Bank of Ireland Junior Plate Final

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Ballina RFC VS

Ballyhaunis RFC

Dexcom Stadium

06.04.26 - 15:30

On behalf of Connacht Rugby, it is my great pleasure to welcome you all to this afternoon’s Bank of Ireland Girls' and Women's Cup Finals.

Matches between all of these clubs are rarely just about the result; they are about pride, tradition, and the deep-rooted community ties that make Connacht Rugby so special.

I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our title sponsors, Bank of Ireland, for their unwavering support of the game at every level in Connacht. Their commitment ensures that the pathways from minis right through to adult rugby remains strong.

A final like this doesn’t happen without the tireless work of volunteers. To the committees, coaches, and ground staff of both clubs, and to our own Connacht Rugby staff, thank you for your dedication to the sport.

Finally, to the players: enjoy every moment. Finals are rare and hard-earned. Play with the spirit and integrity that defines our game.

To all the families joining us today, and to every supporter in the stands, thank you for your continued passion. Let’s get behind the teams and enjoy a fantastic day of rugby.

Robert Lahiff

President, Connacht Rugby

Match Preview

This Monday, 6th April sees the Bank of Ireland Men's Junior Plate and Cup Finals in Dexcom Stadium. The Bank of Ireland Junior Plate Final will take place at 3:30 PM followed by the Bank of Ireland Junior Cup Final at 6:00 PM.

Another epic rematch lined up between these two talented sides with both having already gotten silverware this season in the Bank of Ireland Cawley and Curley Cups.

This Monday will undoubtably be no different with both teams looking to add another trophy to their collections in what is sure to be an incredible battle between the two Mayo sides.

Ballina RFC have had an impressive season and started out very strongly in the Cawley Cup with a Quarterfinal win against Tuam RFC at home. They went on to face Dunmore RFC in their Semi-Final where it was the Ballina side that earned a finals spot with an 8-point win. On a wet and windy day in Crowley Park, it was Ballina who were eventual 24-17 winners against Creggs RFC in the Cawley Cup final. Ballina went on to top the Bank of Ireland J1A League table and just missed out on a place in the Final in Dexcom with just a 1-point loss against the eventual winners, Creggs RFC. After a loss to Tuam in the Junior Cup Round of 16, Ballina went on to put on some strong displays against last year's Plate winners Castlebar RFC and Connemara RFC who they bested in their Quarterfinal with a 2-point win. Their Semi-Final saw Ballina overcome University of Galway RFC 36-20 to see them into the Junior Plate Final.

Ballyhaunis have also shown great strength and resilience this season, topping their Pool in the Curley Cup. This saw them into a Semi-Final against Corinthians 3rds who they bested 43-10. Ballyhaunis faced a strong University of Galway side in the final, but it was the home side who rightfully earned the trophy with a 37-17 win. In the Bank of Ireland J1B League, Ballyhaunis once again faced University of Galway where they got the win, however it was Westport RFC that proved their first challenge of the season and they weren't able to come away with the win in Round 2 of the League. Ballyhaunis just missed out on a place in the Semi-Finals by one point on the table, so they knew the Junior Cup competition was theirs for the taking. They fell by just 8 points to a strong Corrib RFC side in their Junior Cup round of 16 clash, but were able to get the winning streak back against Monivea RFC in their first Junior Plate match. After wins over Sligo Rugby 2nds and Loughrea RFC, it meant they were through to the final against their Mayo counterparts.

Sure to be an electric final not to be missed, the Bank of Ireland Men's Junior Plate Final is at 3:30 PM on Mon, 6th April in Dexcom Stadium.

A word from Head of Club and Community, Joe Gorham

Finals Days are the pinnacle of our Club and School players’ ambitions. It is a day of celebration for the whole of Connacht Rugby. It is truly a memorable occasion for all concerned which, undoubtedly, will be a source of conversation with your teammates in the many years ahead.

The sport of rugby allows for all our players to realise the limits of their ambitions, it allows us to create lifelong memories, however, most importantly, it is the maker of lifelong friendships.

There is no better feeling than to lift a Cup, Plate or Bowl alongside your teammates while representing your club or school. It is all about People and Place.

Sport also reflects life, in that, with every cup final there must be a winner and a loser. Regardless of winning or losing, the hope is that everyone involved on Finals Days will have a quality experience on their big day.

The advent of the new pitch at Dexcom Stadium has allowed Club and Community the opportunity to host additional Cup and League Finals (male and female/Club & School) this season. In fact, we are hugely excited to host over 40 Club & School finals over the course of the next few months.

