IRFU HIGH PERFORMANCE SCRUM COACH

The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in Ireland. It comprises four provincial branches Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster, as well as being the national governing body. The IRFU has recently established a High Performance Scrum Programme and wishes to invite applications for the position of High Performance (HP) Scrum Coach to lead and manage this programme.

The Role

Reporting to the IRFU Director of Rugby, the HP Scrum Coach, in conjunction with the High Performance Manager, will be responsible for the implementation and management of the programme in the National Academy structures in the four provinces and to the national and provincial age grade representative team structures.

(National and senior provincial teams will maintain existing coaching arrangements).

The Candidate

The successful candidate will have:

§  Expert knowledge in the area of scrummaging and a proven track record of achievement in this area.

§  An IRFU / IRB or related union coaching accreditation.

§  The ability to plan, communicate, research and constantly evaluate current scrummaging practice in order to achieve excellence and realise the vision.

§  A complete and thorough understanding of rugby union and the LTPD pathway.

§  Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels across the four provinces.

To Apply

Please forward your Curriculum Vitae with a covering letter of not more than one page highlighting relevant experience This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or alternatively to: Human Resources Department, Irish Rugby Football Union, 10-12 Lansdowne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

The closing date for applications is 3^rd April 2012.

The IRFU is an equal opportunities employer.

Connacht have announced the ‘A’ team that will take on their Leinster counterparts tomorrow, Wednesday 14^th March at 3pm in Old Belvedere RFC. The team sees seven changes from the side that was defeated 17-7 by the Ulster Ravens in Belfast last week. There is an all new front row with former Ireland U20 prop Finlay Bealham joining Dermot Murphy and the Rodney Ah You. Rodney is making his first start since injuring his foot against Munster on St. Stephens Day. There is one change in the second row as Monivea native Conor Kindegren gets the nod alongside Mick Kearney. The back row remains unchanged with Eoin McKeon again joining Dave Heffernan and Eoghan Grace.

Buccaneers out half Jack Carty will miss his former school, Marist College’s push for a first Connacht Senior Schools Cup since 1977 as he captains the side from number 10. He is joined at half back again by former Leinster Academy scrum half Dave Moore. The centre partnership also remains unchanged with Galwegians pair Tadhg leader and Brian Murphy retaining their places. Tadhg’s brother Darragh makes his first start on the left wing. The former Bish student made his Ulster Bank League debut for Galwegians two weeks ago against UCD. He joins former Cardiff Blues wing James Loxton and Matthew Jarvis in the back three. Loxton is making his return after injury forced him off the field against the Ospreys in September.

Speaking ahead of the game, Head Coach Nigel Carolan commented: 'Last weeks performance was disappointing but tomorrow gives us a chance to put things right against what is expected to be a strong leinster 'A' team. All of these games will help our young guys in their development and exposure to this level of rugby will only benefit them ahead of next year's British and Irish Cup.'

Connacht ‘A’ XV v Leinster ‘A’, Wednesday 14^th March, 3pm, Old Belvedere RFC

15. Matthew Jarvis

14. James Loxton

13. Brian Murphy

12. Tadhg Leader

11. Darragh Leader

10. Jack Carty (c)

9. Dave Moore

1. Finlay Bealham

2. Dermot Murphy

3. Rodney Ah You

4. Conor Kindegren

5. Mick Kearney

6. Dave Heffernan

7. Eoghan Grace

8. Eoin McKeon

16. Kevin O’Byrne

17. Dennis Buckley

18. Jamie Stephens

19. Brian Moylett

20. Isaac O’Grady

21. Mark Dolan

22. Matt Dever

23. Conor Fitzgibbon

Rodney Ah You returns from injury. Photo (c) www.inpho.ie 

Connacht Rugby Ticketing Statement

Connacht Rugby’s upcoming inter-provincial clash against Munster (24th March 2012) is rapidly selling out and supporters are urged to purchase their tickets early to avoid disappointment.

There are currently less than 750 tickets available for the match and with online sales continuing at a steady pace the fixture looks set to sell out in the coming days.

Supporters are reminded that as this is an inter-provincial match ALL children (including under 12’s) must have a ticket to enter the ground and Childre's tickets are available from just €5.

Due to exceptional demand there are only a limited number of Concession and Children’s tickets remaining and it is recommended that fans wishing to attend the match purchase their tickets in advance to guarantee entry.

Tickets are available from the following link BUY TICKETS HERE or by dropping in to the Connacht Rugby Branch Offices on College Road between 9.00am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Connacht’s final inter-pro of the season, a home match against Ulster, has been fixed for Saturday 14^th April at 17.15.

Ulster’s last visit to the Sportsground ended in a 15 all draw, Ian Keatley’s 74^th minute penalty grabbing two points for Connacht after Ulster’s Niall O’Connor had put the visitors in the lead with a penalty.

This April Connacht will look to reverse the result from the first leg earlier this season. Ulster took the spoils in Ravenhill on that occasion but Connacht can look forward to the raucous home support of the Sportground this time around and the 17.15 kick-off time will suit fans travelling from all across the province to the College Road venue.

Connacht’s home support has grown considerably this season and there have been record turnouts for the visits of Toulouse and Leinster, as well as a huge increase in numbers for the recent clashes against Glasgow and Edinburgh. With Connacht's upcoming clash against Munster rapidly selling out the Sportsground looks set for another full house when the Ulstermen arrive in April.

RaboDirect PRO12 Round 20

Connacht v Ulster – The Sportsground – Saturday 14^th April – kick-off 17.15 (live on TG4/BBCNI)

Connacht in action against Ulster last November in Ravenhill (C) www.inpho.ie