Bank of Ireland U18.5 Boys' Cup Final

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Westport RFC VS

Sligo Rugby

Dexcom Stadium

19.04.26 - 14:30

On behalf of Connacht Rugby, it is my great pleasure to welcome you all to this afternoon’s Bank of Ireland Boys' 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, 19th April sees the Bank of Ireland Boys' U14, U16 and U18.5 Cup Finals in Dexcom Stadium. The Bank of Ireland U16 Cup Final will take place at 11:00 AM followed by the Bank of Ireland U14 Cup Final at 12:30 PM and the Bank of Ireland U18.5 Cup Final at 2:30 PM.

Westport began their Bank of Ireland U18.5 Division 1B league campaign with a few tough matches against Loughrea where they lost 22-7, Carrick-on-Shannon where it was the Carrick home side that won 43-34 and then a close 13-5 loss against Ballinasloe. However, they completely turned things around with a 43-5 win over Monivea at home. This gathered some momentum for them, and the Westport side went on to turn their old results upside down with a brilliant wins against Carrick-on-Shannon, Galwegians, Loughrea and even a 1-point win against Ballinasloe seeing them come 2nd on the league table in the end. In their Cup campaign, they faced a strong Division 1A Corinthians side in their Quarter Final away from home. But it was Westport who came out with an impressive 38-20 win to see them into the Semi-Final against a familiar opponent - Loughrea. Westport made no mistake on claiming their spot in the Final with a decisive 29-5 win.

Sligo also started off a bit slowly in the Bank of Ireland U18.5 Division 1A League with a few close losses against Corinthians and Buccaneers followed by a draw against Galway Bay. They recorded two wins against Creggs and were able to make top 4 on the league table, tied on points with Creggs. They knew that going into the Cup campaign, they knew it would be no easy task but their Quarter Final opponents were familiar ones in the form of Creggs. Boosted by home advantage and the knowledge of their past matches with Creggs, Sligo put up a brilliant performance to see them into the Semi-Final of the Cup with a 50-15 win. Their Semi-Final saw them take on Division 1A table-toppers Buccaneers who had beaten them 29-17 and 36-14 in the League. This time, however, it was Sligo that came out on top with a stunning performance. With a 24-18 scoreline, Sligo had booked their spot in the Bank of Ireland U18.5 Cup Final.

Sure to be an amazing final not to be missed, the Bank of Ireland Boys' U18.5 Cup Final is at 2:30 PM on Sun, 19th 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.

Westport RFC Management:

Head Coach
Eddie Walsh

Team Manager
Robbie Maguire

Forwards Coach
Maitias Burke

Assistant Coach
Tommy Cadden

Sligo Rugby Management:

Coach/Manager
Jonathan Fahey

Coach
Simon Galvan

Team Manager
Hugh O'Hehir

Bank of Ireland Boys' U18.5 Cup Final

Referee:

Brian Kelly

AR1:

Michael Gannon

AR2:

George Enraght-Moony

4th Official:

Garrett Durkan

Westport RFC

15

-

Liam Cadden

14

-

Brendon Witzl

13

-

Matthew Mullaney

12

-

Matthew Flannelly

11

-

William Duggan

10

-

Cian Silke

9

-

Reuben Maguire

1

-

Alan Gannon

Captain

2

-

Conor Moran

3

-

Liam Geraghty

4

-

Callum O'Grady

5

-

Alex Dunlop

6

-

Felix Zeray

7

-

Jake Tunney Ware

8

-

Finn Hanley

Vice-Captain

Sligo Rugby

15

-

Conor O'Hehir

14

-

Rory O'Connor

13

-

Billy Filan

12

-

Daniel Allen

11

-

Conor McGoldrick

10

-

John Paul Flanagan

Captain

9

-

Teo Fernandez-Henarejos Alonso

1

-

Cathal Moffatt

2

-

Donnacha Fahey

3

-

Owen McNamara

4

-

Ezema Ezema

5

-

Fionn Kavanagh-Beirne

6

-

Ronan Mullan

7

-

Hugh Og Arnold

8

-

Roghan O'Neill

Westport RFC Substitutes

16

-

Cormac Brawn

17

-

Jack Danagher

18

-

Paul Edmundson

19

-

Dylan Moran

20

-

Ross O'Connor

21

-

Simon Ward

22

-

Darragh O'Grady

23

-

Hugh McGuirk

24

-

Luke Cox

25

-

Darren Daly

26

-

Patrick Sammon

27

-

Aodhán Gavin

Sligo Rugby Substitutes

16

-

Connor Fayne

17

-

Arran O'Donoghue Symmons

18

-

Ryan Burrows

19

-

Aron Martin

20

-

Oisin O'Connor

21

-

Harry Lewis

22

-

Cillian Deery

23

-

Marc Clifford

24

-

Tiernan O'Rourke

25

-

Ahmad Babatunde Folorunso

26

-

Ruairí McLoughlin

27

-

Reuben Galvan

28

-

Giacomo Gambi-Whelan

29

-

Bobby Irwin

Westport Message of Support

Wishing the very best of luck to our Westport RFC Under 18s on behalf of the committee and the entire club as they take to the field this Sunday in the Connacht Final against Sligo at Dexcom. This is a fantastic achievement for the squad and their coaches. Your hard work, commitment, and team spirit throughout the season have brought you to this moment—now go out and enjoy it.

You carry the pride of the club, your families, and the entire Westport community with you. No matter the result, you’ve already done yourselves proud, but there’s no doubt you have what it takes to go all the way. Play with passion, back each other, and leave everything on the pitch. BRING BACK THE SILVERWARE We’re all behind you— Best of luck!

- John Ryan, President

Sligo Message of Support

I would like to wish the very best of luck to all the players, coaches and managers of our U18.5 Boys’ team. This is your final match together as a youth team, a moment you have earned through years of hard work, discipline and dedication. You have earned your place in this Connacht Cup final through commitment to one another and to the standards of Sligo Rugby club. Today is your opportunity to reflect that effort in everything you do on the pitch. Play with unity, composure, and determination. Trust your preparation and each other. Wear the jersey with pride. Represent your club, your families, and yourselves with distinction. When the final whistle sounds, let it be with the knowledge that you gave it 100% and have left everything on the pitch.

We are #oneproudclub

- Michael Story, President Sligo Rugby Club