Dublin Rugby Clubs

Blindside87

Hows it going!

I moved to Dublin 6 a few months ago and am looking for a rugby club. I have previously played at J1 level. Cheers!

thegen

Terenure College or St Marys are your choices in D6. Very close to each other .

boredatwork82

CYM are up there too. Great bunch of lads and a good coach. Played with them for a year, still chat to a few of the lads.
Definitely worth checking out. I think they are J2. They dropped out of J1 this season by choice. I think they wanted to play Saturday games instead of Sunday games. I can see the attraction to that

LeopoldButters

Stillorgan also have a J2 team in the Metro league and we are not too far from D6 as we play in Bird Ave.

Blindside87

Tis a tough one...there's so many clubs around. Knowing toss all about Dublin rugby I think Terenure could be a good bet?

Tim Robbins

Blindside87 wrote: »

Tis a tough one...there's so many clubs around. Knowing toss all about Dublin rugby I think Terenure could be a good bet?

Stillorgan's J2 team is fairly decent and they have a good reputation as a welcoming club.

bamboozle

i've always found Terenue to be a good welcoming club, there always seems to be plenty of people in the bar!

colman1212

I play with CYM in terenure and its a great club.
As far as I know the first meeting of the year is 15th July in CYM 7pm.
I live in dublin 6 and its very handy to get to from there.

Goodluck2me

bamboozle wrote: »

i've always found Terenue to be a good welcoming club, there always seems to be plenty of people in the bar!

Not entirely sure I would agree with that, from my experience of all the Dublin clubs they have the highest school boy->club players, so there's a pretty strong clique there, may well be wrong though.

delta_bravo

I played CYM a few times and they seem a friendly bunch. Know a few that play cricket there and its a good club overall. I wouldnt recommend the Nure. Guinness RFC are starting back on the 20th I think, their first season in the Leinster League. St. Marys is also a good club with very good facilities, I joined a lower team at the club without having any experience or didnt go to the school and was very much welcomed. That was 2-3 years ago and I'm still playing.

Gracelessly Tom

I'd recommend Mary's, but I am biased as a Mary's boy myself!!:D

While there is a high percentage of former school boys there has been a big influx of other lads (and lasses) over the last few years and they've really slotted in brilliantly. The junior scene is thriving and I've no doubt you'd enjoy playing and socialising up there, rare that anyone hasn't!

The 1st team and J1's are back in training now and the others will start back shortly. Great facilities, newly built fully equipped gym and one of the best clubhouses in the country. Social side of things is class as well.

If your interested I can send you details of who to get in touch with, depending on what level you want to play at.

damnyanks

Really depends how serious you are looking to take the rugby and what level to play at. The bigger clubs will offer more 'opportunities' if you'd like to call it that. I think there are about 6 clubs in the area in total. I can't remember hte names other than st marys + nure, I know cym and stillorgan, 2 other small ones that do j3 / j4

LightningBolt

I'd recommend Marys if you want to play on a J1 team that's actually train and play together as opposed to having lads pulled out of the squad all the time. Very good social scene up there and a nice bunch of people. Really good strong teams all the way down to so there's a good bit of competition.

Terenure a good club too. Would be a bit more cliquey though more for the fact that most of the lads have all played together from school. Still a good bunch.

CYM/Stillorgan I'm sure are fine clubs and all have a lot going for them but if it's facilities you're after I'd go with either of the first two. Marys would shade it for me just because it seems to have a seriously good social scene anytime I'm up there if a few mates are playing away.

I've nothing to do with any of the clubs above.

tHE vAGGABOND

Stillorgan [and other small clubs] are *full* of players [including my good self] who were with Terenure, Marys or other big senior clubs once, and they did not like it for any number of reasons. If your not "known" no one talks to you, if you get into that loop you dont get picked and may not get invited out to these social nights!

At Stillorgan or a similar small club people go out of their way to say hello and if you show up to training you will get a game, and if you deserve to be on the firsts, you will indeed get onto the firsts. You wont be left on the J5's because that bloke who was good when he was in the JCT but never goes training has your position on the team above

Check out the couple of running threads on this forum, and see where people have gone, and what they thought.

LFC5Times

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

Stillorgan [and other small clubs] are *full* of players [including my good self] who were with Terenure, Marys or other big senior clubs once, and they did not like it for any number of reasons. If your not "known" no one talks to you, if you get into that loop you dont get picked and may not get invited out to these social nights!

