Bateman Cup Final Live On RTE Two

Cork Constitution, coached this season by Tom Mulcahy, are bidding to retain the Bateman Cup and keep the trophy in Munster hands.

The Bateman Cup was originally played between 1922 and 1939. It was reintroduced in 2011 with the four provincial cup winners meeting in semi-finals.

Bruff and Garryowen won the All-Ireland Cup competition in 2011 and 2012 respectively, and Cork Con maintained their province’s domination when they defeated St. Mary’s College 24-19 at Templeville Road twelve months ago.

BATEMAN CUP FINALS:

2013 – St. Mary’s College 19 Cork Constitution 24, Templeville Road – Post-Match Video
2012 – Ballymena 6 Garryowen 24, Templeville Road –
2011 – Bruff 24 Dungannon 18, Templeville Road –

Prior to the Bateman Cup’s reintroduction three years ago, the All-Ireland Cup – then sponsored by AIB – was played between 2006 and 2010.

Cork Con reached three of the five finals, winning two of them – against St. Mary’s and Garryowen – and losing one to Ballynahinch in 2009.

This season, Mulcahy’s men won the club’s 25th Munster Senior Cup when defeating Garryowen 9-6 after extra-time in a dramatic final at Thomond Park in December.

In the last-four of the Bateman Cup the following month, the Leesiders were comfortable 46-14 winners over Ulster champions Queen’s University at Temple Hill.

UCD, coached by Bobby Byrne, overcame Terenure College 23-18 to annex the Leinster Senior Cup in November, and then went on to edge out Galwegians 21-20 in their Bateman Cup semi-final at Belfield.

It was the students’ ninth cup success in Leinster – they first lifted the provincial trophy way back in 1924. UCD have won the Bateman Cup on one previous occasion, emerging as 16-6 victors over Young Munster in the 1938 final.

In this season’s Ulster Bank League games between the clubs, UCD won the first encounter 23-17 at Belfield in November, while Constitution won the return fixture 14-6 at Temple Hill in January.