Danske Bank Medallion Shield
The first of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield games took place when Cambridge House Grammar School played Strabane Academy in a game the Cambridge House Grammar School team won by 47-7.
On Thursday 14 November, the second of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield Round 1 games took place when Rathfriland High School hosted Bangor Academy.
This game marked the first time that Rathfriland High School have entered the Medallion Shield, and a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters were in attendance.
This game proved to be an exciting encounter which the Bangor Academy team won by 24-5.
Saturday 16 November saw the third game in the first round take place when Lurgan College hosted Foyle College.
The final score in this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield Round 1 game was Lurgan College 14 – 17 Foyle College.
Danske Bank 2XV Cup
Four Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2XV Cup Round 1 games were scheduled to have been played on Wednesday 13 November.
The results were as follows:
- Banbridge Academy 5 – 3 Limavady Grammar School
- Larne Grammar School 21 – 28 Antrim Grammar School
- Royal School Dungannon 17 – 0 Grosvenor Grammar School
- Omagh Academy had a walkover against Lurgan College
Following the completion of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2nd Cup Round 1 games, the draw for the second round took place.
The results of the draw are as follows:
- Dalriada School v Rainey Endowed School
- Banbridge Academy v Ballyclare High School
- Foyle College v Dromore High School
- Bangor Grammar School v Royal School Dungannon
- Down High School v Regent House School
- Omagh Academy v Friends’ School Lisburn
- Coleraine Grammar School v Antrim Grammar School
- Enniskillen Royal Grammar School v Portadown College
These Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2XV Cup games MUST be played on/before Saturday 30 November.
1XV Friendlies
On Wednesday, Banbridge Academy played Belfast High School in a game Banbridge Academy team won by 47-7.
Noah Bell, Peter Lewis, Max Ireland, Arturs Jonuss, Alex Andersson, Sam Leslie, Jonny Howard, Miles Mawson and Andrew Jackson were among the Banbridge Academy points scorers.
Belfast High School had good performances from Harry Palmer, Freddie Bell, Archie Cruickshank and Ben Gardner with Ben and Archie scoring.
Carrickfergus Grammar School hosted a Ballyclare High School “Senior” Select team in an exciting game, which the Ballyclare High School team won by 29-12, with both sets of coaches taking the opportunity to use extended squads of players.
On the back of good performances from players such as Tom Keating and Saul Logan, Carrickfergus scored two tries from their explosive No 8, Joshua Oluwatula, with one successful conversion kick from Adam Magill.
Jude Wilson, with a brace, Daniel Montgomery and Luke Wilson, with a brace, scored the Ballyclare tries to which Luke and Jude each added one successful conversion.
On Friday 15 November three 1XV friendly games were played when Ballyclare High School hosted Bangor Grammar School at The Cloughan, home of Ballyclare RFC.
This game proved to be a high scoring encounter with the scoreboard reading Ballyclare High School 33 Bangor Grammar School 27 at the no-side whistle.
Ballyclare High School scored their points through tries from Josh McColgan, with two, Andrew Cooper, Tom Falls and Paddy McCleary. James Woodside completed the scoring with four successful conversion kicks.
Bangor Grammar School scored five tries as well. Calvin Cousins, Rory Fulton, with two, Adam Bickerstaff and Cal Banyard scored the tries with Adam adding one successful conversion.
Both teams, and their coaches, would like to thank Ballyclare RFC for the provision of facilities and hosting the game.
Meanwhile, at the Palace Grounds, Royal School Armagh hosted Wallace High School.
Wallace High School continued with their recent run of good form and recorded a 31-6 victory.
Royal School Armagh’s points came through two well struck penalty goals from Evan Hughes.
Wallace scored four tries through Rio McDonagh, Daniel Macklin- Copeland, with two, and Alex Stephenson, with two. Quinn Armstrong added the extras to two of the tries with Luke Dillon converting a third Wallace High School try.
Both teams, and their coaches, would like to thank City of Armagh FC for the provision of facilities and hosting the game.
Sullivan Upper School was the venue when Methodist College came to play at the Holywood venue in a very closely contested game the Sullivan Upper School team won by 13-12.
Josh Watts and James Nelson each scored an unconverted try for the Sullivan Upper School team with a Hamish Johnston penalty securing the 13-12 victory for the Sullivan Upper School team.
Methodist College’s points came through tries from Peter Lindsay and Louis Curran, one of which was converted by Louis Curran.
A series of 1XV games took place on Saturday 16 November.
Campbell College played Belfast Royal Academy in a game BRA won by 31-15.
Campbell scored three unconverted tries through Cal McKinney, Oli Park and Jed Dornan.
Belfast Royal Academy scored four tries through Evan Lemon, Adam Hewitt Aaron Brolly and Alex French. Connor McVicker was successful with all four of his conversion kicks as well as one penalty kick.
Dalriada School hosted Friends’ School, Lisburn in a closely contested game from which the Friends’ School team emerged as 17 – 14 winners.
Dalriada’s points came through tries from Archie Graham and Noah McMullan, both of which were converted by Chris Finney.
The Friends’ team, with Paddy Arnold impressing with his performance in both attack and defence, scored three tries through Ryley Murphy, Paddy Donaghy and Gethin Mageean. Ross Glover added one successful conversion kick.
Enniskillen Royal Grammar School hosted Royal School Dungannon in a game Enniskillen won by 47-12.
Enniskillen scored seven tries through Toby Newman, Clarke Balfour, Robbie McIlwrath, with two, Josh Owens, Sam Clarke and Andrew Kerr. Sam Paton was successful with six of his conversion kicks.
Royal School Dungannon contributed a lot to the game and got some reward for their hard work when Josh Ferguson and Max Patterson touched down for one try each with James Gibson adding one successful conversion.
Foyle College played Ballymena Academy in a game the Ballymena Academy team won by 26-0.
The Ballymena Academy points came through tries from Charlie Hargy, Ruari Kennedy, Will Coffey and Jamie Sims. Ben Collins added the extras to three of the tries.
Omagh Academy played Limavady Grammar School and recorded a hard-earned 8-3 victory.
Sam Harper and James Laird exchanged penalties, during the first half, to leave the scoreboard reading 3-3 at the break.
Then, midway through the second half, Eoin McCusker took advantage of some great inter play, involving both backs and forwards, to touch down for an unconverted try and give the Omagh Academy team an 8-3 lead-a lead which they held until the end of the game.
Portadown College entertained Lurgan College and recorded a comprehensive 40-0 victory.
Among the points scorers for the Portadown College team were Sam Ward, Billy Gannon, Sammy Walsh, Joe Logan, Thomas Kelly, Callum Doak, Lucas McClements and Danny Guy.
Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Rainey Endowed School played out a three- session training morning which gave both sets of coaches an opportunity to use extended squads of players.
Players such as Blake McClean, Charlie O’Connor, Darcy Donnelly, Connor Patton, Luke Holland and Jamie Stewart worked hard for the RBAI squad.
For the Rainey squad, players such as Max Allen, Emmett McNulty, Euan McKay, Luke Caskey and Owen O’Kane were among the players who benefitted from the morning’s activities.
