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See our Key dates below for our Mens and Ladies Clubs.
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Images Courtesy of FRONT ROW UNION
Queen’s made it two consecutive bonus point wins in Division 1B fighting back from a 17 point deficit in the second half to beat Garryowen 41-32 at the Dub.
The Limerick side had led 25-8 before Queen’s scored five tries in the autumn sunshine, coach Derek Suffern was delighted to get the five points.
“The boys are ecstatic and very happy with the result but maybe not as happy with their first half performance but to show that resilience when they went ahead early doors in the second half I though the boys showed great character and played some really good stuff in that second half and that will give them lots of confidence moving forward into the next block.,” said Suffern.
“We started pretty well in the game and then just slipped off and to be fair to Garryowen they took their chances very well in the first half.”
“We regrouped at half time and were a bit more like ourselves in the second half and played with a bit of tempo and better flow in our attacking shape and scored some nice tries, a couple of them opportunist but we’ll certainly take it.”
The victory took the students into the top four and they are adapting well to their first ever season in the second tier of the AIL.
“We won’t really sure what to expect when we started playing in this division but we are three games in and we have certainly been very competitive in every fixture and won two of them.”
“We take a lot of confidence going into the next block and we’ll try to take it one game at a time and get point out of every game.”
“Some of the young guys that are just out of school are performing very well and I suppose the really pleasing thing is physical we are coping very well, and it is exciting times for us.”
“We’re happy with bits and pieces with our performances, I think with a lot of knew players in it will take us a bit of time to gel and we are slowing doing that on and off the pitch.”
“Hopefully we can keep going at that and learn every week and keep improving and if we do that we’ll challenge anytime in the league.
A Jonny Hunter try and James Humphreys penalty gave Queen’s an early 8-0 lead.
Garryowen hit back with two tries, one was converted and a penalty to lead 15-8 at the break.
The visitors scored two quick unconverted tries after the break before Queen’s hit back with a five try salvo.
Harry Long and Humphreys went over with the out half converting his own try.
Hunter’s second try which Humphreys converted put the students in the lead before converted scores from Ryan Davies and Peter Heasley put the game beyond Garryowen.
Match Report : Ciaran Donaghy
QUB Players ( L to R) Alexander Clarke , Jake McCay and Scott Wilson wearing the bespoke Doddie Weir Match Jersey. These Jerseys will be worn by the 1stXV when the face Dungannon on 11th March in the Senior Cup 1/4 final.
Shirts designed and supplied by Marx Corporate
Queens University Belfast Rugby Football Club are hosting a fund raising lunch For My Name5 is Doddie Foundation on Saturday 11th March at 12.15 prior to the Ulster Senior Cup quarter final with Dungannon, the students lifted the trophy for a record breaking 24th time last season.
Weir was a ferocious warrior on the pitch winning 61 caps for Scotland and was selected for the British and Irish Lions tour in 1997.
His battle against motor neuron disease and his fund raising touched the rugby fraternity and far beyond.
The My Name is Doddie Foundation is close to the hearts of Queen’s especially as Will Thompson who plays for the club is the nephew of Doddie.
Will Thompson ( far right) Current QUB Student President and Nephew of the late and great Doddie Weir. Stu Thom ( 2nd from right) has been a great support for the event as current NI ambassdor for the foundation.
The Queens rugby family past and present are getting behind this event with former players lending their support.
Iain Henderson Queen’s 22nd British and Irish Lion and current Ulster captain has provided a signed Ulster and Ireland shirts.
Former club captain Ian Whitten a European Cup and Premiership winner with Exeter Chiefs and brother of current Queen’s skipper David, has donated a signed Exeter jersey while Gregor Townsend has got his Scottish team to send over a framed Scottish jersey, there will be a number of amazing prizes up for grabs in teh clubs Raffle and Auction on the day.
QUBRFC would also like to give a huge thanks to the event sponsors Grant Thornton and Llyods Datum ( Pictured below) and also to Karl Oakes ( Queens Sport Head of Sport) for the ongoing support to the club.
Nigel Dillon ( Left) MD of Lloyds Datum, Peter Legge ( Middle) Tax Partner Grant Thornton and Karl Oakes ( Head of Queens Sport)
Please come along and support what is a fantastic cause and sure to be an amazing event up at the Dub on Saturday 11th March.
