Welcome to another season at Corinthians RFC. The club continues to draw large numbers of youths, catering for all levels of ability, in line with the IRFU’s Long Term Player Development (LTPD) ethos (see www.irishrugby.ie). The ‘6 to 6 Nations’ strategy recognises that there is a place in our rugby fraternity for all players and supporters at all levels of skill and experience in the game.
We continue to welcome new players at all ages and strive to field the maximum number of teams possible ensuring all players will get good game time and an opportunity to develop their own skills at a pace that suits themselves, in keeping with the ‘Learn to Play and Practise’ and ‘Train to Train’ stages of the LTPD.
We continue our ‘open door’ policy and continue to welcome players and coaches from An Gaeltacht RFC, who have made a great contribution to us since we formalised a feeder arrangement some years ago.
The LTPD ethos has served us well. A number of former youth players are representing the club on the senior (AIL) stage and throughout our Junior League (Adult) and U20 teams, highlighting the importance of the academy to the overall well-being of the club.
We currently have ten players (including a number from An Gaeltacht) representing Connacht between U19 and U18 levels. These players have made telling contributions to their respective Connacht Squads.
This season we would hope to build on last seasons on-field successes, where all age groups reached a semi-final in their competitions.
Both our U17 and U19 teams won their respective cup events. This is a particularly challenging time for these young men, as they face exams and other influences and rugby can provide a productive break from their daily trials and tribulations.
We would encourage of parents, guardians and significant others to become proactive in supporting, assisting and involving themselves with our youth teams. We enjoy hosting visiting teams and want to make our club an open and hospitable place in that regards. We have forged good links with clubs outside the province, so we can give our players a broader rugby experience.
