Portmarnock to host The Irish Challenge from May 27-29

Portmarnock Links will host The Irish Challenge from May 27-29 2021.

The event will take place over a links course for the first time in its history at the Dublin course.

The Portmarnock Links is set in the grounds of the old Jameson Estate St Marnocks. The course is a true test of golf which regularly features in lists of Ireland’s best golf courses.

The Championship course was designed by two-time Masters Champion and former World Number One Bernhard Langer. It traverses the famous North Dublin dunes, a natural terrain to please the most ardent of links purists.

Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca International Schedule

The visit to County Dublin forms part of the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca International Schedule. The Schedule comprises 25 tournaments in 15 countries across the world. It begins with a three-week stretch in South Africa. It then returns to Europe for events in the Czech Republic and Spain, then Ireland.

The top 20 players on the Road to Mallorca Rankings at the conclusion of the Challenge Tour Grand Final at T-Golf & Country Club, Mallorca, will earn full playing privileges on the European Tour in 2022. The last player from the island of Ireland to graduate from the Challenge Tour was Cormac Sharvin.

Reaction to the announcement

Jamie Hodges, Head of Challenge Tour, said: “We are incredibly excited to be taking the Irish Challenge to Portmarnock Links in May.

“We have never hosted an Irish event on a true links course before and I know the players will relish the opportunity to compete on the Championship Course.

Conor Russell, Director of Golf at Portmarnock Links, said:

“The team here at Portmarnock Links are delighted to welcome the Irish Challenge to our magnificent Links. The course will represent a wonderful challenge for the players and will give our own home-grown talent an opportunity to shine on the bigger stage.”

Good Entries for Handicaps & Bumpers at Dublin Racing Festival

There are quality entries for the five handicaps and two Grade 2 bumpers at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Master McShee, Treacysenniscorthy and Great White Shark are among the handicap entries. The likes of Sir Gerhard, Kilcruit, Flame Bearer, Hollymount and Brandy Love feature in the early line up for the bumpers at Leopardstown on Saturday, February 6 and Sunday, February 7.

Ladbrokes Hurdle

Master McShee heads the 51 entries for the Ladbrokes Hurdle on Saturday, February 6. He was an impressive winner on his handicap debut over this course and distance at Christmas. Next weekend, he could renew rivalry with Sea Ducor, the Arthur Moore-trained runner-up that afternoon.

The Eddie Cawley-trained Golden Jewel and Martin Brassil’s You Raised Me Up, second and third respectively in the Ladbrokes Hurdle last year, hold entries once again.

The Willie Mullins-trained Buildmeupbuttercup and Liz Doyle’s Cayd Boy head the weights. Other notable entries include Eclair De Beaufeu for Gordon Elliott, Noel Meade’s novice Cask Mate, the Gavin Cromwell-trained Gabynako and Wolf Prince, Paul O’Flynn’s West Cork Wildway and the Charles Byrnes-trained Advanced Virgo.

Matheson Handicap Chase

There are 28 horses entered for the Matheson Handicap Chase. The recent Naas winner, Epson Du Houx, Emmet Mullins’ The Shunter, Aramax, trained by Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins’ pair, Pont Aven and Andalusa look to be chief among them.

Goffs Future Stars INH Flat Race

Envoi Allen won this race in 2019, while Appreciate It won last year. It has an entry of 16 for 2021. Sir Gerhard, Chemical Energy and Hollow Games represent Gordon Elliott. Willie Mullins has three entries, Kilcruit, Whatdeawant and Ramillies. Pat Doyle’s Flame Bearer and Gavin Cromwell’s Letsbeclearaboutit are also included.

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle

Elliott entries dominate at the head of the weights for this contest. Last year’s heroine Black Tears tops the 36 horses in the opening contest on the second day of the Dublin Racing Festival.

Terence O’Brien’s Our Roxanne is entered again. Both Spruced Up and Strange Notions, fourth and fifth a year ago for Eddie Harty and Charles O’Brien respectively are also nominated. Willie Mullins has entered seven horses, including the Leopardstown Christmas Festival winner Dysart Diamond. Declan Queally’s Naas winner Uisce Solas and Henry de Bromhead’s hat-trick seeker Telmesomethinggirl must also have their chance.

William Fry Handicap Hurdle

Willie Mullins is responsible for 10 of the 54 entries in the race. His team includes Great White Shark, a winner at the Galway Festival last July and successful in the Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket. Koshari, Low Sun and Dandy Mag are others that feature for the champion trainer.