A big thank you to Front Row Union for their ongoing support and brilliant Coverage of local Rugby across Ulster. Bob Givens (FRU) was onsite to help launch our event for Doddie and supplied some great images for our launch.
We are excited to offer the opportunity for players to ‘re-fresh’ their core rugby skills in the early new year with QUB Rugby
Starting 13th January these sessions will be led by Rugby Development Officer David Chambers and will cover fundamental areas such as Tackle Tech, Handling , General Shape and Breakdown down skills. The aim is that these session will give players the confidence to get involved with upcoming QUB Raiders Fixtures in 2023.
Our Re-fresh sessions are open to all abilities and you can register HERE
For any questions pleae contact - d.chambers@qub.ac.uk.
All the details can be found below on the Image - Look forward to seeing you there!
KTBFFH
QUBRFC President Ian McAvoy with this years Sponsors and Irish Rugby Players Iain Henderson and James Hume.
QUB Rugby could not function without the very kind support of all our Sponsors. This year we were very pleased to once again run our Sponsors launch night at The Dub. Listed below were all in attendance and we got the chance to get some photos with Current 1st XV Captains Ciara Grogan and David Whitten.
QUB Ulster Players Lorcan McCloughlin and Rachael McIlroy are also pictured , a special thanks to current Irish Rugby Players Iain Henderson and James Hume for popping along also .
Credit to Rolling Can Media for the images.
Richard Gillan from Grant Thornton , QUB Rugby’s Principal Sponsor.
Jim Maguire from Belfast Citysightseeing sister company with Travel Ireland - QUB Rugby Travel Partner.
Jonny McCracken from Tileworks - a new sponser for Ladies and Mens Rugby for 22-23
Muhammad Atif from FFC Ireland , A vibrant and popular company who own many food stores across Belfast such as , Fireaway , Wok & Go, Desert Den , Pepperi as well as the well established Chick’n lick’n and Wheelers.
Thank you to all our 22-23 sponsors ….
We are delighted to have continuity within our coaching and management team for the 22-23 season. Derek Suffern continues into his third year as Head coach , Colin Hamilton continues as Manager , Davy Chambers as 2ndXV and U20 Head coach and Davy Nicholson as 2ndXV backs coach.
DJ Creighton will hope to emulate Queen’s points scoring ability as he looks after the attack and Senior backs.
Paul Heasley as Strength and Conditioning Coach brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the whole Senior Squad.
We are very excited to welcome a few additions to QUB Rugby , Ritchie McMaster comes into a new role Mentoring the next generation of halfbacks. Also in new roles… The experienced Andrew Clinghan comes in as a 2ndXV assistant coach and will have the specific role to mentor the next Generation of Front row players in QUB.
Marty Connolly takes his first step into senior coaching joining us from Rainey Old Boys as the Pirates/Freshers Head Coach , He takes over from the excellent work done by Paddy Elliott who moves on after 7 Seasons at QUB, Marty’s role will also be to assist in the Senior Player Pathway and Talent ID players joining QUB via the Pirates and Freshers Rugby Programme.
And Paddy Carson following an injury will assist the Sports analysis at QUB for the 22-23 Season primarily focused on the 2ndXV and U20 programmes.
The club would like to take this opportunity to wish all the coaches and management a very successful season .
We would also like to take this opportunity to thanks Paddy Elliott and Ben Armstrong for their hard work over the past few seasons, Both Ben and Paddy will be moving on and thanks you so much for all your efforts.
A massive thanks to all ongoing support we receive form our Sponsors - Post pandemic has been tough on everyone, so the support provided from each of these local businesses has been appreciated by all in QUBRFC more now than ever !
Support them by clicking the images below to find out more from their respective web pages or social media accounts.
Thank you
QUB win the 2021 Conroy Cup
It has been twenty-six years of waiting for the Queen’s U20s as they won the Irish Universities Conroy Cup for only the second time ever. Superb performances throughout the day brought our U20’s Conroy glory beating MU Barnhall and UCD on the way to the final before a great victory against Trinty College Dublin. This squad really is the future of Queen’s Rugby and it has some really exciting young players whom we know will break into the Senior AIL squad, in the not-too-distant future.
A lot of these lads missed out on Schools Cup rugby during their final year at school so I hope that the consolation of winning an Irish Universities medal on this historic day, made up for a little of the disappointment they endured during the pandemic.
Our Rugby Development Officer David Chambers will be giving 22-23 Prospective Students the opportunity to find out about Queen’s University’s Rugby Programmes . This will include information on our Academic support, scholarship opportunities and general questions around the Rugby Environment for both Male and Female players.