You must of had a real bad experience so to come out with a statement like that or maybe you where not a good mixer? You seem to think all Senior Clubs are like big bad wolves. Maybe you where not good enough to get on the team and hence that is why you where not picked.

I know plenty of players in both Marys & Nure who went to neither school or are not from Dublin or are not from Ireland even who are playing on different teams throughout the clubs and are having a great time in both clubs, have been welcomed with open arms, enjoying the social life, made new friends, winning trophies, going on Junior tours etc etc.

To the OP, if you are in D6, I would recommend Nure, Marys or CYM you would probably be better off with the first two if you have played J1 and are looking to play to a similar enough level. Both are good clubs, Marys at the moment would be stronger at 1XV down to J2 level than Terenure so that may help in your decision. (I'm not from Marys either btw)

JonnyF

Lads I was trying not to wade in here but I have to say something.

First off to the OP. If you've played a bit of J1 rugby before then somewhere like Stillorgan or CYM may not be for you. Stillorgan are a good j2 team but wouldn't be close to the standard of most metro j1 sides and cym will struggle in section b.

There's heaps of clubs you can play for, I've played rugby all over the world and for three clubs in dublin, 2 senior and one junior club. All of those clubs are the same, if you pitch up and are a hard worker it will be noticed and appreciated. Rugby is famous for being an opening and welcoming game and i'm sick of people on these boards running down big clubs and contributing to the negative stereotypes of some of the big clubs. Sure terenure are d**kheads when you play against them but i've played with a lot of terenure lads in rugby league and they're all bang on.

Basically mate, pick a club that's near enough to you that will give you a decent level of rugby and be handy to get to for training. get down there early enough in the preseason that you're not the only new guy and get stuck in. you'll make friends straightaway. Rugby's a great game and a brilliant way of meeting people. Just get down to a club and get into it.
Good luck

PhatPiggins

LFC5Times wrote: »

You must of had a real bad experience so to come out with a statement like that or maybe you where not a good mixer? You seem to think all Senior Clubs are like big bad wolves. Maybe you where not good enough to get on the team and hence that is why you where not picked.

I know plenty of players in both Marys & Nure who went to neither school or are not from Dublin or are not from Ireland even who are playing on different teams throughout the clubs and are having a great time in both clubs, have been welcomed with open arms, enjoying the social life, made new friends, winning trophies, going on Junior tours etc etc.

To the OP, if you are in D6, I would recommend Nure, Marys or CYM you would probably be better off with the first two if you have played J1 and are looking to play to a similar enough level. Both are good clubs, Marys at the moment would be stronger at 1XV down to J2 level than Terenure so that may help in your decision. (I'm not from Marys either btw)

That may be the case but both clubs are full of schoolboy never has beens and it can be difficult to break down the barriers.

Personally I'd recommend that the OP try's a few different clubs be settling on one.

Gracelessly Tom

PhatPiggins wrote: »

That may be the case but both clubs are full of schoolboy never has beens and it can be difficult to break down the barriers.

Personally I'd recommend that the OP try's a few different clubs be settling on one.

Thats a bit of a generalisation isn't it??!!

I've met very few who haven't found Mary's welcoming (can't speak for Terenure as I'm not a member) and enjoyed their time there.

Those "schoolboy never has beens" are half the reason the lower junior teams in the club survive and have a squad to turn out each week which in turn attracts more young players who can move up the teams or just enjoy rugby. They also play an important role in the off the pitch affairs.

There are a large number of non former schoolboys playing in Mary's, all of whom have slotted in easily.

Ham'nd'egger

JonnyF wrote: »

Lads I was trying not to wade in here but I have to say something.

First off to the OP. If you've played a bit of J1 rugby before then somewhere like Stillorgan or CYM may not be for you. Stillorgan are a good j2 team but wouldn't be close to the standard of most metro j1 sides and cym will struggle in section b.

In fairness, there is a big difference if OP played J1 as in a few games and was a sub at J1, if he was a first choice regular or even if he played for a weak J1 team. A club like CYM or Stillorgan playing J1 Division 2 or 3 in the Leinster League isn't the highest level of J1 so a move to either of them to play as good as J2 may well be a sensible choice.