Former Cheltenham Festival winner City Island is also entered. Paul Fahey’s Ballyshannon Rose, Gordon Elliott’s Dallas Des Pictons, Ronan McNally’s The Jam Man, the Fran Flood-trained Millen To One and Pure Genius, are also among the list of entries.

Gaelic Plant Hire Leopardstown Handicap Chase

Treacysenniscorthy is one of a number of significant entries for this race. Trainwreck, Any Second Now and Blazer have been entered again by Henry de Bromhead, Ted Walsh and Willie Mullins. Last year’s victorious trainer, Paul Gilligan, has Born By The Sea this time.

Stones And Roses and Cabaret Queen are others among Willie Mullins’ nine entries. Philip Dempsey’s The Long Mile, the Arthur Moore-trained Crossed My Mind, Henry de Bromhead’s Minella Times and the Tom Mullins-trained Scoir Mear will be of interest come the day.

Coolmore NH Sires Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race

There are 15 horses entered for this Grade 2. Gordon Elliott has only one entry, Party Central. Willie Mullins dominates with six previous winners engaged. His team includes Brandy Love, Brooklynn Glory, Purple Mountain, Belle Metal and Take Tea. The Stuart Crawford-trained Hollymount was another up to winning on her first start.

SSE Airtricity Premier Division Fixtures

The SSE Airtricity Premier Division fixtures for the 2021 season have been confirmed.

The Premier Division will begin on Friday, March 19 with Champions Shamrock Rovers hosting St. Patrick’s Athletic at Tallaght Stadium on the opening night.

FAI Cup holders Dundalk will travel to Sligo Rovers. Finn Harps will host Bohemians and newly-promoted sides Drogheda United and Longford Town host Waterford and Derry City respectively.

The mid-season break in the 2021 season will take place between Series 14, 28/29 May, and Series 15, 11/12 June.

The 2021 edition of the EA SPORTS Cup is cancelled.

The 2021 FAI Cup will begin on the week ending Sunday, July 25. The FAI Cup Final will be played the week ending Sunday, November 28.

All fixtures are subject to change with TV broadcast details set to be announced at a later date.

List of Irish player transfers during January window

We have compiled a list of Irish players who completed transfers during the January window.

This January transfer window has been quieter than previous years, owing mainly to the global pandemic which has impacted the finances of several clubs around the world.

That said, several Irish players have still managed to move onto pastures new, whether it be on a temporary or permanent deal.

Here’s a list of the Irish players that have moved from one club to another:

PREMIER LEAGUE:

Evan Ferguson - Bohemians to Brighton & Hove Albion - Transfer (Undisclosed)
Dara Costelloe - Free agent to Burnley - Free transfer

EFL CHAMPIONSHIP:

Conor Hourihane - Aston Villa to Swansea City - Loan
Richard Keogh - MK Dons to Huddersfield Town - Transfer (£540,000)
Danny Grant - Bohemians to Huddersfield Town - Transfer (Undisclosed)
Rob Elliot - Free agent to Watford - Free transfer
Greg Cunningham - Cardiff City to Preston North End - Loan
Jayson Molumby - Brighton & Hove Albion to Preston North End - Loan
Shane Long - Southampton to Bournemouth - Loan

EFL LEAGUE ONE:

Mark Travers - Bournemouth to Swindon Town - Loan
Conor Masterson - Queens Park Rangers to Swindon Town - Loan
Dan Crowley - Birmingham City to Hull City - Loan
Warren O'Hora - Brighton & Hove Albion to MK Dons - Transfer (£200,000)
Luke McNally - St Patrick's Athletic to Oxford United - Transfer (Undisclosed)
Corey Whelan - Phoenix Rising to Wigan Athletic - Transfer (£90,000)
Troy Parrott - Tottenham Hotspur to Ipswich Town - Loan
Conor Shaughnessy - Leeds United to Rochdale - Transfer (Undisclosed)
Conor Grant - Sheffield Wednesday to Rochdale - Transfer (Undisclosed)

EFL LEAGUE TWO:

