I am delighted and honoured to represent Wicklow RFC as President for the 2019/20 season and I look forward to offering a warm Wicklow welcome to all visitors to Ashtown Lane over the next few months.
Wicklow RFC is looking forward to kicking off the rugby season over the next few weekends as we start into what should be a really exciting 2019-2020 season. The club has seen phenomenal growth and success both on and off the pitch over the last number of years and we look forward to what hopefully will be another great year.
Our senior men and women’s teams are both playing in the highest leagues in Leinster junior rugby and we are looking forward to another exciting year on the pitch with both squads showing enormous potential. I would like to wish senior coaches George Naoupu and Billy Ngawini the very best for the forthcoming season. Jack McKenna our club captain is a player who has come right through our club from minis, youths and senior rugby. He has represented his province and his country to the highest standards and will be an excellent captain of our senior men’s teams.
Our senior Women welcome a new coaching ticket of Jason Moreton, Colin Younger and Shane McDonald bringing a huge amount of experience and rugby knowledge to the squad. Amy O’Neill will captain our senior women’s team for the 2nd year running having secured promotion to the top division in leinster junior rugby. Amy will captain a burgeoning squad of players with a number of established senior women being joined by girls graduating from our hugely successful girls youths section.
This year we will field youths teams at all age groups in both genders for the first time in the club’s history. This is a huge achievement and all those who play, coach, manage and support these boys and girls teams should be rightfully proud.
I would like to thank Dave Seymour for again taking on the roll of Youths Coordinator and Ronan Griffey who is our Senior Womens Coordinator once again for the forthcoming season. Our minis section Also has strong squads at every age level from kinders (4-6 year olds) to under 12’s. All teams are wonderfully supported by an ever-growing list of coaches, managers and administrators many of whom also played their childhood and adult rugby in the club and without whom this club would not be able to function. The wide smiles on the faces of hundreds of boys and girls on a Sunday morning are proof that we are doing something right.
I would like to thank Hugh Leonard for once again taking on our Minis Coordinator roll and running this huge section of the club with such efficiency.
Our fantastic inclusive team “The Wicklow Warriors” are the pride of this club and have already had an eventful season travelling to the far reaches of Ballyclare in Northern Ireland to represent the club during the summer. We are hugely proud of this growing group of players and would like to thank all involved in coaching, mentoring and supporting this team. In particular, I would like to thank James Keating and Clara Jenkinson who were joint recipients of the “Club Person of the Year Award” for their tireless work.
I would like to thank the wider Wicklow Rugby Club family especially our mums and dads , grannies and grandads who, transport, clothe, feed, comfort and encourage our young players right throughout the season Our club has seen immense development over the past decade and our grounds and facilities are second to none in junior rugby.
This season we look to undertake the largest development in the club’s history with the reconfiguration and extension of the clubhouse to add additional changing rooms, referees rooms, medical/treatment room and a 150 sq.m gym facility which will transform the facilities of the club. Our fundraising has been proceeding well and following our recent EGM it was agreed to put in place a small levy on membership to spread the majority of the remaining fundraising across the entire membership. This development will benefit every man, woman and child within the club and will be a huge asset to the club and wider community for generations.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members, supporters, sponsors and friends who are considering, or who have already supported our development fund. We would be more than happy talk to anyone interested in donating towards our ultimate goal. Please contact any committee member. I would like to thank Bank of Ireland who are once again main sponsor for the club for their support over the past few years. We are delighted that Bank of Ireland have decided to establish a partnership with Wicklow RFC as a club that represents all that is good about grass roots rugby.
We look forward to further enhancing our relationship over the season. We have a wide number of generous and loyal sponsors who continue to support the club and we are hugely appreciative of all your support. We would ask our members, supporters and friends to give back to our various sponsors where possible. We are a growing, ambitious and forward-thinking club and we are continuously trying to improve our facilities for our members and the local community.
This year with the help of the Ballynagran Local Community Grant we have recently added training lights to our new training area which will provide much needed additional floodlit space during the winter months. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those involved with the Ballynagran committee for their support over the years allowing us to further enhance our facilities and offering to the wider community. I would specifically like to thank our fantastic and hardworking executive and general committees who constantly give their time and considerable energy to ensure that this club is steadily moving in the right direction.
I would also like to thank Tony Quinn and the various bar staff for all their hard work during the year. I would also like to pay special tribute to Noel Green and the clubhouse & groundskeeping committee for so much unseen work allowing us to play on such fantastic surfaces during the year.
We are extremely lucky to have so many hard-working individuals, every one working tirelessly for this club.
Lastly I would like to wish every individual wearing a Wicklow jersey this year the very best of good fortune and enjoyment for the forthcoming season. I look forward to supporting and working with you all and I hope that together we can make this season another one to remember for Wicklow Rugby Club.
Brian Clarke
President
Wicklow Rugby Football Club