AIB League Division Two: Club-By-Club Guide
IrishRugby.ie takes a closer look at the competing clubs in Division Two of this season’s AIB League, with the help of Irish rugby statistician Des Daly.
DIVISION TWO STATISTICAL PREVIEW:
– Provincial breakdown of clubs: Leinster 6, Munster 6 (three Limerick teams and three from the Cork region), Ulster 3 and Connacht 1
– This season there will be a Connacht club in Division Two for the first time in eight seasons. There are four new clubs – Buccaneers, Ballynahinch, Belfast Harlequins and Wanderers – in the second tier this season. All four clubs have previous form in Division Two
– Barnhall and Highfield are both at home for four of their first five games. Suttonians and Young Munster get five aways in Munster while Bective Rangers and Clonakilty get five homes
– Young Munster are at home to five Leinster clubs while Clonakilty travel to Leinster five times. Dublin University and Bective Rangers are due to play eleven of their 15 games in the greater Dublin area
– No club has an alternating home and away schedule. Five clubs have three home games in succession while five sides will play three away fixtures on the trot at some stage during the season
– All clubs that had seven homes and eight away matches last season have eight homes and seven away fixtures this season and vice versa
– Malone will this season undertake their 15th and Bective their 14th consecutive campaign in Division Two. Due to Heineken Cup activity, one Sunday game has already been scheduled (Thomond v Young Munster)
– The last league date in Division Two is set for Saturday, March 29, one week after Easter Saturday
2007/08 AIB LEAGUE DIVISION TWO TEAMS:
All-Time Ranking: 30th
2006/07 Finish: 7th in Division Two
Club President: Jack Looby, a current J2 prop and son of the 2005/06 President
Coach: Ian Morgan (ninth league season) – his assistant is Denis Bowes from Scotland
Captain: prop Jim Nolan – is the 36-year-old the oldest captain in the AIB League?
Comment: This is their seventh season to fly the flag for County Kildare in Division Two
All-Time Ranking: 31st
2006/07 Finish: 2nd in Division Three (beaten semi-finalists)
Club President: Trevor Brown, captain of the Evergreens
Coach: Derek Suffern (second season) – his assistant is Daniel Soper from New Zealand
Captain: Stewart Megaw – a centre who previously played for Queen’s University and was capped for the Ireland Under-19s
Comment: They lost in the Division Three play-off semi-finals last season
All-Time Ranking: 20th
2006/07 Finish: 11th in Division Two
Club President: Paddy O’Brien, a Limerick man and a major fundraiser
Coach: Stephen McIvor (first season) – his assistant is fellow former Ireland international Gabriel Fulcher
Captain: Damien Hall (third season) – a number eight who previously played for Greystones
Comment: The are competing in Division Two for the 14th consecutive season
All-Time Ranking: 9th
2006/07 Finish: 15th in Division One
Club President: Ronnie Gregg, club President for a second season
Coach: Andy Ward (second season) – his assistant is fellow former Ireland international Maurice Field
Captain: Chris McCarey – the number eight has been capped by Ireland Schools and won three Ulster caps
Comment: At the end of last season they were relegated from Division One for the second time
All-Time Ranking: 13th
2006/07 Finish: 16th in Division One
Club President: Austin Reid, son of the 1985 President
Coach: Tony Dolan (first season) – amongst his assistant on an all local coaching panel is Jude Lennon
Captain: Adrian Hanley – the flanker was capped by Ireland Youths
Comment: They were relegated last season after ten seasons in the top tier
All-Time Ranking: 37th
2006/07 Finish: 3rd in Division Two (beaten semi-finalists)
Club President: Pat Hogan, a Munster Branch representative
Coach: Terry Dillon (fourth league season) – his assistant is Eddie Knowles
Captain: Alfie Harte – hooker and a former Ireland Youths captain
Comment: They lost at the semi-final stage in last season’s Division Two play-offs
All-Time Ranking: 19th
2006/07 Finish: 10th in Division Two
Club President: Sean O’Neill, the club’s AIB man
Coach: Simon Broughton (New Zealander) (second season) – his assistant is Philip Doyle
Captain: Ene Fa’atau – the back rower is beginning his second season with the club
Comment: Recruited nearly an entire team over the summer months
All-Time Ranking: 34th
2006/07 Finish: 6th in Division Two
Club President: David Duffy, the club’s President for a second season
Coach: Tony Smeeth (English) (tenth season) – his assistant is Hugh McGuire
Captain: Joey Burns – the scrum half is a former Coleraine AI pupil and was capped by Ireland Schools
Comment: Club is now in its 154th season playing rugby in Ireland
All-Time Ranking: 36th
2006/07 Finish: 5th in Division Two
Club President: Pat O’Donovan
Coach: Geoff Moylan (first season) – assistants are Donal Brennan and Brian O’Meara, the former Leinster, Munster and Ireland half-back
Captain: Dave Ryan – the prop’s second season as captain. He is a former Ireland Youths skipper
Comment: Club member Der Healy is President of the IRFU this season
All-Time Ranking: 23rd
2006/07 Finish: 14th in Division Two
Club President: Billy Duffy
Coach: Andy Dougan (second season)
Captain: Prop Richard Bartley
Comment: They are competing in Division Two for the 15th consecutive season
All-Time Ranking: 15th
2006/07 Finish: 8th in Division Two
Club President: Tony Murray, an excellent singer
Coach: Former international Mark Ring (Welsh) (second season) – assistants are Frankie Roche and Stephen Tuohy
Captain: James Cullinane – the prop known as ‘Buffalo’
Comment: The club, founded in 1947, was 60-years-old in June
All-Time Ranking: 42nd
2006/07 Finish: 13th in Division Two
Club President: Philip Magner, the fundraising chairman
Coach: Robert Forbes (fourth season) – his assistant is John Tainui from New Zealand
Captain: Aidan Kearney – the lock and back rower who was capped by Connacht, Ulster and Leinster
Comment: One of only two AIB League clubs situated on Dublin’s northside
All-Time Ranking: 33rd
2006/07 Finish: 12th in Division Two
Club President: Denis King
Coach: Martin Ryan (eighth season) – his assistant is Niall McNamara
Captain: Henry O’Neill – the centre’s second season as captain
Comment: Their best finish in six seasons in Division Two was seventh place (2002/03)
UCC:
All-Time Ranking: 28th
2006/07 Finish: 9th in Division Two
Club President: Professor Nollaig Parfrey, a former UCC minor coach
Coach: Conor ‘CT’ Twomey (first season) – his assistant is Munster and Ireland back John Kelly
Captain: Centre Alex Kelleher
Comment: Have reached four Division Two play-off semi-finals over the past five seasons
All-Time Ranking: 26th
2006/07 Finish: 1st in Division Three (beaten finalists)
Club President: Ian Burns, the club captain for the 1985/96 who won an Ireland cap in 1980
Coach: Andrew Spraggon (New Zealander) (second season) – assistants are former Leinster and Ireland prop Emmett Byrne and current Leinster back Christian Warner
Captain: Bevan Cantrell – the ex-Old Crescent hooker’s fourth season as captain
Comment: They lost the Division Three play-off final last season, going down to Bruff
All-Time Ranking: 11th
2006/07 Finish: 4th in Division Two (beaten semi-finalists)
Club President: John Galvin
Coach: Mike Lynch (first season) – his assistant is Mick O’Halloran
Captain: Derek Corcoran – the winger is the club’s top league try scorer with 26 touchdowns
Comment: They lost in the semi-finals of last season’s Division Two play-offs
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Der Healy’s President’s Message
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