On Finals Days, we must never forget the huge amount of work and personal sacrifice put in by all the Volunteers, Coaches and Managers to get you to this day. Volunteers are the life-blood of our sport and it would be remiss of me, on this day of celebration, not to say a huge thank you to each and every Club & School Volunteer for the magical work you put in day in and day out for the cause that is rugby in Connacht.

Finally, we at Club & Community rugby wish all our finalists and their loyal supporters the very best of luck on the day.

Connacht Abú.

Ballina RFC Management:

Head Coach
Mickey Murphy

Team Manager
Ed Gunning

Forwards Coach
Richard Morrow

Forwards Coach
Aidan McNulty

Kit Manager
Davy Hunt

Physio
Gerry Maye

Team Doctor
David Brunker

Ballyhaunis RFC Management:

Head Coach
Rowan Gouws

Team Manager
Robert Duffy

Team Manager
Gareth Delaney

Assistant Coach
Gabriel Gallagher

Logistics
Bruce Robertson

Logistics
Kieran McDermott

Physio
Michael Regan

Bank of Ireland Men's Plate Final

Referee:

David Andreu

AR1:

David Burke

AR2:

Kenneth Loughrey

4th Official:

Kieran Cooney

Ballina RFC

15

-

Paul Brennan

14

-

Ian West

13

-

Calum Quinn

12

-

Ronan Molloy

11

-

Daniel Feeney

10

-

Craig McCormack

9

-

Ben Matheson

1

-

Sean O'Connell

Vice-Captain

2

-

Billy McVann

3

-

Gary Kavanagh

4

-

Conor Boyce

5

-

Thomas Hannigan

6

-

Mark O'Dowd

7

-

Dylan Rice

8

-

Luke Sweeney

Captain

Ballyhaunis RFC

15

-

Luke Walsh

14

-

James Frayne

13

-

William Cunnane

12

-

Williams Ganley

11

-

Sean Griffin

10

-

Scott Finlay

9

-

Rowan Gouws

1

-

Aidan Healy

2

-

Jason Morley

3

-

Sean Og Frayne

4

-

Patrick Egan

5

-

Barry McLoughlin

6

-

Michael Jordan

Vice-Captain

7

-

James Doyle

8

-

Fintan Crawley

Captain

Ballina RFC Substitutes

16

-

Gerard McKenna

17

-

Alan Duffy

18

-

Danny Donnegan

19

-

Brian Heffernan

20

-

Brian Donohue

21

-

Miley Caden

22

-

Oisin Smyth Rouse

23

-

Liam Masterson

Ballyhaunis RFC Substitutes

16

-

David Lilly

17

-

Padraic Carney

18

-

Hedd Morgan

19

-

Michael Macken

20

-

Lui Holohan

21

-

Clayton Nolan

22

-

Daniel Hill

23

-

Jack Deegan

24

-

Declan Murphy

25

-

Mark Quinn

Ballina Message of Support

This Monday, April 6th, our 1st XV take to the field in the Junior Plate Final in Dexcom Stadium — a massive occasion for our club.

This group of players have put in huge effort all season — through tough matches, long training nights, and real commitment to the jersey. Now they’ve earned their place on the big stage.

We’re asking all members, supporters, families, minis, and youths to get behind the team and make the trip if you can. Your support on the sideline makes a real difference.

Let’s bring the green, the noise, and the pride of Ballina RFC with us.

One Club. One Voice.

Best of luck to players, coaches, and management — we’re all behind you

- Daragh Quinn, President and Alan Rowe, Chairperson

Ballyhaunis Message of Support

On behalf of everyone involved with Ballyhaunis RFC, we extend our best wishes to our junior squad, management, and coaches as they look to follow up their Curley Cup win earlier this season with a second piece of silverware in the Junior Plate final against an excellent Ballina team.

This season has seen considerable progress across all levels in the club which is epitomised by the success of the 1^st XV. I would like to take this opportunity to extend sincere thanks to all the coaches, players and volunteers that work so hard within the club to make this happen. This hard work has seen record numbers playing across all ages within the club this season.

It is an exciting day for the club to get our first opportunity to play in the Dexcom Stadium with the new Clan Stand now open and providing rugby fans with a superb match day experience.

Here’s to many more days in the Dexcom Stadium for Ballyhaunis RFC.

- Patrick Gallagher, President Ballyhaunis RFC