There will be two sessions for both Male and female running on Monday 29th November and Wednesday 1st December .
Use this Link below to sign up.
There will be thrilling rugby on show in Belfast on Saturday 23rd October when QUB host the 30th edition of the Conroy Cup, an Under-20 Championship for Irish Universities – sponsored by Maxol.
Six sides will be competing for the prestigious title – holders Dublin University, Maynooth University, NUI Galway, UCC UCD and hosts Queen's University.
The Conroy Cup was presented to the Irish Universities Rugby Union (IURU) in 1989 by UCD RFC as an Under-19 competition, in honour of the late Justice Charles Conroy, and his son Paddy.
Judge Conroy was a hugely influential figure in UCD rugby, having played for the club in the 1920s and serving as president in 1953/54. ‘The Judge’ served as Joint Honorary Secretary of the IURU and was active in establishing the annual colours match between the two Dublin universities.
Paddy Conroy, a barrister in the civil service, was also active in UCD RFC and provided important leadership to the club. He was Honorary Secretary of the Leinster Branch from 1978 to 1985 and was one of the best-known rugby officials in the country and served the game in a distinguished manner.
QUB have not won the competiiton since 1996 - Current QUBRFC Hon Sec Chris Moore captained that day.
Queen's will have a strong squad coming into this compettion and will be looking to set a big marker down at home.
U20 Rugby is a proitoty for the Club and this will tell where they stand in comparsion to the best University sides in Ireland.
CONROY CUP – IRISH UNIVERSITIES UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS:
1989 UCD; 1990 UCD; 1991 UCD; 1992 UCD; 1993 UCD; 1994 UCD; 1994 UCD; 1995 UCD; 1996 Queen’s; 1997 UCC; 1998 No competition (weather); 1999 UCD; 2000 UCD; 2001 No competition (foot and mouth); 2002 UCD; 2003 UCD; 2004 UCD; 2005 UCD; 2006 UCD/DU; 2007 DU; 2008 UCC; 2009 UCC/UL; 2010 UCD; 2011 UCD; 2012 UCD; 2013 UCD; 2014 DU; 2015 DU; 2016 DU: 2017 No competition; 2018 DU.
James Humphreys QUB and Ulster Academy Outhalf will be instrumental for QUB
In Line with Government Guidance and our Governing bodies advice, Rugby training for all teams will re - commence from 12th April 2021 in Non-contact training.
See full timetable of sessions below , specific times and grouping will be communicated via your team management.
You must book your slot via the website link button below on the same day as your session- this link will be displayed on our club websites homepage also.
If you are a new player please be sure to register your interest via the ‘New Player’ Section as we want to get your information first and make sure to signpost you to the right session - No walk ons will be permitted under current restrictions!
CHOOSE RUGBY | CHOOSE QUEEN’S
Shannon Buller - Current Ulster Women’s Player
Are you a school leaver looking to further your Rugby while studying in Belfast . QUB is the right environment for you!
We boast a large playing squad ranging from the developing player up to some of the best young talent in the Province . Our coaching staff and teams are in place to suit what level you are currently playing at and enough support to push you onto the next.
Ella Patterson - Rugby Academy Pathway Athlete
Scholarship Support
For players who have represented at Provincial underage level or come with a strong reference from club/school coaches we encourage you to apply for our EAP Programme - All applicants for EAP will automatically be considered for the support package below EAP which is our Rugby Academy . More details on our Academy and to apply please follow the relevant button below.
QUBRFC Ladies 1stXV 2019/2020
Want to know more ? Email our Rugby Development Officer David Chambers.
#MovingforwardforGreg
In December of last year our friend and teammate Greg Gamble sadly took his own life. In his memory the club undertook a running challenge in the month of February. This challenge would be 86miles in 28 days for each member who signed up , we had over 96 runners and they all travelled the distance from our home at Dub Lane to Greg's home club of Cavan RFC. The club was blown away by the support shown and the very generous giving . Over £11,200 was raised for SOSAD Ireland a charity recommended to us by Greg’s Parents.
CLICK HERE to see a video message from some of our runners!
Since 2007 SOSAD has worked to raise awareness and help prevent suicide in Ireland. They have worked tirelessly in our communities to help those in need feel supported and know they are not alone on their journey.