Simon Power - Free agent to Harrogate Town - Free transfer
William Hondermarck - Norwich City to Harrogate Town - Loan
Peter Kioso - Luton Town to Northampton Town - Loan
Jamie Devitt - Free Agent to Barrow - Free Transfer
Stephen Quinn - Burton Albion to Mansfield Town - Loan
Zack Elbouzedi - Lincoln City to Bolton Wanderers - Loan
Niall Canavan - Plymouth Argyle to Bradford City - Transfer (Undisclosed)
Tyreik Wright - Aston Villa to Walsall - Loan

SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP:

Jaze Kabia - Shelbourne to Livingston - Transfer (Undisclosed)
Sam Foley - St Mirren to Motherwell - Transfer (Undisclosed)
Aaron McEneff - Shamrock Rovers to Hearts - Transfer (Undisclosed)
Eddie Nolan - Crewe Alexandra to Motherwell - Loan

OTHER:

Jack Byrne - Shamrock Rovers to APOEL - Transfer (Undisclosed)
Dan Casey - Bohemians to Sacramento Republic - Transfer (Undisclosed)

Paul Casey wins Omega Dubai Desert Classic

Paul Casey stormed to a four-stroke victory at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday. The win gave the Englishman his 15^th European Tour title.

Casey started the final day at the Emirates Golf Club with a one stroke lead. On Sunday he increased his lead over Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre to two strokes after birdies on the third and fourth holes.

The 43-year-old finished the front nine in level par after bogeys on the sixth and eighth holes. Three consecutive bogeys from the seventh hole ended MacIntyre’s title chance.

Casey gained at the 11^th and 13^th holes and a closing birdie saw him sign for a final round of 70 and a total of 17 under par. He ended the tournament four strokes ahead of South African Brandon Stone.

MacIntyre signed for a 12 under par total, two strokes ahead of England’s Laurie Canter and Kalle Samooja of Finland.

“I’m so over the moon” said Casey. “Not just 15 [victories]. The fact it’s Dubai. It’s an iconic event on The European Tour. You guys all know that. One of the coolest trophies around.”

The win moves Casey inside the Top 15 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time since December 2019. He joins former and current European Ryder Cup Captains Thomas Bjorn and Pádraig Harrington on 15 European Tour titles.

Harrington and Lowry

Harrington finished in a tie for sixth at nine under par alongside Sergio Garcia and Bernd Wiesberger. The Dubliner shot a 70 on Sunday to add to rounds of 71, 69 and 69.

Offaly’s Shane Lowry signed for a 75 in the final round – his worst score of the week. He had shot 70, 62 and 67 in the previous three rounds.

Final select scores

271 P CASEY (ENG) 67 70 64 70,
275 B STONE (RSA) 70 67 66 72,
276 R MACINTYRE (SCO) 67 68 67 74,
278 K SAMOOJA (FIN) 68 68 71 71, L CANTER (ENG) 70 68 68 72,
279 B WIESBERGER (AUT) 73 68 69 69, P HARRINGTON 71 69 69 70, S GARCIA (ESP) 66 73 67 73,
280 R H?JGAARD (DEN) 72 72 69 67, M SCHWAB (AUT) 70 69 73 68, A WU (CHN) 71 71 70 68, A ARNAUS (ESP) 68 69 74 69, T KANAYA (JPN) 70 69 72 69, A ROZNER (FRA) 70 71 69 70, A LEVY (FRA) 70 68 71 71, T DETRY (BEL) 67 67 74 72,
281 M FITZPATRICK (ENG) 70 71 70 70, T FLEETWOOD (ENG) 68 68 73 72, L WESTWOOD (ENG) 69 68 72 72,
282 R STERNE (RSA) 64 74 75 69, K KITAYAMA (USA) 65 72 75 70,
283 C BEZUIDENHOUT (RSA) 74 70 70 69, L HERBERT (AUS) 74 66 72 71, W ORMSBY (AUS) 68 73 71 71, T HATTON (ENG) 76 64 71 72, S SHARMA (IND) 70 68 72 73,
284 J WINTHER (DEN) 69 75 71 69, F ZANOTTI (PAR) 71 67 76 70, G FORREST (SCO) 74 69 71 70, T PIETERS (BEL) 71 73 68 72, N COLSAERTS (BEL) 70 73 67 74, S JAMIESON (SCO) 70 71 68 75, S LOWRY 70 72 67 75, J HARDING (RSA) 66 70 72 76,
285 A BJ?RK (SWE) 71 71 73 70, D BURMESTER (RSA) 72 72 71 70, D LIPSKY (USA) 72 71 68 74, R CABRERA BELLO (ESP) 73 71 66 75, M KORHONEN (FIN) 70 67 72 76, J ROSE (ENG) 71 69 68 77.

