Big win for Inishowen Rugby Club
Inishowen Rugby Club has beaten off competition from nine other clubs across Ulster to play host to an inter-provincial clash between Ulster and Munster on May 6th.
The best junior club players from both provinces will be on display on a day when the club also plan to officially open their new changing facilities at the Moss Road.
Speaking to the Inishowen Independent during the week, John Keyes, Secretary of Inishowen Rugby Club, told of his delight that the club would become the first rugby club from outside the six counties to host an inter-provincial game of this nature.
“To the best of my knowledge, this will be the first time a game like this is played outside of the six counties,” he said.
“For us to be chosen ahead of nine other applicants we’re absolutely delighted and we can’t wait for May.”
Keyes understands that the club still has a lot of work to do between now and May 6th in order to have Moss Road in tip-top condition.
He’s confident that all members will pull together to make sure they put on a real show.
“We got the first allocation of Sports Capital funding for the changing rooms around five years ago now but with Covid, we obviously weren’t able to move as quickly as we would’ve liked.”
“We still have a wee bit of work to do over the next couple of months but I’m confident that, like always, the people in the club will pull together and we’ll make sure to put on a show when that game is played in May.”
Having just celebrated their 50th anniversary last year, Inishowen Rugby Club is most certainly a club that is moving in the right direction.
Keyes believes that both Ulster Rugby and indeed the IRFU see playing this game at the Moss Road as a great opportunity for them also.
“The core of our application centred around the fact that we have never been a senior club, we are a club at the heart of grassroots rugby.”
“I think Ulster Rugby and the IRFU have seen the brilliant work that has gone on in the club over the last number of years by so many good people and they realise that this is a great opportunity for them to bring more focus on clubs like ours.”
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be hosting such a big game at Moss Road and to be able to combine it with the official opening of our brand new changing facilities just puts the icing on the cake.”