On behalf of the Connacht Schools committee it is my great pleasure to welcome everyone to Dexcom Stadium today for the 2025/26 Connacht Schools’ League finals. The number of Boys' and Girls' schools teams playing rugby in Connacht continues to grow each year.
I wish to express my appreciation to all the principals, teachers, coaches, and staff in our schools for their continued support of the game. Your hard work has not gone unrecognised. I also wish to thank the members of the Connacht Rugby Schools Committee for their work and help over the past year.
If I may, a brief word to those who will be proudly donning their school jersey for the final during this season: this is only the start of a new journey. Join a local club or university team next year. The camaraderie and friendships forged through rugby will endure long after you have hung up your boots.
I would like to thank the Association of Referees Connacht Branch for their dedication in providing referees and other officials, without whom, we would not have any games. Therefore, I urge anyone who loves rugby to consider further contributing to the game by taking up the whistle.
I know that today’s finals will provide an exciting conclusion to the league and, regardless of the results, I hope everyone thoroughly enjoys the day, creating magic memories to last a lifetime.
Ádh mór oraibh go léir,
Jean McConnell
Connacht Rugby Chair of Schools
Match Preview
This Wednesday, 25th March sees the fourth and last day of Schools Finals in Dexcom Stadium with the Boys' U14 Schools League Finals. The U14 Development Boys' Schools League Final will take place at 11:00 AM followed by the U14 B Boys' Schools League Final at 12:30 PM, the U14 C Boys' Schools League Final at 2:00 PM.
The last final of a thrilling three match day is the U14 A Boys' Schools League Final which will see two brilliant sides take the pitch - Marist College and Clonfert College.
Both sides have won the U14 A Cup before, but neither have won it in the last few years (Marist last won it in 2021/22 and Clonfert/Garbally last won it back in 2017/18) so both will be looking to win the trophy back to add to their collections.
The two sides have had impressive League campaigns, finishing 1st and 2nd on the table. Marist had a nearly clean winning slate with wins over CBS Roscommon, Sligo Grammar, Summerhill, St. Joseph's College and Coláiste Iognáid but it was their clash in Round 6 against Clonfert College themselves that was the bump in the road to a clean record. It was an incredible match between the two sides, coming down to only 2 points in the end with Clonfert edging out Marist 21-19 in Marist. Marist faced CBS Roscommon in their home Semi-Final where they made no mistake in taking the win with a 31-0 scoreline to ensure they would have another crack at beating Clonfert for the trophy.
However, Clonfert will definitely not make the Final easy for Marist, having not lost a match all season in imrepssive style. Wins over Coláiste Iognáid, CBS Roscommon, Sligo Grammar, Summerhill, St. Joseph's College and their close win over Marist lead them into a home Semi-Final in great standing. It was only a rematch at home against St. Joseph's College that stood between them and the Final in Dexcom. They made sure to seal their place in the Final with a brilliant performance, coming out with a 32-7 win.
Sure to be an amazing rugby match from both sides, this is a final not to be missed. The U14 A Boys' Schools League Final is at 2:00 PM on Wed, 25th 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.
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Marist College Management: Manager/Head Coach Backs Coach Forwards Coach | Image
Clonfert College Management: Coach Coach Coach |
U14 A Boys' Schools League Final
Referee: Kieran Cooney | AR1: Mark Harrigan | AR2: Paul Fogerty |
Marist College Athlone
Clonfert College
Marist College Athlone Substitutes
Clonfert College Substitutes
Marist College Message of Support
Final days of the Schools season are always a special occasion on the Connacht Rugby calendar. For the players involved in today’s U14 final, this represents a memorable milestone, many are first-year students experiencing their very first opportunity to represent their school in a Connacht “A” final.
This is a moment that will stay with them for years to come, marking the beginning of their journey in schools rugby. We encourage all players to enjoy the occasion, play with pride, and make the most of this fantastic experience.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our Coaches, Volunteers, School Management and Staff, the Connacht Schools Committee and Branch Staff and the Referees Association for their time, effort, and commitment to Schools Rugby throughout the season.
Clonfert College Message of Support
As Principal of Clonfert College, I am immensely proud of our Under-14 rugby panel as they prepare to represent our school in this prestigious final. Reaching this stage is a significant achievement and is a testament to the commitment, teamwork, and determination shown by each player throughout the season.
This occasion reflects not only the talent of our students, but also the dedication of those who support them. I would like to sincerely thank our coaches, mentors, and all staff involved for the time, expertise, and encouragement they have given so generously. Their work has been instrumental in guiding this group to today’s final.
We wish our team every success on Wednesday. Regardless of the result, they have already done themselves, their families, and our school community extremely proud.
Le gach dea-ghuí,
Pauric Hanlon, Principal, Clonfert College