Amad Diallo scores first goals for Manchester United

Amad Diallo opens the scoring against Liverpool ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/I4gyHYirn4
— utdreport Academy (@utdreportAcad) January 30, 2021

The recent arrival netted a brace against Liverpool u23s earlier.

Amad Diallo arrived at Manchester United at the beginning of the month and has taken little time in scoring his first goals for the club – albeit for the u23s.

Manchester United and Liverpool u23s faced off earlier with Diallo making his debut and netting the first goal of the game in the 14^th minute, as well as scoring a second half Panenka penalty.

Although normally recognised for his close control and mazy runs, Diallo’s opener demonstrated a different side to his game.

He showed his anticipation as he robbed a Liverpool defender after a poor first touch, he then closed in on goal and finished with ease into the bottom right corner.

His second goal came as a result of a penalty earned by Hannibal Majbri.

Diallo stepped up to take the penalty and demonstrated his flair by attempting – and scoring – a Panenka penalty to make it 6-2 to United.

Otherwise, Diallo showed glimpses of his ability on the ball throughout the game, showcasing why he may be knocking on the door of the first team sooner rather than later.

Tyler Morton, Luis Longstaff and Joe Hardy scored for Liverpool but United won the game 6-3 thanks to Diallo’s brace and an incredible 4 goals from 17-year-old Joe Hugill.

Ireland, England and Spain entangled in international tug of war over John Joe Patrick Finn

The Irish hierarchy have been in contact with Finn in recent weeks, but face stiff competition to secure his declaration.

John Joe Patrick Finn was unknown in the football world up until a couple of months ago.

The 17-year-old made his first team debut for Getafe in December and in doing so became the youngest player in the history of the established side. Since then, he’s gone on to make five further appearances and his stock has increased tenfold.

It now appears that the teenager is involved in an international tug of war between Ireland, England and Spain to secure his international future.

Finn qualifies for Ireland through his late Irish father John, he was born and raised in Spain and his eligibility for England is unknown, however it appears the English FA have made contact, as well as the two aforementioned nations. He also qualifies for Cameroon through his mother, but it’s not clear whether they’ve made contact as of yet.

Jim Crawford, Stephen Kenny and Tom Mohan recently made a call to Finn, which was also attended by his mother, in a play to convince the youngster to declare for Ireland.

“We had a good chat with both of them and he was certainly blown away by the presentation that was put together and by what Stephen, Tom and I had to say.

“We are certainly not going to rush him, but we have made contact. He was overwhelmed and he certainly had a big smile on his face. I’ll be making contact with him in the near future to see if there has been any decision.”

Ireland u21s kick off their European Championships 2023 qualification campaign in March, so Crawford may wish to secure his declaration before then, however as he has mentioned, their intent is not to rush him.

“England U21s have made an approach and Spain U21s have made an approach. He is very well sought after, so all we can do is put our case forward and that’s certainly what we did. Again, the decision is in his hands. But to answer your question, yes, we made an approach”, Crawford also revealed.

Finn’s decision – for the short-term at least – could be revealed sooner rather than later with all three nations’ u21 teams taking the field come March.

However, these things are often not black-and-white.

A decision may not come in the immediate future.

Ireland u21s drawn against familiar foes in Euro qualifying group

"The future is bright" ✨#IRLU21 Manager Jim Crawford is excited for the future of the Under-21s 🇮🇪#COYBIG pic.twitter.com/XcQHwDWuH1
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) November 19, 2020

Their opponents have been announced as Italy, Sweden, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Luxembourg.

The u21 European Championships 2023 qualifying draw took place today with 53 teams eagerly awaiting their fate.

Ireland were amongst those teams in anticipation after narrowly failing to qualify for the 2021 edition of the tournament which is being hosted by Romania and Georgia.

Coincidentally, they were drawn in an almost exactly identical group as the last qualifying campaign. 3 of their 5 opponents – Italy, Sweden and Luxembourg – were also included in their previous qualifying group.

Maybe luckily for Ireland, though, several of the players which turned out in the last campaign are also available for selection for the upcoming one. That is not the case with the other countries.

Although some of those players have since graduated to the senior squad – Parrott, Idah, Knight etc. – there is still a number of quality players that could excel at u21 level, as well as those which will inevitably come up through the age ranks.

