Dublin 2013 Legacy Programme
The Amlin Challenge Cup and Heineken Cup finals will dominate the newspaper and website columns during the coming week and ERC, in partnership with the IRFU and Leinster Rugby, will be delivering a grassroots rugby programme that will leave a lifetime of rugby memories for those who take part.
On Wednesday, May 15, ‘the European Challenge’ will take place at Irishtown Sports Stadium. It will see 300 primary school kids from Darndale, Ballymun, Finglas, Doneycarney, Glasnevin, Irishtown, Ringsend, Pearse Street, Ballyfermot, Crumlin, the Coombe, Rialto and Cabra participate in a Tag rugby blitz.
The participants have been trained for eight weeks by a designated Community Rugby Officer as part of a programme funded by the ERC and supported by Dublin City Council.
Each team will represent a European club and ‘the European Challenge’ will mirror the format of an ERC tournament including an opening and closing ceremony.
At 3pm that afternoon, on the back pitch of the Aviva Stadium, a Dublin City Council Under-15 selection, the ‘Dublinia XV’ will challenge a St. Michael’s College selection for the ‘Dublin 2013 Cup’.
The Dublinia XV will be made up of rugby novices from non traditional rugby areas who have received intensive training in preparation for this fixture.
It is hoped that this squad will feed into the Metropolitan Regional squad and ultimately put themselves into contention for selection on the Leinster Under-18 Club team.
The ‘Dublin 2013 Cup’ will be contested on an annual basis and will hopefully encourage the next generation of rugby players who perhaps otherwise would have gone undetected.
In recognition of the commitment they have shown for the past two months the Dublinia XV will be guests of honour at an ERC reception in City Hall on the Saturday morning of the Heineken Cup final for the launch of the Open Top Trophy Tour.
From there, the trophy will be paraded on an open top bus around the city before being delivered to the European Champions Village on Merrion Square.