The Northern Bank Ulster Schools’ Subsidiary Shield Final was played at Ravenhill on Monday 10th March. A good crowd of supporters was present to watch an entertaining game featuring Coleraine AI and RBAI. Belfast Inst won the game 27-12 but the Coleraine team made them work hard for their victory.

RBAI stormed into a 10-0 lead after only ten minutes through two well constructed tries from No 8 Kenny Calladine and winger Matthew Kilpatrick. Unusually, Josh Pentland was unsuccessful with both conversion attempts. The Coleraine team rallied strongly in the latter stages of the first half and got rewarded for their efforts when No 8 Angus Warwicker scored a try. Outhalf, Ritchie Mc Master was successful with his touchline conversion reducing the deficit to 10-7 in favour of RBAI at halftime.

Shortly after the restart Patrick Irwin extended the RBAI lead to 13-7 with a well struck penalty following a Coleraine player straying offside. Both teams were keen to play an attacking style of rugby by keeping the ball in the hands only to see the ball go to ground on a number of occasions. In the final few minutes of the game there was a flurry of scoring activity. RBAI’s Matthew Kilpatrick picked up his second try of the game which was converted by Patrick Irwin. From the restart, flanker Fiyin Oliyisade crashed over the CAI line to score a try which Irwin again converted leaving the Belfast team 27-7 ahead with only seconds remaining. Coleraine AI finished strongly with a consolation try from replacement player Richard Brown leaving RBAI as deserved winners of the Northern Bank Ulster Schools’ Subsidiary Shield.

The Medallion Plate Final on Monday 10th March was contested at Rainey Old Boys’ RFC between Belfast Royal Academy and Foyle and Londonderry College. The Belfast team proved too strong on the day for the Londonderry team and won comfortably by 22-0.

On Wednesday 12th March Campbell College played host to RBAI 2ndXV and Methodist College 2ndXV in the final of the Northern Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndXV Cup. The rivalry displayed in this game was as intense as anyone would expect between these two giants of the schools’ game. In an enthralling encounter RBAI defeated Methody by 24-14 adding yet another trophy to the RBAI cabinet.

In the Northern Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdXV Cup final, Belfast Royal Academy 3rdXV defeated an experienced Methodist College 4thXV by 18-5.

Wallace HS defeated Portadown College 27-5 in the 3rdXV Plate final. 
The Wallace 2ndXV was due to play Portora RS in the final of the 2ndXV Shield but the match has been postponed until Wednesday 19th at Dungannon RFC with a 2-30pm KO.

The Northern Bank Ulster Schools’ 7’s competitions which were due to be played at Campbell College on Saturday 15th March were cancelled due to the weather conditions rendering the pitches at Campbell unplayable. Thanks are due to the Campbell College staff, and in particular, Mr John Mc Kinney and Mr Brian Robinson, for all their hard work and organisation in relation to the 7’s tournaments.

The curtain will come down on yet another busy and successful Northern Bank Ulster Schools’ competitive season with the Northern Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup final on Monday 17th March at Ravenhill. This game will feature Methodist College and Regent House. The game will kick off at 3-00pm.

Thanks are due to all the schools that took part in the various competitions, the teachers who prepared the teams, the schools and clubs who hosted the various fixtures, the referees who controlled the games, and the Ulster Branch officials who presented the Trophies.

Eight Northern Bank Ulster Schools’ U18 players have been selected for the Irish Schools’ squad which will take part in the Six Nations Rugby Festival which will take place in Cork during the Easter period. These players are Michael Allen (Methodist College), Mark Atkinson (Grosvenor GS), Nevin Spence (Wallace HS), Luke Marshall (Ballymena Academy), James Mc Kinney (Campbell College), Jason Bloomfield (Coleraine AI), Nial Annett (Methodist College) and Paul Pritchard (Ballymena Academy).

The Irish Schools’ team will play against Wales U18’s on Wednesday 26th March at Musgrave Park with a 7-30pm KO. Their next game will be against Scotland U18’s on Saturday 29th March at Musgrave Park with a 2-30pm KO. The final game will be against Italy on Tuesday 1st March at the Mardyke grounds with a 2-30pm KO and support would be welcome for the Irish Schools’ team in all these games.

Elsewhere, Jonny Shiels, the Coleraine AI Captain, has been included in the Irish U19 team to play against Italy U19’s ion Saturday 22nd March at Malahide RFC.