The nominees have been announced Buccaneers RFC Awards Gala Ball takes place in the Athlone Sheraton Hotel on this Saturday May 13th starting at 7.30 pm.
Tickets are keenly priced at €40 per person and should be purchased in advance of what promises to be a very enjoyable occasion.
The adult team Player of the Year Awards are incorporated in this black tie event and the following players (in alphabetical order) have been nominated in the respective categories:-
Senior:- Jordan Conroy, Alan Gaughan, Kolo Kiripati.
Seconds:- Rory Grenham, James O’Connell.
U-20s:- Ross Cooper, Dean McMahon.
Womens:- Sabina Egan, Sarah Kelly, Lorna Stuart-Trainor.
A highly creditable nine Buccaneers RFC players represented Ireland at various grades in the past season and presentations will be made to them also. The club is immensely proud of their achievements as they are a massive source of inspiration to our young stars of the future.
Ireland Senior:- Robbie Henshaw, Tiernan O’halloran And Finlay Bealham.
Ireland Sevens:- Shane Layden And Jordan Conroy.
Ireland U-19:- Corey Reid.
Ireland U-18:- Niall Murray.
Ireland U-18 Sevens:- Thomas Mcgann.
Ireland U-18 Womens Sevens:- Anna Mcgann.
Two new awards were incorporated last year recognising the stalwart work of underage coaches and mentors. These are the Youths Volunteer and Minis Volunteer awards and members will be honoured in these sectors again this year. The Michael Hanley Memorial Perpetual Cup will also be presented on the night to the Buccaneers Club person of the Year. This is a hugely coveted award and the announcement of the winner will be one of the highlights of the occasion.
After dinner, DJ Ray O’Reilly will provide music to get everyone out on the dance floor. Tickets are €40 each can be purchased during office hours from our busy Administrator Geraldine in the club and her contact number is 0861732711.
Ireland Stars at Dubarry Park
Ten Ireland Senior international players were in Dubarry Park on Wednesday last for a Canterbury video and photo shoot. Topping the bill was Buccaneers own Robbie Henshaw; the Lion in waiting is of course a Canterbury ambassador. Leinster had the largest contingent there with Gary Ringrose, Joey Carberry, Dan Leavy, Josh van der Flier and Luke McGrath attending along with Henshaw. Munster had two players Niall Scannell and Andrew Conway while Connacht also had a brace there in Ultan Dillane and Kieran Marmion. All bar Carberry and Dillane were very familiar with Dubarry Park having all played there with Ireland U-20’s. Buccaneers had representatives there from Senior and Underage teams with Alan Gaughan proving the major pin-up on the day! All are looking forward to seeing the finished product when Canterbury unveil their various advertising campaigns prior to the forthcoming season kick off.
Buccaneers RFC Summer Tag League set to begin
The Buccaneers RFC Summer Tag League commences on Thursday, May 25th. There are a number of key changes for this year’s league including the return to its more popular Thursday night slot at Dubarry Park. The finals night takes place on Friday, July 21st with the traditional fancy dress and presentations in The Bounty.
Another important improvement is that the Buccaneers RFC League is now affiliated to the IRFU Tag Leagues and entry fee is reduced to €495. This represents significantly improved value for each squad which can have a maximum of 15 players. Teams are made up of male and female players for this seven-a-side format in which the maximum number of male players on field at any one time is four. No prior experience of rugby is necessary and there will a number of different pools so that social teams, etc., can enjoy competing over the nine weeks period. Teams should register in advance and this can be done via the club’s website www.buccaneersrfc.com where they can also get more up to date information.
‘Sevens In The City’
In association with Smith’s Supervalu and Athlone Towncentre, “Sevens in the City” takes place on Saturday week at Dubarry Park. This one day event has been growing steadily in recent years and looks like being the most successful to date. Womens and Mens competitions are being held as well as an U-18 tournament. To enter, contact Mele Kiripati at 0838452563.
Annual General Meeting
The AGM of Buccaneers RFC takes place on the last Friday of this month, May 26th, in the function room at The Bounty at 8 p.m. All nominations and/or proposals should be submitted to the club’s Secretary by Friday week May 12th.