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ormond lad · 09-06-2011, 20:03

May as well start a thread for next season
Nenagh have a new coach in ex pro Trevor Hogan with Jonny Moylan leaving. John Lillis is not playing with nenagh next season and may not be playing with thurles either depending on how tipp do in camoige as he is a selector with them. Nenaghs captain for the last few years, mick kennedy has been asked to play with garryowen.
Sundays Well have signed thurles pair Barry and Aidan Dwyer, aidan having played dual status last season.
Cashel have signed shane luby from kilfeacle, though he may be with kilfeacle dual status

thomond2006 · 09-06-2011, 20:16

Did anyone just think "What the **** is the Ulster Bank League?" when they read the title?

I had no idea Ulster Bank were sponsoring the AIL.

Aidric · 09-06-2011, 20:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomond2006

Did anyone just think "What the **** is the Ulster Bank League?" when they read the title?

No.

ormond lad · 09-06-2011, 20:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomond2006

Did anyone just think "What the **** is the Ulster Bank League?" when they read the title? no only you thomond

I had no idea Ulster Bank were sponsoring the AIL.

Announced it back in january, hopefully they can promote it well to try get crowds back to games.

jolley123 · 09-06-2011, 20:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomond2006

Did anyone just think "What the **** is the Ulster Bank League?" when they read the title?

I had no idea Ulster Bank were sponsoring the AIL.

Don't worry Thomond, you're not alone. I forgot it was now the Ulster league.

thomond2006 · 10-06-2011, 04:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by ormond lad

Announced it back in january, hopefully they can promote it well to try get crowds back to games.

Good to see they got a sponsor in quick after AIB left.

PhatPiggins · 10-06-2011, 16:13

Great idea for a thread. I'd imagine I'm not alone in stating that as a rugby nut I don't know nearly enough about the UBL !

CatFromHue · 10-06-2011, 16:35

no your not. the league had its hay day but thats gone now. it will never get back to what it once was in the late 90's early 00's.

the provinces have a huge following but not all would be people who would play or have played the game. id almost go to say that the people who do have an interest in the league are players/ex players at some level. not players who play for ubl teams just players in general.

i would have played and would still like to play (long term knee injury stopping me). i have a passing interest in the league in that i would read reports on a sunday morning and check the league table. im not affiliated with any club but between work and college id have played for a few clubs all over the country. id always check to see how those teams would be getting on. if a game was on tv i would watch it too. a work colleague who is a big leinster fan but never has played for a club has interest in the ubl.

i do view the league as being important for irish rugby as it's a part of the games soul.

Digifriendly · 11-06-2011, 11:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by CatFromHue

no your not. the league had its hay day but thats gone now. it will never get back to what it once was in the late 90's early 00's.

the provinces have a huge following but not all would be people who would play or have played the game. id almost go to say that the people who do have an interest in the league are players/ex players at some level. not players who play for ubl teams just players in general.

i would have played and would still like to play (long term knee injury stopping me). i have a passing interest in the league in that i would read reports on a sunday morning and check the league table. im not affiliated with any club but between work and college id have played for a few clubs all over the country. id always check to see how those teams would be getting on. if a game was on tv i would watch it too. a work colleague who is a big leinster fan but never has played for a club has interest in the ubl.

i do view the league as being important for irish rugby as it's a part of the games soul.

Agree with you. The club game is struggling to survive sadly. I support Dungannon who play in 1B and their gates have dwindled to 200-300 last couple of seasons, in some instances even less and sadly some games attract just a few more than Ulster League matches. When Dungannon are away I tend to watch other Ulster teams in the AIL and the story is pretty similar although Ballynahinch seem to attract a decent sized crowd. I remember when Dungannon played Ballymena in the year they won the AIL and there were 2,000-3,000 at the game!

PhatPiggins · 11-06-2011, 11:54

I won't pretend to be an expert but I do find the IRFU/Regional Branches (whoever) decisions to continually devalue the club game baffling. The introduction of the B&I Cup, limiting the number of contracted players on the pitch, etc seems to have the end result of limiting the game time of the best players to a minimum.

Would any of you regular viewers of the league say the standard is dropping?

roycon · 11-06-2011, 14:54

the average age has dropped significantly. i dont think the standard has dropped hugely but you wont find any starting provincial player playing week in week out in the ubl. pretty much all the ireand u20 team from yesterday are playing ulster bank league regularly and will be again next year. the irfu still recognize this and that it is vital for development and always will be. look at the npc in new zealand. its still going well even with the advent of super rugby. theyre trying slowly to expand the league with four divisions next year. brought in a few strong provincial town teams where there is the potential for a large young playing base navan,naas, etc. the first division is getting smaller trying to create 1 or 2 big teams from each province in a top league.

blackrock - south dublin
st marys - south dublin
clontarf - north dublin
cork con - cork city
dolphin - cork
shannon
ul bohs
young munster
dungannon - ulster
ballynahinch - ulster
galwegians

Amazotheamazing · 11-06-2011, 16:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by roycon

the average age has dropped significantly. i dont think the standard has dropped hugely but you wont find any starting provincial player playing week in week out in the ubl. pretty much all the ireand u20 team from yesterday are playing ulster bank league regularly and will be again next year. the irfu still recognize this and that it is vital for development and always will be. look at the npc in new zealand. its still going well even with the advent of super rugby. theyre trying slowly to expand the league with four divisions next year. brought in a few strong provincial town teams where there is the potential for a large young playing base navan,naas, etc. the first division is getting smaller trying to create 1 or 2 big teams from each province in a top league.

blackrock - south dublin
st marys - south dublin
clontarf - north dublin
cork con - cork city
dolphin - cork
shannon
ul bohs
young munster
dungannon - ulster
ballynahinch - ulster
galwegians

Amazed if Garryowen would be overlooked.

