Elverys Connacht Junior Schools Cup Preview

The Junior Cup competition will be the first big exposure these under 16 players will get. A gruelling cup campaign gives them a small insight into what professional rugby might be like, and sets them up well for an assault on the Senior Cup competitions in the following three years.

Started two years after the Senior Cup competition, Galway Grammar School won the first Junior Cup 99 years ago. Garbally won their first competition the following year, and are the competition’s most successful school winning a further 40 times, most recently in 2006. They are in an extremely tough pool, with current champions Marist and 2012 champions Rice College. Pool C is completed with the powerful Colaiste Iognaid. 

2010 winners, and beaten finalists the next two years, Sligo Grammar are in Pool A and will have a local derby matchup with Summerhill. St. Gerald’s of Castlebar, Gort Community School will also be pushing to qualify. St. Gerald’s of Castlebar will be a big challenger from this Pool after winning the Junior League this season.

Pool B will see three counties represented, with St. Muiredach’s of Mayo, the Bish and Clifden CS from Galway and CBS Roscommon. The Bish have won the u14 title for the last three years in a row, were junior league semi finalists last year and were beaten in the final of this year’s Junior League.

Pool A:

Fixtures:

Week 1: 

14/01/2014 1.30pm: Sligo Grammar 56-0 Gort CS

POSTPONED: Summerhill v St. Gerald’s  

Week 2: 22/01/2014

12.30 pm: St. Gerald’s v Gort CS

2.30pm: Summerhill v Sligo Grammar

Week 3: 29/01/2014 1pm:

Gort CS v Summerhill 

St. Gerald’s v Sligo Grammar

Squads:

St. Gerald’s, Castlebar

Summerhill, Sligo

Gort CS

Sligo Grammar

Pool B:

Fixtures:

Week 1: 15/01/2014 1pm:

Clifden CS v The Bish   POSTPONED

St. Murdeach’s v CBS Roscommon

Week 2: 22/01/2014 12.30pm:

The Bish v CBS Roscommon  

Clifden CS v St. Murdeach’s 

Week 3: 29/01/2014 1pm:

CBS Roscommon v Clifden CS 

The Bish v St. Murdeach’s 

Squads:

CBS Roscommon

St. Murdeach’s, Ballina

St. Joseph’s, Galway – The Bish

Clifden CS, Connemara

Pool C:

Fixtures:

Week 1: 15/01/2014 

POSTPONED: Rice College v Colaiste Iognaid

Garbally College 34-7 Marist College 

Week 2: 22/01/2014 1pm:

Marist College v Colaiste Iognaid

Garbally College v Rice College

Week 3: 29/01/2014 1pm:

Colaiste Iognaid v Garbally College

Marist College v Rice College

Table

Squads:

Colaiste Iognaid, Galway – The Jes

Rice College, Westport, Mayo

Marist College, Athlone

Garbally College, Galway