Galwegians RFC

Galwegians Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club in Galway, Ireland. The Galwegians senior side plays in Division 2B of the All-Ireland League, the Irish domestic club competition.

Galwegians RFC
Full nameGalwegian Rugby Football Club
UnionIRFU
Nickname(s)Wegians, Sky Blues
Founded1922
RegionConnacht
Ground(s)Crowley Park, Galway (Capacity: 2000)
ChairmanFrank Kinneen
PresidentErc Dunne
Coach(es)Andrew Browne
Captain(s)Anthony Ryan
League(s)All-Ireland League 2B
Team kit
Official website
www.galwegians.ie

Galwegians field over 16 teams including Senior, Junior (Seconds), Thirds and Women's XV, and underage sides at all levels from U20 to U7.

The Connacht Rugby squad features a number of players who played for Galwegians. The Connacht Women's representative side is constituted predominantly from Galwegians.

History

Founded in 1922, Galwegians has a long and distinguished history at the forefront of Connacht Rugby.

Jimmy Joyce was the club's first international in wartime 1943. The tradition continued into the 1950s with Dicky Roche, Brendan Guerin, Charlie Lydon, Tony O’Sullivan and Johnny Dooley each gaining caps. More recently, Eric Elwood, Gavin Duffy and John Muldoon have played regularly for Ireland.

The golden age of Galwegians rugby was the five-in-a-row Connacht League and Cup double in 1955-1960, an unprecedented feat in Irish rugby, when Wegians were arguably the best team in the country, regularly beating the other senior clubs in Ireland.

Of current Connacht "Senior Clubs" Galwegians have the record of winning the most Connacht Senior Cup with 33 wins to date, although UCG have won 34 but became a "Junior Club" in 1996.

Since 2000 Galwegians have 8 Connacht Senior Cup and 10 Connacht Senior League titles including Cup and League doubles in the 2000-01, 2001–02 then three in a row in the 2011–12, 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons.

Galwegians Junior team broke a 34-year wait for Connacht Cup glory by beating Monivea in the final to become Heineken Connacht Junior Cup Champions in 2008, and repeated that feat in 2012 and 2014.

In 2011 the Galwegians U17 team were All Ireland U17 champions[1] and they were runners up in 2014. In 2012,[2] 2014[3] and 2016 the Galwegians Women's team were All Ireland Women's Cup winners.

Honours


Last Updated: 28-07-2014

Notable players

Ireland

(Player capped while playing with Galwegians RFC)

MEN

WOMEN

  • 1997 - Stephanie Dowling Folan
  • 1998 - Sue Ramsbottom
  • 2003 - Nuala Ni Chadhain
  • 2008 - Carol Staunton
  • 2012 - Ruth O'Reilly
  • 2014 - Sene Naoupu
  • 2015 - Mairead Coyne
  • 2015 - Mary Healy
  • 2016 - Nicole Fowley
  • 2016 - Ciara O'Connor
  • 2018 - Laura Feely
  • 2018 - Edel McMahon

Barbarians

Several Galwegians players, have represented the famous invitational side Barbarians, the most recent to play while in Galwegians colours is Niyi Adeolokun in a match against England at Twickenham Stadium won 45-63 by the Baa-Baa's.[6]

Representatives

IRFU Presidents

Galwegians surely hold the distinction of having provided more IRFU Presidents than any other club. The incumbents have been:

  • 1945-46 - Henry Anderson - L.D.S.I.,
  • 1958-59 - Johnny Glynn
  • 1968-69 - Chris P Crowley
  • 1981-82 - John Moore - B.Sc.
  • 1996-97 - Bobby Deacy - F.C.A.[11]
  • 2002-03 - Don Crowley - B.E.,Eur. Ing., C.Eng., M.I.E.I.[12]
  • 2012-13 - William B. (Billy) Glynn [13]

References
  1. http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/23047.php
  2. http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/26138.php
  3. http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/30305.php
  4. Loughney set for Ireland debut - http://www.connachtrugby.ie/2012060782862/loughney-set-for-ireland-debut Archived 2013-02-17 at Archive.today
  5. "Bundee Aki named in Ireland team to face South Africa but Keith Earls misses out - Independent.ie". Independent.ie.
  6. "Nine-try Barbarians turn on style in record win against England - Barbarian FC". www.barbarianfc.co.uk.
  7. "Rugby Union: Baa-Baas are fleeced: All Blacks sign off with a flourish". The Independent.
  8. "Results & Fixtures - Barbarian FC". www.barbarianfc.co.uk.
  9. "Results & Fixtures - Barbarian FC". www.barbarianfc.co.uk.
  10. "Results & Fixtures - Barbarian FC". www.barbarianfc.co.uk.
  11. Bobby Deacy RIP - http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/15434.php
  12. IRFU President 2002-03 - Don Crowley - http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/11898.php
  13. Billy Glynn Elected President Of The Irish Rugby Football Union - http://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/26846.php Archived 2012-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
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