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This Sunday, 21st April sees the next round of Bank of Ireland Club and Schools finals in Dexcom Stadium with the Youth Boys Cup Finals. The U14 Boys’ Cup Final will take place at 12:00 PM followed by the U16 Boys’ Cup Final at 1:30 PM and the U18.5 Boys’ Cup Final at 3:30 PM.
The first final of the day is the Bank of Ireland U14 Boys’ Cup Final which will see Ballinasloe RFC take on last year’s U13 Cup runners-up, Creggs RFC. The two sides met in early October in the U14 League where Ballinasloe seized a decisive victory. However, both teams finished top 3 in Division 1, proving to both be extremely competitive sides and they faced off again in the league final in Dubarry Park. Ballinasloe once again claimed the victory, but Creggs made it a lot more difficult, keeping them within 5 points. Creggs were drawn into Pool A for the Cup while Ballinasloe were in Pool B, meaning the sides have not faced off on the pitch since the League final. Both teams were very impressive in the cup with clean slates. Creggs saw a strong Carrick on Shannon RFC side in their away semi-final where they came out with an impressive 29-17 win to see them into the Cup final. Ballinasloe, meanwhile, faced Corinthians RFC in their away semi-final where they cemented their spot in the final with a 39-7 win. Sure to be an electric final, make sure to get your ticket ahead of time. The Bank of Ireland U14 Boys’ Cup Final is at 12:00 PM on Sun, 21st April in Dexcom Stadium.
The second final of the day will see the first of a Buccaneers RFC vs Sligo Rugby double header in the Bank of Ireland U16 Boys’ Cup Final. Buccaneers, having had players involved in both the U15 and U16 Cup winning teams last year, will be veterans in the workings of finals days in Dexcom Stadium. Buccaneers fielded two teams in the U16 league – Buccaneers Black finished 2nd in Division 1 and ended up winning the Division 1 League final against an incredibly strong Creggs White side after a semi-final win against an impressive Galway Bay side. Buccaneers Yellow finished 3rd in Division 2 Pool B. In an incredible Cup campaign across the board, Buccaneers faced a talented Carrick on Shannon RFC side in their away semi-final with a thrilling 19-12 win. Sligo just missed out on the Division 1 final after an 8-7 loss to Creggs White. Coming back even stronger in the Cup campaign, Sligo only recorded 1 loss against Creggs and went on to win their away semi-final against Corinthians with an 18-14 victory. Two very exciting young teams who are sure to show amazing displays of rugby, Sunday’s final is a game not to be missed. The Bank of Ireland U16 Boys’ Cup Final is at 1:30 PM on Sun, 21st April in Dexcom Stadium.
The third, and last, final of the day will once again see Buccaneers RFC take on last year’s U18 Cup winners Sligo Rugby in a rematch of the Bank of Ireland U18.5 Boys’ Cup Final. Both Buccaneers and Sligo finished in the middle of the table with Buccaneers just missing out on a league final with a 28-23 away semi-final loss to Galwegians RFC. Both teams turned their results around, both keeping clean slates in the Cup campaign. Buccaneers recorded wins over Tuam/Dunmore RFC and Carrick on Shannon RFC while Sligo overcame Westport RFC and Loughrea RFC. Buccaneers faced Ballina RFC in a thriller of a Cup semi-final which ended with a scoreline of 13-13 after the final whistle with the decider coming down to first try scorers. Sligo saw Galwegians in their home semi-final where they showed their skills, coming away with a 19-15 win. No strangers to each other, this is sure to be a fabulous game of rugby by the two sides in what will be a hotly contested final. The Bank of Ireland U18.5 Boys’ Cup Final is at 3:30 PM on Sun, 21st April in Dexcom Stadium.
Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance as all 2024 finals will be cashless. Tickets can be purchased here.
