Bank of Ireland U16 Girls' Cup Final

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Buccaneers RFC VS

Ballinasloe RFC

Dexcom Stadium

22.03.26 - 13:00

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 Sunday, 22nd March sees the Bank of Ireland U14, U16 and U18 Girl's Cup and Senior Women's Cup Finals in Dexcom Stadium. The Bank of Ireland U14 Girls' Cup Final will take place at 11:30 AM followed by the Bank of Ireland U16 Girls' Cup Final at 1:00 PM, the Senior Women's Cup Final at 3:00 PM and finally the Bank of Ireland U18 Girls' Cup Final at 5:30 PM.

This is a Final that everyone is greatly looking forward to - there is very little separating these two brilliant sides and this is sure to be an incredible Final showcasing skill, drive and enjoyment. A rematch of last year's U16 Final, this is one not to miss.

Both Buccaneers RFC and Ballinasloe RFC competed in the Bank of Ireland Division 1A of the U16 Girls' League where they placed 1st (Ballinasloe) and 2nd (Buccaneers). Last year's U16 Cup winers Ballinasloe were impressive from the start recording big wins over Creggs RFC and Dunmore RFC in Round 2 and Round 3 of the league competition. However, they met their only League campaign loss in Round 3 where they faced Buccaneers RFC. It was Buccaneers on this occasion who came away with a 21-5 win at home. This did not deter Ballinasloe as they swept the remainder of their League matches, including a rematch against Buccaneers, seeing them into the Cup Qurter-Final against Gort/Monivea. The only thing standing in their way of a place in another Bank of Ireland Girls' U16 Cup Final was a Semi-Final against Creggs at home. They made no mistake in showing they deserved to be in the Final once again with a decisive win over Creggs. Ballinasloe will be greatly looking forward to a rematch against Buccaneers in the Final to hopefully reverse their League pool result.

Buccaneers have had an incredibly impressive season in Girls' rugby in general and are just as deserving to be in the Cup Final this Sunday. Their only League pool losses came from a 4-point defeat to a strong Tuam/Oughterard RFC side in Round 2 of the campaign and their Round 9 rematch against Ballinasloe where it was Ballinasloe that got the better of them with a 17-5 win. This meant they faced Sligo Rugby in their Quarter-Final for the Cup. After a great display, Buccaneers booked their Semi-Final spot with a decisive 57-17 scoreline. Their Semi-Final was against Tuam/Oughterard who had bested them by 4 points in the League. Boosted by a home venue for the Semi-Final and utilising their growth in the competition, it was Buccaneer's turn to record the win with a 5-point difference, meaning they were once again in the U16 final facing Ballinasloe.

Sure to be an electric final not to be missed, the Bank of Ireland U16 Girls' Cup Final is at 1:00 PM on Sun, 22nd March 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.

Buccaneers RFC Management:

Head Coach
Tom O'Connor

Team Manager
Paul Fleming

Forwards Coaches/Selectors
Oliver Eivers
Declan Brady
Sarah O'Rourke

FLO
Maria Bracken
Leah Cullen

Ballinasloe RFC Management:

Head Coach
Steve Goode

Backs Coach
Lyn Donnelly

Backs Coach
Andrew Russell

Defence Coach
Eabha Hardiman

Forwards Coach
Jonathan Quinn

Medic
Brendan O Sullivan

H2O
Rebekah Condon

Bank of Ireland U16 Girls' Cup Final

Referee:

Cormac Fahy

AR1:

Cristian Talos Fildan

AR2:

Paul Fogerty

Buccanners RFC

15

-

Olivia Collins

14

-

Faith Amade

13

-

Chloe O'Connor

Captain

12

-

Mila Fralkova

11

-

Kate Mallon

10

-

Sally Fleming

Vice-Captain

9

-

Molly Quinn

1

-

Melissa Bassey

2

-

Sophie Somers

3

-

Katie Sylvester

4

-

Saoirse Trainor

5

-

Caoimhe Larkin

6

-

Cara McEnroe

7

-

Éabha Brady

8

-

Gemma Eivers

Ballinasloe RFC

15

-

Lillian Fleming

Vice-Captain

14

-

Caoimhe Flanagan

13

-

Katie Canning

12

-

Alana Glynn

11

-

Ailbhe Concannon

10

-

Tara Power

9

-

Laura Berrigan

1

-

Abbey Fallon

2

-

Katie Cooney-Hyland

3

-

Kate Tully

4

-

Isobel Elliffe

5

-

Sarah Ward

6

-

Ellie Condon

7

-

Caitlin Donnelly

Captain

8

-

Éabha O'Sullivan

Buccanners RFC Substitutes

16

-

Fionnuala Dolan

17

-

Amelie Dullea

18

-

Victory Oliyode

19

-

Nora Mulchrone

20

-

Aoibheann Keogh

21

-

Holly Larkin

22

-

Emily Galvin

23

-

Kaylee Ahouissou

24

-

Lily Gaynor

25

-

Rhema Tselapedi

26

-

Emma Whittaker

27

-

Zara Henson

28

-

Koko Mburu

29

-

Matea Pavivic

30

-

Liezl Engelbrecht

31

-

Clodagh Shortall

Injured

-

Maryanne Malyassou and Rose Fleming

Ballinasloe RFC Substitutes

16

-

Megan Ryan

17

-

Rosa Kelly

18

-

Sophie Quinn

19

-

Katie Devine

20

-

Isabelle K Costello

21

-

Aoife Goode

22

-

Luna Cotera Campo

23

-

Hannah Russell

24

-

Emma McDermott

25

-

Molly O'Leary

Buccaneers Message of Support

Buccaneers RFC congratulates our Girls U14 and U16 teams on reaching the Connacht Finals.
This achievement highlights the Club’s commitment to female rugby and the dedication of players, coaches, and volunteers from minis through to today.

We are honoured to see our girls represent the Club on such a big stage and wish all players, families, and supporters an enjoyable and memorable occasion.

Best of luck in the Finals. Go Buccs!

- Eoin Reid, Club President

Ballinasloe Message of Support

Wishing the very best of luck to our Ballinasloe U16 girls in the Connacht Cup Final.

Everyone in the club is incredibly proud of this team and all they have achieved. Their dedication, commitment, and hard work throughout the season have been outstanding, and they have represented the club with great pride every step of the way.

A huge credit goes to their coaching team, whose time, effort, and guidance have played a vital role in getting the team to this stage.

Reaching a Connacht Cup Final is a fantastic achievement, and the entire club is behind you. Enjoy the occasion, play with pride, and make it a day to remember.

Best of luck to all involved!