Blitz For South East Mayo Pupils

The Connacht Rugby Club & Community Department held a touch rugby blitz in south east Mayo for two national schools earlier this month.

The event was part of the Aldi Play Rugby initiative which provides equipment, tools and a training course for teachers, coaches and parents in schools.

Aldi’s Play Rugby programme is delivered by Connacht Club & Community Rugby Officers throughout the province as they guide teachers, coaches and parents through the process of introducing a non-contact rugby programme to schools for children between the ages of 6 to 14.

The blitz in south east Mayo was co-ordinated by Connacht Club and Community Rugby Officer Walter Gibbons with 60 young children from fourth, fifth and sixth class in Ballindine National School and Bekan National School taking part.

The event took place in St Colman’s College, Claremorris. Great rugby was played on the day with lots of skills on show with great sportsmanship, discipline and fun displayed by all sides. The aim of the event was to provide a fun day out playing rugby for the pupils in a safe environment and promote the sport in south east Mayo. It was also a useful exercise in helping to build a relationship between the schools and local clubs.

The blitz was a great success and the pupils and teachers are already looking forward to the next one with a similar event being run after the mid-term break.

The event was arranged following the success of a blitz in 90 pupils from five Mayo national schools in Ballinrobe at the start of the month with full details of that event here.

Connacht Rugby would like to thank Edel O’Brien and Darragh Keane from Bekan NS, and Declan Kirrane from Ballindine NS for their help in arranging the event.

A special mention to St Colman’s College, Claremorris, for providing the venue and being such good hosts. Thanks to Principal Jimmy Finn for accommodating us and teacher Carmel Cruise and the Transition Year students for assisting on the day.

Connacht Rugby also wish to congratulate St Colman’s senior football team, who reached this year’s All-Ireland semi-final and recently won the Connacht senior title.

For more details on Connacht Rugby’s Club and Community Department, please email info@connachtrugby.ie.