Honorary Secretary's Report 2006-2007
It is my privilege and pleasure to present to you, this my Seventeenth Annual Report as Honorary Secretary of Ballymena Rugby Football Club.
Mr. President, again, this past season has produced its highs and its lows, albeit many more lows than highs. As in the previous few years, the First XV lost several early games which they could have won, giving them the worst possible start to the AIL programme. They seem to have now also become experts at shooting themselves in the foot as shown so vividly in the final stages of the games against eventual Champions Garryowen, and Belfast Harlequins, and in the 36-6 drubbing at the hands of Clontarf. Early in my report, I like to list the season's highs, but this year these have been very few, although I would mention the very spirited display of a very young First XV in Cork, when, in the final AIL game of the season, they retrieved what could have been a vital, but in the end unnecessary bonus point.
But I first turn, if I may, Mr. President, to a more detailed playing
record of our various teams: As we all know only too well, the First XV
also had a most disappointing second half to the season, with only one
victory since Christmas, when they beat Queens in the second round of
the Ulster Senior Cup, only to then lose to Harlequins in the semi-final.
As in the previous season, they also fell to the Belfast side in both
the Ulster and the All-Ireland leagues. With only 15 victories from their
30 games played, and two of these were by default, due to late cancellations
by the opposition, they finished equal second with Dungannon in the Ulster
Senior League, but a disappointing fourth from the bottom of Division
One of the A.I.B. All-Ireland League, managing only 4 victories from 15
games in that competition. Over the season, they scored 615 points with
485 against. After a good 40-10 away victory over UCD in the League, they
surprisingly lost 14-16 to the students in the All-Ireland Cup at home
the following week. In the All-Ireland League, Dirkie Strydom, although
with only 67, was still our top points scorer. The other adult sides survived
in their respective leagues, but they brought no titles or trophies to
Eaton Park this season. The Second XV had a bad start to the season, losing
four of their first six games, but improved to finish fourth in the Second
XV League, but they were eliminated from the Towns' Cup in the Quarter-final,
and failed to reach the knock-out stage of the Junior Cup. Augmented by
some U-20 players, they won the Plate competition at the recent Omagh
Sevens. They won 18 and drew 1 of their 27 games played, with 645 points
for and 366 against. read on
