This Sunday, 21st January marks the first day of the Bank of Ireland Club and Schools finals in Galway with a double-header that’s not to be missed. The U16 Girls’ Division 1 League Final will take place at 11 AM followed by the U18.5 Boys’ Division 2 Final at 1 PM.
The first of the two finals is the Bank of Ireland U16 Girls’ Division 1 League Final Cup which will see Ballinasloe RFC take on Ballina RFC. Both teams narrowly missed out on the U16 Division 1 League Final last year which saw Sligo RFC and Tuam/Oughterard RFC contest for the trophy. Both Ballinasloe and Ballina stormed through the U16 League this season with Ballina’s only loss being in round 1 against Ballinasloe where they fell to the home side 12-5 after a nail-biter of a game. Ballinasloe’s winning streak was only disrupted by an away draw against Westport in round 6 of the competition. Ballinasloe and Ballina have both displayed impressive performances this season and this final will be no different. The match is promised to be a thriller of a rematch between the two sides. The Bank of Ireland U16 Girls’ Division 1 League Final is at 11:00 AM on Sun, 21st January in Galway.
The second final of the day will see Ballinasloe RFC take on Carrick-on-Shannon RFC in the Bank of Ireland U18.5 Boys’ Division 2 League Final. This is sure to be a hotly contested game with two incredibly strong sides battling it out. Like the U16 Girls’ League Final teams, both Ballinasloe and Carrick-on-Shannon have had clean records and decisive wins this season. Carrick-on-Shannon’s team are no strangers to League finals as their U17 team made it to the U17 Division 2 League Final last year against Castlebar. This season, their only loss in the league was to Ballinasloe where they lost 26-19 at home in round 6 of the competition – both teams’ closest games in the league. Ballinasloe faced a strong Loughrea RFC side in their home semi-final where they came away with a 24-12 win, while Carrick-on-Shannon breezed into the final with a 36-5 semi-final win against Westport RFC at home. The Bank of Ireland U18.5 Boys’ Division 2 League Final is at 1:00 PM on Sun, 21st January in Galway.
Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance as all 2024 finals will be cashless.
Article from Connacht Rugby website
