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RLI Newsletter #1

  • 25-05-2007 12:19pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,897 ✭✭✭


    New Season – Starts Sat 26th May

    As the final preparations are put into play, Teams ready themselves for the kick-off to the New Look RLI Competition for 2007. This season sees 3 sponsored leagues. In the Lucozade Elite League the defending champions begin with a Bye. Last season’s runners-up Carlow Crusaders are at home to the long standing Dublin Blues. Having played each other in the Kilkenny 9’s semi-final with Carlow taking the honours, the Blues will surely be looking for revenge. This promises to a gruelling encounter and is the RLI game of the week. The other game in the Elite league will see the Eagle’s travel to Kilcock to take on the Dragons. This will be a severe test for both teams, who have both seen changes in their squads during the closed season and neither will want to give an inch in this battle. In the Emerald Conference Northern division the game of the week is without doubt the Dublin City Exiles away to the Athboy Longhorns. Both sides contested the Kilkenny 9’s Plate final that was decided by a Golden try in Extra time. Both were under strength that day but it’s guaranteed to be a mouth-watering tie. The other games will see the newly named Portadown Puma’s travel to play the Athlone Arrows. Both sides will be without some key players for this game as they are away with the Ireland A squad in New Zealand, but both sides will be looking to start their campaign with a good result. The Southern Conference sees the strengthening of the Crusaders who’s ’B’ team play host to the Portlaoise Panthers. The other game will see the Tullamore RFC Knights play host to the Kilkenny Wildcats. All teams in this division will be looking to take early scalps so as to put this tightly contested division into their grasps.

    New Zealand Tour 2007

    The most eagerly awaited tour of the year began this morning when the Ireland A squad met at Dublin Airport all geared up and ready for their biggest test in Rugby League. The team will play 3 fixtures in 7 days. This tour has representatives from all clubs that played in last years RLI Competition as well as some Irish based player in the UK. They have been training hard over the last few months. No doubt they will do themselves and Ireland proud. Upon leaving Ireland Coach Damien Welland believed this “would be a serious test of our development, but one we would learn from and hopefully bring some of those lesson to the fore in the upcoming 4 Nations this summer”. We wish all involved all the best in New Zealand.

    Kilkenny 9’s Tournament:

    Thirteen teams took part in an event that is going from strength to strength. The weather held out and free flowing rugby league was the order of the day. Off the field there was plenty to keep everyone busy and fed and watered. A great day was had by all and credit goes to Damien and the Kilkenny team and Dave Lavery and Jason Craughwell for the smooth running of the games. Visiting teams enjoyed the facilities and the event and will no doubt have fond memories of their weekend. Domestic teams certainly benefit from playing against teams who have vast experience of the game and will improve as a result. On the field the running was excellent and the tackling fierce in places. All games were conducted with great humour and in a sportsmanly manner and the referees had little to do but admire the quality. The new referees also showed great potential, which bodes well for the coming season. The winners were visitors from Coventry with Wolfhound legend Alan Robinson causing no end of problems around the fringes. They beat Carlow Crusaders A team who were in excellent form all afternoon ad who had two team’s in the competition.

    What to look out for in 2007

    Each week this newsletter will give up to date news, scores and tables from the RLI during the season. We will also be announcing the team of the week based on games around the country.


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