A try in the very last play of the game from hooker David Nelson overturned a second-half deficit and sparked scenes of immense emotion both on the pitch and in the stands. For Campbell, this was more than just a rugby match; it was a tribute to the late former Campbell coach, John McKinney, who passed away in late 2025. Captain Paul Henry, speaking after lifting the trophy, hailed the legendary figure as their "16th man," noting that the squad felt his presence throughout the gruelling test match.
The match began at a frantic pace, with Campbell taking the lead in the 2nd minute. Following a sharp offload from skipper Paul Henry, scrum-half James Wells produced an impressive break down the touchline to score, taking the score to 5-0. However, the lead was short-lived as RBAI responded almost instantaneously in the 3rd minute. Outside centre Adam Millar found a gap in the Campbell defence for a nippy run to level the scores at 5-5. The see-saw nature of the first half continued when Campbell’s pack took control at a five-metre lineout in the 7th minute. A strong driving maul allowed David Nelson to get over the line for his first try of the day. Jack Best added the conversion to make it 12-5.
RBAI soon found their rhythm, utilising the kicking game of Charlie O’Connor to gain territory. While Campbell’s skill under the high ball through Leo Graham and Rus Alo Veikune Lovo initially neutralised the threat, RBAI’s persistence paid off. In the 14th minute, RBAI thought they had scored through Jack Coulter, but the referee called it back for a forward pass. The Inst pressure eventually told in the 16th minute when Cian McClean crossed the line following a powerful driving maul. O’Connor’s conversion brought the sides level again at 12-12.
The momentum shifted firmly toward RBAI before the break. A quick tap-and-go in the 26th minute put Campbell on the back foot, and after a crucial turnover by Sebastian Clark, McClean found another hole in the line to dive through the posts for his second try. O’Connor added the extras to make it 19-12. RBAI nearly extended this lead in the 29th minute through Ross Dillon, but a resolute Campbell defence held him up in the corner to keep the deficit at seven points heading into the interval.
HT: Campbell 19 – 12 RBAI
The second half was a physical, cagey affair as Campbell searched for a way back. In the 37th minute, Ruairi Parks put Campbell on the front foot with a strong run, followed by a break from Lovo in the 39th minute, but the RBAI defence remained disciplined. RBAI managed to extend their lead in the 49th minute via the boot of Charlie O’Connor, whose penalty from in front of the posts took the score to 22-19.
Campbell refused to concede. In the 58th minute, they launched a wave of attacks involving Henry and Zach Thompson, but Thompson was blocked by Dylan Gray. Moments later, Noel Simmons was held up over the line. As the clock ticked toward the 64th minute, Lovo again broke the defence again to reach the five-metre line, but RBAI forced a penalty to temporarily clear the pressure. Another Lovo break in the 66th minute was cut short by an intercepted pass, and it appeared RBAI had done enough to secure the win.
With seconds remaining, Campbell launched one final, desperate assault. In the 69th minute, Campbell were back on the attack, using the power of Harry Burrows and Noel Simmons to get within inches of the line. In the final play, amid a sea of bodies, David Nelson managed to ground the ball for his second try. The stadium fell silent as Jack Best stepped up for the conversion; his successful kick was the last act of the game, sealing a 26-22 victory.
The scenes at the final whistle reflected the magnitude of the achievement for Campbell and their perseverance rewarded them with their first Schools' Cup title since 2018. While RBAI played their part in a classic final, the day belonged to the East Belfast side and the memory of John McKinney.
Player of the Match - Rus Alo Veikune Lovo
Teams
Campbell College
15 Leo Graham, 14 Harry Wells, 13 Paul Henry ©, 12 Isaac Hatch, 11 Rus Alo Veikune Lovo, 10 Jack Best, 9 James Wells, 1, Caelan Doy Dolan, 2 David Nelson, 3 Conor McKinney, 4 Raanan Potter, 5 Charlie Best, 6 Harry Burrows, 7 Ruairi Parks, 8 Dante Noel Simmons
Replacements: 16 Dylan Armstrong, 17 Tom Alexander, 18 Theo Scott, 19 Rory Adair, 20 Fraser Campbell, 21 Ollie Larkin, 22 Aaron Lowey, 23 Zach Thompson
RBAI
15 Jonah Power, 14 Jack Coulter, 13 Adam Millar, 12 Connor Patton, 11 Andrew Purcell, 10 Charlie O’Connor, 9 Sebastian Clark, 1 Ronan Hamilton, 2 Ross Dillon ©, 3 Reuben McIlwrath, 4 Connor Ballantine, 5 Reuben Gibson, 6 Elliot Magowan, 7 Cian McClean, 8 Adam Boyd
Replacements: 16 Ross Montgomery, 17 Matthew Watkins, 18 Reuben Edmonson, 19 Zack Surphlis, 20 Conor Davis, 21 Rocco Steen, 22 Dylan Gray, 23 Benjamin McCarten
Scorers
Campbell College: Tries: James Wells, David Nelson (2) Cons: Jack Best (2)
RBAI: Tries: Adam Millar, Cian McClean (2) Cons: Charlie O’Connor (2) Pens: Charlie O’Connor
