The under 11A and 11B rugby teams arrived in a cold and blustery Dublin on Friday evening. After a hearty dinner the boys went to bed to prepare for some stiff opposition on Saturday morning. The boys and staff woke up to sleet which quickly dissipated and gave way to a fantastic morning of blue skies and a chilly breeze.
We arrived at Willow Park where both teams put on a fantastic display of running rugby. The B team managed a 25 – 25 draw and the A team, who scored some superb tries, ran away 45 – 20 winners.
Sunday morning we were greeted by grey skies and rain but this too disappeared and allowed us to play rugby in perfect conditions against Blackrock Rugby Club and Boyne Rugby Club. The B team had some hard fought matches. They played Boyne RFC twice winning 20 – 15 and 30-10 and then drawing a very tough game against Blackrock 5-5.
The under 11A’s clicked in the first game against Boyne RFC and ran in 13 unanswered tries. The next two matches were against Blackrock. They managed a 15-0 win in their first game and a 20 – 5 win the second time round.
We were warmly welcomed and well looked after at both venues, with food platters being prepared for the hungry boys after each round of fixtures. This was our third year visiting Dublin and the affiliation with both Blackrock club and school grows each time we visit.
The boys’ behaviour was exemplary for the whole trip and we received numerous comments from hotel staff, guests and parents saying what a credit they were to the school. We were made to feel very welcome by the staff, boys and parents at both venues and we are already looking forward to our next trip to Dublin.