlequins will hope to get their league run off to a winning start away to Wanderers, who topped the Division Three table last term.

Ballynahinch, who also won promotion from Division Three last season, will begin the new season at home to UCC, while one of the highlights of the first weekend will be the Dublin derby encounter between Bective Rangers and Dublin University.

The final rounds of the regulation phase will be played out in March, with plenty of mouth-watering matches in the title run-in – including the final day meeting of former top flight sides Buccaneers and Dublin University and the Limerick derby between Old Crescent and Young Munster, who both finished in the top eight in 2006/07.

In a letter to the AIB League club’s Honorary Secretaries, Gordon Black, the IRFU’s Rugby Administration Manager, pointed to the following influencing factors when the fixture lists were drawn up:

– Leinster/Lansdowne ground share in the RDS – only 1 match allowed per week

– All Munster Magners League matches will be played at Musgrave Park this season. Dolphin and Sunday’s Well could not have a match against Ulster clubs on a weekend Munster were at home, TV could dictate a Saturday match

– March 29, 2008 – All Cork city clubs away as the Six Nations Schools tournament is being held in Cork

– All fixtures are a reversal of last year’s fixtures

– Limerick sides not to be at home to Ulster clubs weeks 4, 7 and 9 due to potential clashes with Munster & Heineken games

– Bective and Old Wesley sharing Donnybrook – no Sunday matches in February (two rounds), schools have primacy of venue

– The Rugby World Cup means a later start to AIB League season by two weeks, thereby compressing dates

– Extension of AIB Cup to 48 clubs

2007/08 AIB LEAGUE DIVISION TWO FIXTURES:

Saturday, October 27 –

Ballynahinch v UCC
Barnhall v Thomond
Bective Rangers v Dublin University
Buccaneers v Clonakilty
Highfield v Old Crescent
Suttonians v De La Salle Palmerston
Wanderers v Belfast Harlequins
Young Munster v Malone

Sunday, October 28 –

To be confirmed

Saturday, November 3 –

Ballynahinch v Buccaneers
Barnhall v Wanderers
Bective Rangers v Thomond
Clonakilty v Young Munster
Dublin University v Belfast Harlequins
Highfield v Suttonians
Old Crescent v Malone
UCC v De La Salle Palmerston

Saturday, November 10 –

Barnhall v Dublin University
Belfast Harlequins v UCC
De La Salle Palmerston v Clonakilty
Malone v Bective Rangers
Old Crescent v Buccaneers
Thomond v Ballynahinch
Wanderers v Highfield
Young Munster v Suttonians

Saturday, November 17 –

Clonakilty v Belfast Harlequins
De La Salle Palmerston v Bective Rangers
Highfield v Ballynahinch
Suttonians v Malone
Thomond v Dublin University
UCC v Buccaneers
Wanderers v Old Crescent
Young Munster v Barnhall

Saturday, December 1 –

Ballynahinch v Wanderers
Barnhall v Clonakilty
Belfast Harlequins v Young Munster
Buccaneers v Bective Rangers
Dublin University v Suttonians
Highfield v De La Salle Palmerston
Malone v Thomond
Old Crescent v UCC

Saturday, December 8 –

Ballynahinch v Belfast Harlequins
Clonakilty v Dublin University
Bective Rangers v Old Crescent
De La Salle Palmerston v Malone
Suttonians v Barnhall
Thomond v Highfield
UCC v Wanderers
Young Munster v Buccaneers

Saturday, December 15 –

Buccaneers v Belfast Harlequins
Clonakilty v Highfield
De La Salle Palmerston v Thomond
Dublin University v Young Munster
Old Crescent v Barnhall
Suttonians v Ballynahinch
UCC v Malone
Wanderers v Bective Rangers

Sunday, December 16 –

To be confirmed

Saturday, January 12 –

Ballynahinch v Young Munster
Barnhall v Bective Rangers
Belfast Harlequins v Old Crescent
Buccaneers v Highfield
Dublin University v De La Salle Palmerston
Malone v Clonakilty
UCC v Suttonians
Wanderers v Thomond

Saturday, January 19 –

Bective Rangers v Belfast Harlequins
Barnhall v Buccaneers
De La Salle Palmerston v Ballynahinch
Dublin University v Old Crescent
Highfield v UCC
Malone v Wanderers
Suttonians v Clonakilty

Sunday, January 20 –

Thomond v Young Munster

Saturday, January 26 –

Bective Rangers v UCC
Clonakilty v Old Crescent
De La Salle Palmerston v Barnhall
Highfield v Dublin University
Malone v Ballynahinch
Suttonians v Buccaneers
Thomond v Belfast Harlequins
Young Munster v Wanderers

Saturday, February 9 –

Ballynahinch v Bective Rangers
Barnhall v Highfield
Belfast Harlequins v De La Salle Palmerston
Buccaneers v Thomond
Dublin University v Malone
Old Crescent v Suttonians
UCC v Young Munster
Wanderers v Clonakilty

Sunday, February 10 –

To be confirmed

Saturday, February 16 –

Clonakilty v UCC
De La Salle Palmerston v Buccaneers
Dublin University v Ballynahinch
Highfield v Belfast Harlequins
Malone v Barnhall
Suttonians v Wanderers
Thomond v Old Crescent
Young Munster v Bective Rangers

Saturday, March 1 –

Barnhall v Ballynahinch
Bective Rangers v Clonakilty
Belfast Harlequins v Malone
Buccaneers v Wanderers
Dublin University v UCC
Highfield v Young Munster
Old Crescent v De La Salle Palmerston
Thomond v Suttonians

Sunday, March 2 –

To be confirmed

Saturday, March 22 –

Ballynahinch v Old Crescent
Bective Rangers v Highfield
Belfast Harlequins v Suttonians
Clonakilty v Thomond
Malone v Buccaneers
UCC v Barnhall
Wanderers v Dublin University
Young Munster v De La Salle Palmerston

Saturday, March 29 –

Ballynahinch v Clonakilty
Belfast Harlequins v Barnhall
Buccaneers v Dublin University
De La Salle Palmerston v Wanderers
Malone v Highfield
Old Crescent v Young Munster
Suttonians v Bective Rangers
Thomond v UCC

Saturday, April 12 –

Semi-Finals

Saturday, April 19 –

Final