Energia Junior Cup Finals To Take Place In Dundalk And Ashbourne
MU Barnhall are 80 minutes away from winning their fourth successive Energia All-Ireland Women's Junior Cup title ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
The road to Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup glory will come to a thrilling climax next month when Dundalk and Ashbourne Rugby Clubs play host to the respective Women’s and Men’s finals.
Three-in-a-row champions MU Barnhall and Enniskillen will contest the Women’s final at Dundalk RFC on Sunday, January 18 (kick-off 2pm), before the Men’s decider between Dromore and former winners Seapoint in Ashbourne on Saturday, January 24 (kick-off 2.30pm).
Dundalk and Ashbourne also hosted last season’s finals of the IRFU’s blue riband junior national competitions, drawing busloads of supporters to their fine facilities for two memorable match-ups involving Leinster and Ulster clubs.
Bective Rangers brilliantly overturned a 17-point deficit against Enniskillen last January to win the Energia All-Ireland Men’s Junior Cup for the first time. They then went on to achieve promotion back to the Energia All-Ireland League.
Eleven months ago, a hugely impressive MU Barnhall had another successful defence of the Energia All-Ireland Women’s Junior Cup. They made it three trophy wins in as many seasons courtesy of a Ciara Faulkner-inspired 41-7 win over Malone.
The Kildare side are back for more in 2025/26, extending their unbeaten run in the competition to 11 matches. Standing between them and a historic four-in-a-row are first-time finalists Enniskillen, the current Ulster Premiership table toppers.
Leinster League Division 1 leaders MU Barnhall beat Shannon (60-12) and Queen’s University (36-27) to qualify for their fourth national final. Young full-back Amy Rushton has shone for the reigning champions, scoring five tries and five conversions for a 35-point haul across those two games.
Ulster forwards Sophie Barrett and India Daley have played leading roles for Enniskillen, helping them to get past both Balbriggan (49-12) and Tuam (27-14). Sarah Teague and Zara Flack have scored two tries each.
In the Men’s competition, 2020 runners-up Dromore are back in the final after overcoming Bandon (26-5), Enniskillen (23-0), and Creggs (32-21). Centre Dean Dillon followed up on his brace against Skins with the opening try during last Saturday’s semi-final encounter with Creggs.
Seapoint, meanwhile, are hoping to lift the trophy for the first time since 2007 when future Ireland international Felix Jones crossed for two tries in their 47-15 final victory over Coleraine.
The Dubliners are currently fourth in their provincial league – as are Dromore – and saw off the challenges of Cooke (27-25) and Wicklow (30-20) at home, before defeating Athy 32-19 in the last-four. Winger Oisin McKenna has weighed in with four tries.
The Energia All-Ireland Men’s Junior Cup has been a big part of Irish Rugby’s domestic club calendar since the inaugural 2005/06 edition. The only champions from outside of Leinster or Ulster have been Crosshaven in 2011, and Kilfeacle & District in 2020.
This is the fourth season of the Energia All-Ireland Women’s Junior Cup. MU Barnhall have reigned supreme since 2022, getting the better of all three of their final opponents so far – Tullamore (38-12), Tuam/Oughterard (15-6), and Malone by a record 34-point margin.
ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND WOMEN’S JUNIOR CUP FINAL:
Sunday, January 18 –
MU BARNHALL v ENNISKILLEN, Dundalk RFC, 2pm
Previous Finals –
2024/25: Malone 7 MU Barnhall 41, Dundalk RFC
2023/24: Tuam/Oughterard 6 MU Barnhall 15, Mullingar RFC
2022/23: Tullamore 12 MU Barnhall 38, Mullingar RFC
ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND MEN’S JUNIOR CUP FINAL:
Saturday, January 24 –
DROMORE v SEAPOINT, Ashbourne RFC, 2.30pm
Previous Finals –
2024/25: Bective Rangers 37 Enniskillen 31, Ashbourne RFC
2023/24: Ballyclare 48 Bective Rangers 8, Dundalk RFC
2022/23: Clogher Valley 30 Enniskillen 18, Kingspan Stadium
2021/22: Ballyclare 11 Clogher Valley 13, Kingspan Stadium
2020/21: Competition cancelled due to Covid-19
2019/20: Kilfeacle & District 28 Dromore 24, Coolmine RFC
2018/19: Ashbourne 16 Enniscorthy 11, Edenderry RFC
2017/18: Ashbourne 18 Kilfeacle & District 9, Portlaoise RFC
2016/17: Ashbourne 22 Enniscorthy 20, Old Wesley RFC
2015/16: Enniscorthy 23 Instonians 7, Ashbourne RFC
2014/15: Bangor 5 Dundalk 55, Portadown RFC
2013/14: Clogher Valley 9 Enniscorthy 10, Coolmine RFC
2012/13: Enniscorthy 10 Tullamore 29, Cill Dara RFC
2011/12: Monivea 3 Tullamore 9, Buccaneers RFC
2010/11: Crosshaven 17 Monivea 9, St. Mary’s College RFC
2009/10: City of Armagh 17 City of Derry 19, Buccaneers RFC
2008/09: Navan 13 Tullamore 23, Buccaneers RFC
2007/08: Navan 20 Tullamore 6, Buccaneers RFC
2006/07: Coleraine 15 Seapoint 47, Buccaneers RFC
2005/06: Rainey Old Boys 27 Youghal 5, Lansdowne Road