JonnyF wrote: »

There's heaps of clubs you can play for, I've played rugby all over the world and for three clubs in dublin, 2 senior and one junior club. All of those clubs are the same, if you pitch up and are a hard worker it will be noticed and appreciated. Rugby is famous for being an opening and welcoming game and i'm sick of people on these boards running down big clubs and contributing to the negative stereotypes of some of the big clubs. Sure terenure are d**kheads when you play against them but i've played with a lot of terenure lads in rugby league and they're all bang on.

Agreed 100%. Guys often bad mouth a team on the basis of last weeks defeat. At the same time, some people prefer a smaller club for many reasons as indeed do some like bigger clubs.

JonnyF wrote: »

Basically mate, pick a club that's near enough to you that will give you a decent level of rugby and be handy to get to for training. get down there early enough in the preseason that you're not the only new guy and get stuck in. you'll make friends straightaway. Rugby's a great game and a brilliant way of meeting people. Just get down to a club and get into it.
Good luck

Again, 100%; find the club you like most of all. The main clubs in the Dublin 6 locality are....

• Terenure College
• St Mary's College
• CYM Terenure
• Stillorgan
• Guinness
• Parkmore
• Tallaght
• Emerald Warriors

Of them, the first two are AIL with plenty of teams and underage sections, the next two play at about J2 level with lower league teams while the others fielded at J4 last season. Parkmore play home games at Terenure College FTR while the Warriors play in Tymon Park and train at Tallaght RFC.

If you are willing to travel a mile or two more, Wanderers, Railway Union, Old Belvedere and Monkstown are a bit further away but not out of reach.

theKramer

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Thats a bit of a generalisation isn't it??!!

I've met very few who haven't found Mary's welcoming (can't speak for Terenure as I'm not a member) and enjoyed their time there.

Those "schoolboy never has beens" are half the reason the lower junior teams in the club survive and have a squad to turn out each week which in turn attracts more young players who can move up the teams or just enjoy rugby. They also play an important role in the off the pitch affairs.

There are a large number of non former schoolboys playing in Mary's, all of whom have slotted in easily.

I played my first season of rugby with Marys. Lads were all dead sound and I fitted in pretty easily. However there is one big problem if you want to play J4 level rugby at the bigger clubs, in that they really dont give a s*** about J4/J5 teams. When I was there, we were "told" to play certain j2/j3 players when they were coming back from injury and who patently obviously didnt wanna be there, and thus forcing someone who would wanna play, and has been training every night, onto the sidelines.

Me being J2/J4 standard, I am happier being at CYM, whose teams are J2 and J4, as they are the main focus of the club. We even have a physio that comes in on matchdays to help out with any injuries we may have or any strapping that may need to be done.

Thats the big difference between the big clubs and the smaller clubs. In a smaller club, you know the club values you, whereas in the likes of Terenure/Marys/etc, its pretty much the opposite, when you play at the lower J-levels.....

ADO

im sorry but i have to disagree with that last post.

i am going into my 3rd year of playing for st.marys and i have to say there in none of that which i have seen in the club. i play for the lowest level in the club and i get treathed very fair and the exact same as even a guy on the firsts or the J1. i was welcomed into the club with open arms (and before u ask i didnt go to marys school) and have made some really really good friends. we all know the opinions of each other's clubs but to be honest if i was the OP i would pick the one that is nearest to me and maybe the one that u feel u will fit in most comfortably in, and that suits the level u want to play.

Downtime

theKramer wrote: »

Thats the big difference between the big clubs and the smaller clubs. In a smaller club, you know the club values you, whereas in the likes of Terenure/Marys/etc, its pretty much the opposite, when you play at the lower J-levels.....

I disagree too. In Terenure our J4 is highly valued as it is our most successful team. Every player in the club is valued.

rockman15

to the OP: alot of the negativity your hearing about the bigger senior clubs here is nonsense. ive played for one over the last year having joined as a 23 year old. no problems integrating or getting game time (i didnt play in 2 games last year because i was away, not because of J1 or J2 players getting subbed in).

if you are worried about these unfounded rumours, you could look beyond D6, theres loads of clubs around the D4 area: Bective, Old Wesley, Wanderers, Old Belevedere, Landsdowne

dont be afraid to commit, you'll enjoy it. read the sticky here "so ive decided to start playing rugby", entertaining and frank.