The experience at that level that Ireland have over their opponents could prove to be a decisive factor in regards to their qualification chances.

u21 boss Jim Crawford may already have a squad in mind with the qualification campaign kicking off in March.

Ireland can only qualify given they finish top of their group or as best runner-up.

Confirmed | #IRLU21 have been draw in Group F for the 2021-2023 Under-21 Qualifiers against:

▪️Italy 🇮🇹
▪️Sweden 🇸🇪
▪️Bosnia & Herzegovina 🇧🇦
▪️Montenegro 🇲🇪
▪️Luxembourg 🇱🇺

The games will take place between March 2021 and June 2022#COYBIG pic.twitter.com/jCQRvGkHnr

— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) January 28, 2021

Six Nations: Security Guidelines and Expectations

Considering the current global situation, France wants England and Ireland to offer safety guarantees before going ahead with their Six Nations matches.

The shadow of coronavirus has engulfed the entire world, and teams taking part in the Six Nations championship are worried about the safety of their players. Thus, France is seeking guarantees from England and Ireland for their February 14 and March 13 matches.

France is scheduled to play Ireland on February 14 in Dublin, and the team is playing their next match with England on March 13 at Twickenham. The government has approved the fixture in Italy, and the French government is demanding safety assurances from Ireland and England. The French government is adamant on safety assurances for allowing the national side to tour these countries for the Six Nations.

The French government has approved the opening fixture of the Championship scheduled to be played in Rome against Italy. The February 6 match is on schedule because of the quick approval by the Sports Ministry held by Roxana Maracineanu.

Concerns About the Surge in Covid-19 Cases

Sports Ministry of France and the other concerned authorities are worried about the rising number of Covid-19 cases in England and Ireland. The French government has already banned their clubs from participating in the European competitions scheduled for January.

All the participating countries in the Six Nations met and discussed the situation in Paris last week, but the deadlock persists. However, the good news is that the government is still holding discussions with the organizers. They’re trying their best to convince the authorities that all Covid-19 safety protocols are being followed.

The chances of the tournament taking place are bleak if France withdraws as they’re scheduled to play Ireland on February 14 at the Aviva Stadium and will take the field against England on March 13 at the Twickenham stadium.

In a recent statement by the Sports Minister of France, he mentioned that France is going to keep the first match, but they need a complete guarantee from England and Ireland. The minister further emphasized that host nations have to offer proof of their measures against the virus to maintain the same level of safety as the other nations. The expectations are not unreal as the whole world is reeling under the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Women’s Under-20s and Six Nations competitions, which are usually scheduled concurrently with the men’s, have to be postponed until April. However, the official announcement or confirmation about the same is yet to be done.

Suspension of Challenge Cup and Champions Cup

Both the Challenge Cup and Champions Cup remain suspended until further notice because of the surge in Covid-19 infections. In its recent announcement, the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) said that the suspension would continue till they review the situation later this year.

The new Covid-19 strain has forced the organizers to postpone both the rounds of pool games in the European club competitions scheduled for January 15-17 and January 22-24. Even the French government advised the national teams to avoid playing cross-border matches scheduled for Saturday.

Two-Week Break in Premiership Games

Pat Lam of Bristol Bears and Rob Baxtor of Exeter have opined that Premiership games need to be rescheduled so as to free up the existing fixture schedule. This season will be the busiest due to cancellations and postponements because English clubs will play more games to compensate for the lost time.

Forwarding the Premiership games will free up space for the matches that the clubs will play in the European tournaments. Both the European tournaments are scheduled later this year, along with the present Premiership weekends.

Premiership Rugby announced a two-week break as soon as the announcement for the suspension of Challenge Cup and Championship Cup was concluded. In a statement by Darren Childs, Chief Executive of Premiership Rugby, he said that to uphold the welfare of everyone involved in the Premiership Rugby, the organizers must go for a break this season. In contrast, everyone has the opportunity to take much-needed rest. Players, match officials, management, and other staff have worked hard, and this is going to be a welcome break.

Fans need not feel dejected as The Gallagher Premiership Rugby season is all set to return on January 29 when the Bristol Bears take the field against Bath Rugby on their home ground.

