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The Energia Men’s All-Ireland Junior Cup gets underway this weekend with one of the most hotly contested trophies in the club game up for grabs.
Four of our club teams in Connacht will face opponents from all over the country in the Energia Men's All-ireland Junior Cup. Connemara RFC, Creggs RFC, Dunmore RFC, and Tuam RFC will play their first matches in the Junior Cup this Saturday, 26th October at 2:30 PM.
Connemara RFC
2010 AIL Junior Cup champions City of Derry will make the trip down to Monastery Field to face Connemara tomorrow. An old rivalry, the two clubs faced off last year in the first round of the AIL Junior Cup as well, with City of Derry having the home field advantage on that occasion. City of Derry came away with a two point win in last year's clash, so the strong Connemara side will be looking to return the outcome with their own home win this weekend.
Looking ahead to tomorrow's clash, Connemara RFC says, "It's an honour to welcome the City of Derry down to Clifden for this weekend's clash in the AIL Junior Cup. The Connemara Blacks are really looking forward to what is going to be a very tough encounter between two very evenly matched teams. We hope to see as much support as possible at the Monastery Field this Saturday and look forward to an entertaining match."
Creggs RFC
Creggs will travel to Rathoe Road to go head-to-head with Tullow RFC this Saturday. Creggs faced Newcastle West in last year's AIL Junior Cup where they fell by a single point after an incredibly impressive contest. They'll be looking to capitalise on their successes in the Senior Connacht competitions last season and their growth as a squad in their match against Tullow.
Creggs Team Manager Sean Brandon says ahead of Saturday, "it is an exciting occasion for Creggs to travel to play Tullow for the first time in the AIL Junior Cup. As Tullow is one of Leinster’s top Junior teams, it will be a difficult assignment to win down there but this young Creggs squad is looking forward to the challenge."
Dunmore RFC
New to the Energia AIL Junior Cup, Dunmore RFC are looking to make a statement in their home match against Seapoint who won the cup in it’s second season back in 2007. Having made the Connacht Bank of Ireland Junior Cup final for the first time last season, the side are eager to show Seapoint what they're capable of. Dunmore have continuted to grow from strength-to-strength each season and are looking forward to the challenge.
Dunmore representative David Mbaziira says about the Dunmore side ahead of tomorrow's contest, "Dunmore RFC are going into the Energia Junior Cup looking to continue to break new ground after their first ever Connacht Junior Cup final appearance last season. The management team and senior players have made a good start to their Connacht league campaign and want to compete at the highest level of Junior rugby. This interprovincial competition and match against Seapoint will be a test, but one that everyone from players to supporters is looking forward to."
Tuam RFC
Another new entry into this year's Energia AIL Junior Cup, Tuam will need to travel up North to face a strong Enniskillen side in tomorrow's match. The Tuam side has continued on from their impressive season last year with a few big wins so far this season in the Connacht Bank of Ireland Senior League in preparation for tomorrow's match.
Tuam RFC manager John Coen says about the upcoming contest, "We in Tuam RFC are looking forward to the tough challenge of facing Enniskillen RFC as they are a top side in Irish Junior rugby. The lads are up for the challenge - we have a young squad with a new management team this year. After a good season last year, this is going to be a great experience for the club. The lads are excited and can't wait to get onto the pitch. Thanks to Tommy and all the Enniskillen management - they're an easy bunch to deal with!"
The full list of Energia AIL Junior Cup matches for the Connacht clubs are:
Saturday, 26th October
Connemara vs City of Derry k/o 2:30 PM
Tullow vs Creggs RFC k/o 2:30 PM
Dunmore RFC vs Seapoint k/o 2:30 PM
Enniskillen vs Tuam RFC k/o 2:30 PM