You could never pick one or two clubs from the big four Limerick clubs (Boh's, Shannon, Garryowen and Munsters), imo, you'd either have to have them all in or a combined Limerick team in (which would be unworkable).

roycon · 11-06-2011, 18:56

forgot garryowen sorry! theyre not being picked. they just qualify through competing. theyre trying to do it slowly over a series of years. i think its going pretty well so far. the division 1b winner next year doesnt qualify for the finals like previous years but the 1st division has gotten slightly bigger. not as big as when the changes started though

Amazotheamazing · 11-06-2011, 19:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by roycon

forgot garryowen sorry! theyre not being picked. they just qualify through competing. theyre trying to do it slowly over a series of years. i think its going pretty well so far. the division 1b winner next year doesnt qualify for the finals like previous years but the 1st division has gotten slightly bigger. not as big as when the changes started though

It's interesting to see the clubs that are surviving. Imo, clubs like Nenagh and Bruff are the future, community based, virtually GAA in ethos. Munsters have also sorta adopted that model. They've made games into social events people want to attend for not just the rugby.

roycon · 11-06-2011, 21:28

interesting also to see strategically city of derry being promoted into the third division last year and then getting promoted again this year into the 2nd. Derry is the fourth biggest city in ireland after dublin, belfast and cork and i have a feeling ulster rugby decided they needed a big rugby team in there playing in a top division so they pushed them through , maybe gave them a few players and better facilities and some money so that the popularity of rugby can grow there.

09-06-2011, 20:03	#1
ormond lad Registered User Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 3,226 Adverts \| Friends	Ulster Bank League 2011-2012 talk/gossip/rumours May as well start a thread for next season Nenagh have a new coach in ex pro Trevor Hogan with Jonny Moylan leaving. John Lillis is not playing with nenagh next season and may not be playing with thurles either depending on how tipp do in camoige as he is a selector with them. Nenaghs captain for the last few years, mick kennedy has been asked to play with garryowen. Sundays Well have signed thurles pair Barry and Aidan Dwyer, aidan having played dual status last season. Cashel have signed shane luby from kilfeacle, though he may be with kilfeacle dual status

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09-06-2011, 20:16	#2
thomond2006 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: John Hayes pyjama factory Posts: 19,119 Adverts \| Friends	Did anyone just think "What the **** is the Ulster Bank League?" when they read the title? I had no idea Ulster Bank were sponsoring the AIL.

10-06-2011, 16:13	#7
PhatPiggins Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 4,771 Adverts \| Friends	Great idea for a thread. I'd imagine I'm not alone in stating that as a rugby nut I don't know nearly enough about the UBL !

10-06-2011, 16:35	#8
CatFromHue Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 6,538 Adverts \| Friends	no your not. the league had its hay day but thats gone now. it will never get back to what it once was in the late 90's early 00's. the provinces have a huge following but not all would be people who would play or have played the game. id almost go to say that the people who do have an interest in the league are players/ex players at some level. not players who play for ubl teams just players in general. i would have played and would still like to play (long term knee injury stopping me). i have a passing interest in the league in that i would read reports on a sunday morning and check the league table. im not affiliated with any club but between work and college id have played for a few clubs all over the country. id always check to see how those teams would be getting on. if a game was on tv i would watch it too. a work colleague who is a big leinster fan but never has played for a club has interest in the ubl. i do view the league as being important for irish rugby as it's a part of the games soul.

11-06-2011, 11:54	#10
PhatPiggins Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 4,771 Adverts \| Friends	I won't pretend to be an expert but I do find the IRFU/Regional Branches (whoever) decisions to continually devalue the club game baffling. The introduction of the B&I Cup, limiting the number of contracted players on the pitch, etc seems to have the end result of limiting the game time of the best players to a minimum. Would any of you regular viewers of the league say the standard is dropping?

11-06-2011, 14:54	#11
roycon Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 531 Adverts \| Friends	the average age has dropped significantly. i dont think the standard has dropped hugely but you wont find any starting provincial player playing week in week out in the ubl. pretty much all the ireand u20 team from yesterday are playing ulster bank league regularly and will be again next year. the irfu still recognize this and that it is vital for development and always will be. look at the npc in new zealand. its still going well even with the advent of super rugby. theyre trying slowly to expand the league with four divisions next year. brought in a few strong provincial town teams where there is the potential for a large young playing base navan,naas, etc. the first division is getting smaller trying to create 1 or 2 big teams from each province in a top league. blackrock - south dublin st marys - south dublin clontarf - north dublin cork con - cork city dolphin - cork shannon ul bohs young munster dungannon - ulster ballynahinch - ulster galwegians

11-06-2011, 18:56	#13
roycon Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 531 Adverts \| Friends	forgot garryowen sorry! theyre not being picked. they just qualify through competing. theyre trying to do it slowly over a series of years. i think its going pretty well so far. the division 1b winner next year doesnt qualify for the finals like previous years but the 1st division has gotten slightly bigger. not as big as when the changes started though

11-06-2011, 21:28	#15
roycon Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 531 Adverts \| Friends	interesting also to see strategically city of derry being promoted into the third division last year and then getting promoted again this year into the 2nd. Derry is the fourth biggest city in ireland after dublin, belfast and cork and i have a feeling ulster rugby decided they needed a big rugby team in there playing in a top division so they pushed them through , maybe gave them a few players and better facilities and some money so that the popularity of rugby can grow there.