You can enjoy sports at home

If ‘Rugby on-the-go’ is your mantra and you love watching matches on your phone, iPad, or laptop, you will be looking for options to watch Six Nations. The DAZN streaming service has secured the rights to broadcast the matches. Thus, it is one of the options available to you. However, it will probably be available only to viewers in Germany, Austria, Canada, and Switzerland. Luckily, if you have no option to watch these matches from your current location, you can consider an easy workaround. Install a VPN and quickly change your location to a country that a streaming service approves. You can perform this by connecting to a VPN server, which masks your IP address. Thus, all the matches you desire will become available to you.

Andrew, Treadwell, Warwick and Doak to remain at Ulster

John Andrew, Kieran Treadwell, Andrew Warwick and Nathan Doak all commit to Ulster until at least June 2023.

Ballymena-born, John Andrew, who scored a hat-trick of tries against Edinburgh in November to help cement the bonus-point win over the Scottish side, has put pen-to-paper on a new two year deal.

The hooker, who came through the ranks of the Ulster development system is known for the athleticism and intelligence he brings to the game. Of today’s news, Andrew, said:

“I’m very happy to have signed-on for the next couple of years having really enjoyed this season so far, despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic. I’m excited to have the chance to be playing in front of our fans again at Kingspan Stadium whenever that may be in the future.”

Of the announcement, Ulster Rugby Head Coach, Dan McFarland, said: “John has demonstrated how valuable he is to the Ulster set-up – he has had some outstanding performances this season against the likes of Glasgow, Dragons and Edinburgh. He is a very proud Ulsterman who is dedicated to both his own and the team’s development.”

25-year-old lock, Kieran Treadwell, who will hit his 100 cap milestone on his next appearance for the province, has consistently delivered for Ulster since arriving in 2016. The Ireland-qualified player is known for his exuberant running and ball-carrying, which is a skillset he is set to continue to bring to the squad over the next two years. On choosing to remain at Ulster, Treadwell, said:

“I really appreciate the opportunity to continue playing in the Ulster shirt. The province has welcomed me with open arms, and it is an honour to represent a club with such great values at the heart of it. I look forward to the seasons ahead – and to once again have the opportunity to feel the energy from the 16^th Man in Kingspan Stadium as soon as that is possible.”

McFarland added: “Kieran has really bought into the team culture since joining us in 2016. He brings a lot of athleticism, to both his set-piece and loose play, and is still a young player. I’m very pleased Kieran is going to be a part of our growth over the next two years.”

Andrew Warwick, a Ballymena native, will continue to bring his combative nature and technical excellence to the squad in the years ahead. Since he made his senior Ulster debut against Cardiff Blues in 2014, Warwick has racked-up 128 appearances for the province – including most recently when he played an important role in this season’s Guinness PRO14 Inter-provincial fixtures. Of his future with the club, Warwick, said:

“I’m delighted to have extended my contract with Ulster – it’s always a privilege to represent my home province. I look forward to continuing to do my part to help the team be successful, and the coaches have created a great environment to keep improving as a player. It’s a really exciting time to be a part of this team.”

McFarland added: “Andrew is an important member of our squad as he demonstrated most recently against Connacht and Munster during the festive Inter-pros. A quality scrummager and hard worker in the loose, Andrew adds a lot of experience and technical excellence to our team.”

Completing today’s line-up is 19-year-old scrum-half, Nathan Doak, from Lisburn who made his senior debut against Munster in December – 11 years to the day since he ran out as a mascot against the same opposition.

The youngster played an important role in getting Wallace High School into the Danske Bank Schools’ Cup Final in 2020, before the onset of COVID-19 resulted in the cancellation of the match. Doak has also made his presence felt in the recent Ulster ‘A’ games, with an impressive unbeaten run for the province this season, including most recently a home victory over Leinster ‘A’.

Commenting on his deal, which will see Doak spend one year as a Development player before being upgraded to a Senior Professional contract for the following season, he said:

“I am delighted to have signed a new contract with Ulster Rugby to extend my time with the club for a further two years. I am looking forward to working with the Senior team full-time, and to develop further as a player. It is an exciting time for the province as we are building on our ambitions to win silverware, and I hope I can be a part of that moving forward.”

Commenting on the last signing to be announced today, Dan McFarland, concluded: “Although Nathan is not long out of school, he has already played for over a year with Ulster ‘A’ – a team that reached the Celtic Cup final in 2019 – and this has held him in good stead for this season’s ‘A’ Inter-pros. We are looking forward to continuing to support Nathan’s development over the next 2 years.”

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