Blindside87

Cheers for all the replies folks! I played at J1 Leinster League 1A I think it was before getting injured. Was only really getting the ball rolling when I got injured. Don't know how that transfers to the Dublin league...would be aiming for J1 though. Terenure is close and a big club but alot of bad mouthing about them on boards for whatever reason. I don't really care where I play as long as I get game time I'm happy. Wouldn't mind going to D4 either, not htat big a deal like!

stephen_n

Terenure have a J5 team they would probably love to have you on

theKramer

Blindside87 wrote: »

Cheers for all the replies folks! I played at J1 Leinster League 1A I think it was before getting injured. Was only really getting the ball rolling when I got injured. Don't know how that transfers to the Dublin league...would be aiming for J1 though. Terenure is close and a big club but alot of bad mouthing about them on boards for whatever reason. I don't really care where I play as long as I get game time I'm happy. Wouldn't mind going to D4 either, not htat big a deal like!

I would probably recommend Marys before Terenure. When I was there, I found all the lads sound in Marys. I personally have no experience of anyone in Terenure, but the fact that they load teams for lower leagues is a bit crap.

While I was playing in Marys, we did have to play the odd J2 or J3 lad that was coming back from injury, however they never ever loaded a J4/J5 team with a load of J2/J3 players to win a cup/league, so I would say the mindset is a bit better in Marys.

That would be my €0.02 worth anyway. Good luck with your choice

Luckycharm

theKramer wrote: »

I would probably recommend Marys before Terenure. When I was there, I found all the lads sound in Marys. I personally have no experience of anyone in Terenure, but the fact that they load teams for lower leagues is a bit crap.

While I was playing in Marys, we did have to play the odd J2 or J3 lad that was coming back from injury, however they never ever loaded a J4/J5 team with a load of J2/J3 players to win a cup/league, so I would say the mindset is a bit better in Marys.

That would be my €0.02 worth anyway. Good luck with your choice

I know lads in both Marys and The G (terenure) both are sound, I played for St Marys for years and even played tag for Terenure this year. If you are ambitous as you seem to be the Marys would be their best bet as they have the best Facilities of prob any club in Leinster. They have a gym, great clubhouse plus are the only Leinster team ever to have won the AIL and lost in the final this year. Terenure in recent years have been a bit of Yo yo club between div 1 and 2 I think they are still in Div 2 but they are a decent bunch of lads as well. Just don't join the Chaps

remwhite

For what it's worth I would pick Mary's over Terenure as Mary's is, for my money, one of the best clubs in the country. Great facilities, and competitive at every level.

Personally, I don't like Terenure. I feel they always stacking teams at junior level and matches against them are always bitchy and full of handbags.

As far as big clubs being cliquey? I don't buy into that nonsense. I'm from Laois and joined Lansdowne about 5 years ago and never looked back. I have made some of my closest friends there. It bugs me that people approach senior clubs as being full of hostile closed teams. Every club looks after their own if you are a good club man.

From my experience the best clubs I have played against(with) in terms of apparent structure and camaraderie are Lansdowne, Blackrock, Mary's, Belvo and Greystones although Greystones have slipped in the last few years as they struggle for numbers.

I find I always recognise half the faces when I play the above teams which some might perceive as a closed team but I believe it is a reflection of the quality of the clubs that players want to tog out year after year for the same club.

Incidentally my worst experience was a year of 20's with Portlaoise who were very cliquey and some of them were just straight up assholes to me. That is a reflection on one crop of 20's though not the entire club.

themont85

Marys are a great club and run it the right way. The levels of participation there is great.

shoutman

Yea have to say the Marys junior sides all seem like a good bunch of lads, they are competitive and don't stack any of their sides. One of my favourite matches of my junior rugby life was a J5 cup match against Mary's under lights out there.

norrie rugger

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

Stillorgan [and other small clubs] are *full* of players [including my good self] who were with Terenure, Marys or other big senior clubs once, and they did not like it for any number of reasons. If your not "known" no one talks to you, if you get into that loop you dont get picked and may not get invited out to these social nights!

At Stillorgan or a similar small club people go out of their way to say hello and if you show up to training you will get a game, and if you deserve to be on the firsts, you will indeed get onto the firsts. You wont be left on the J5's because that bloke who was good when he was in the JCT but never goes training has your position on the team above

Check out the couple of running threads on this forum, and see where people have gone, and what they thought.

