Launched for the 2009/10 season, the Senior Development Cup is a new initiative aimed at increasing the level of interest in playing rugby amongst schools. Development Cups offer interschool clashes between colleges where rugby is third or fourth-choice sport. Recent initiatives identified a three-tier system which distinguished “rugby schools” from “development schools”, and listed 20 colleges as “emerging”.
Pool A
St. Gerald’s of Castlebar feature the only Connacht schools representative in Pool A, and they will be hoping that backrower Alex Wooton will help them qualify from a pool containing the challenges of CBS Roscommon, Holy Rosary College Mountbellow, and Gallen CS.
Pool B
Pool B features two front row Connacht representatives facing each other, with hooker Michael O’Connell from St. Edna’s in Galway facing up against Eoghan Slevin from Athlone CC. Pres Athenry and Scoil Chumsithe Chiaran in Connemara make up the remaining challengers looking to qualify to the next round.
Pool A:
Fixtures:
Week 1: 16/01/2014
11.30am:Gallen CS v HRC Mountbellew CONFIRMED in Ferbane
POSTPONED: St. Gerald’s v CBS Roscommon
Week 2: 23/01/2014 1pm:
St. Gerald’s v Gallen CS: Awarded to St. Gerald’s
CS Roscommon v HRC Mountbellew
Week 3: 29/01/2014 1pm:
CBS Roscommon v Gallen CS
HRC Mountbellew v St. Gerald’s
Squads:
CBS Roscommon
St. Gerald’s, Castlebar
HRC Mountbellew, Galway
Gallen CS, Mayo
Pool B:
Fixtures:
Week 1: 16/01/2014
12.30pm: Scoil Chuimsithe Chiaran v Athlone CC CONFIRMED LATE SWITCHED TO BUCCANEERS RFC
1pm: St. Enda’s v Pres Athenry
Week 2:
22/01/2014 11.30 am: St. Enda’s v Scoil Chuimsithe Chiaran
23/01/2014 1pm: Athlone CC v Pres Athenry
Week 3: 30/01/2014 1pm:
Athlone CC v St.Enda’s
Pres Athenry v Scoil Chuimsithe Chiaran
Squads:
St. Enda’s Galway
Athlone Community College
Scoil Chuimsithe Chiaran, Connemara