As a club we aim to keep a legacy going in memory of Greg since this campaign the club has had an active pastoral care team setup and will be delivering ‘Mental health workshops on a regular basis’
All of this is to ensure we look out for each other and continue build our support network for all of our current members. We always look out for our teammates on the pitch - We know it is as important to do the same off it!
A special mention goes out to club member Edward Broom and Ex-Irish International Barry Murphy (Potholes and Penguins Podcast) who both completes 4x4x48 (Run 4 miles very for 4 hours for 48 hours) challenge at the start of march to end our campaign . Serious effort by both lads!
Thankyou again to everyone who contributed during February to the ‘Moving forward for Greg ’ campaign.
Hospital Services Limited (HSL) and Queen’s Ladies Rugby team have joined forces to launch an exciting new partnership which aims to improve breast cancer awareness amongst young women.
Breast cancer is the leading cancer amongst women under 34 years-old and early detection is key to successful treatment. HSL have launched a partnership with the Queen’s Ladies Rugby team to boost awareness among this group and encourage the practice of self-examination and early detection.
Speaking about the initiative, Graham Stewart, Commercial & Finance Director, Hospital Services Limited said:
“We are proud to be sponsoring Queen's ladies as they fly the flag for breast health awareness amongst their peers.
“As the supplier of the majority of mammography systems in breast screening clinics across the Island of Ireland, many being the state-of-the-art Hologic 3Dimensions™ system, we understand acutely the importance of reliable and frequent breast screening for early and accurate diagnosis in order to increase treatment success rates.”
One of the most common reason cited for patients to not attend a mammogram is misinformation that the procedure is painful. Hologic technologies are designed to make a diagnostic test comfortable and easy, using curved compression paddles that better fit the shape of the breast and offer a more comfortable mammogram experience. The Hologic technologies are also supported by Artificial Intelligence-based products which provide breast density information to the reporting radiologist and a 3D Quorum range of products, designed to make patient reporting easier.
“We are keen to help young women abolish the stigma that mammograms are painful or embarrassing experiences and encourage regular self-examinations. We are happy to join the Ladies Rugby players at Queen’s University to help spread the word and encourage women to attend their scheduled mammograms when more advanced screening becomes appropriate," added Mr Stewart.
Hologic have been at the forefront of breast imaging technology since the launch of the Dimensions 8000 system, in 2008. Since then, numerous clinical studies have been conducted around the world using Hologic’s technology – all demonstrating that tomosynthesis is a fantastic tool in a bid for early breast cancer detection. Some studies found that over 50% of invasive breast cancers were detected when compared to a standard 2D mammogram.
David Chambers, Queen's Rugby Development Officer, commented:
“We are delighted to welcome HSL on board at Queen's Rugby as one of our main sponsors for our Ladies club.
“Our club has been progressing over the past few seasons with credit going to a brilliant student committee who run the club so well and a superb coaching team who have created an environment that allows all players from beginners to competitive develop, leading to the new formation of our 2nd XV last season.”
“Queen's Ladies have been deserving of this support and we are very grateful that HSL identified them as good ambassadors for their company. We are so looking forward to getting back on the field when the time is right to do so – and undoubtedly will be the best looking side in Ulster with our newly branded kit.”
One player has a personal attachment to the sponsorship. Queen's ladies rugby player Megan Stewart has conducted a survey of female students at the University and launched her own awareness initiative, Breast ‘n’ Test, in the past.
Ms Stewart said:
“Upon discovery of a lump in my second year, I was faced with the realisation that many young women, including myself, are undereducated when it comes to what to look for, how to perform self-examinations, and who to contact when something seems abnormal. I am lucky that in my case the growth was benign, but this experience has driven me to encourage breast cancer awareness among young women.”
“When I set up my awareness campaign Breast ‘n’ Test, I conducted a survey of university women and was shocked to learn that 92% of students surveyed had never been to or been offered the chance to visit a clinic that teaches cancer awareness. I also discovered that 78% of students do not know how to properly check themselves, meaning that anomalies that could potentially be caught earlier are perhaps going missed.
“I am delighted that HSL has partnered with the ladies of Queen's Rugby Club to promote breast cancer awareness and look forward to their support as I continue my campaign for increased awareness and ultimately reducing the number of young people facing more advanced breast cancer diagnoses.”
Hospital Services Limited (“HSL”) is a specialist distributor of medical supplies and surgical equipment and consumable products, servicing public and private hospitals across the UK and Ireland.