Load of arse this TBH.
Came to Mary's a few yers back, played on every team barring the 1st XV and have great craic with all of them. Hell I think that I played with all those teams even last year!

The club has stood by me through really bad injury and I am being given opportunity to play at higher levels again. I have nothing to say but good things about the club.

I have played for smaller senior clubs and some J1 clubs, winning medals along the way, but found Mary's to be the far better club

Blindside87

No1 has mentioned De La Salle who I think are in Ranelagh...any1 have any info on these? So far Marys has got the most praise but I'm weary of it because it's such a big club...not sure why though ha!

themont85

Blindside87 wrote: »

No1 has mentioned De La Salle who I think are in Ranelagh...any1 have any info on these? So far Marys has got the most praise but I'm weary of it because it's such a big club...not sure why though ha!

They're in Palmerstown, decent club too.

JonnyF

Blindside87 wrote: »

No1 has mentioned De La Salle who I think are in Ranelagh...any1 have any info on these? So far Marys has got the most praise but I'm weary of it because it's such a big club...not sure why though ha!

no mate DLSP train up in Kiltiernan in the Dublin mountains, would be a serious pain in the ass if you didn't have your own car. seems like an ok club but miles away from where you're talking about.

JustinDee

themont85 wrote: »

They're in Palmerstown, decent club too.

Sorry for being pedantic but Palmerston is where you're thinking of.
Palmerstown is on the N4 between Chapelizod and Lucan.

Thank you for your time.

norrie rugger

Blindside87 wrote: »

No1 has mentioned De La Salle who I think are in Ranelagh...any1 have any info on these? So far Marys has got the most praise but I'm weary of it because it's such a big club...not sure why though ha!

Put it this way
When I moved to Dublin I thought the same and wasted 2 years playnig with a lower level club.
Moved to Mary's and now fighting to get fit again and being given any opportunity to prove myself at higher levels.

Knew no one there, not an old boy from the school and had only played J1 at highest.

JonnyF

JustinDee wrote: »

Sorry for being pedantic but Palmerston is where you're thinking of.
Palmerstown is on the N4 between Chapelizod and Lucan.

Thank you for your time.

De La Salle Palmerston is a merger between De La Salle Rugby CLub and Palmerston Rugby Club. They merged ages ago , at least thirty years ago but probably longer. Palmerston had grounds in Milltown but they sold them and moved up to Kiltiernan where they've got three or four pitches and a nice club house too.

JustinDee

JonnyF wrote: »

De La Salle Palmerston is a merger between De La Salle Rugby CLub and Palmerston Rugby Club. They merged ages ago , at least thirty years ago but probably longer. Palmerston had grounds in Milltown but they sold them and moved up to Kiltiernan where they've got three or four pitches and a nice club house too.

Having nothing to do with Palmerstown was the point I was actually making.

And yep, they're an excellent club.

Blindside87

I used to live in Milltown and there is a lot of roads with palmerstown on it so thought it might be near by! Ye might go up and train at Mary's so. Cheers for the input will let ye know how I get on...

GSOIRL

DLSP is a good club with a great mix of people involved. They have a good range of players who went to different schools in Dublin as well as lots of players from all around this country and other countries.

They play in Kilteiran/Stepaside and it would help if you had a car but not impossible if you don't.

They 1st team play in division 2 and they have J1, J2, J3, J4, J5 and 2 x U21's teams.

The big advantage this season is that they've spent alot of money on their pitches this summer. The top 2 pitches are flood lit to match standard and the bottom pitch is flood lit for training purposes. They also have the use of 3 more pitches in Stepaside for the upcoming season.

The best thing to do would be to head up to Kirwan Park on the 18th August to watch them play against London Irish. It's free in and you'll be able to chat to some of the players and officals while you're there.

norrie rugger

Blindside87 wrote: »

I used to live in Milltown and there is a lot of roads with palmerstown on it so thought it might be near by! Ye might go up and train at Mary's so. Cheers for the input will let ye know how I get on...

There is a fitness session tonight, for the J2 and J3 I think.
Easy way to meet and greet

Luckycharm

norrie rugger wrote: »

There is a fitness session tonight, for the J2 and J3 I think.
Easy way to meet and greet

Aren't the Pitches in Marys not currently being reseeded - I saw the under 20's training in Kenilworth last night.

norrie rugger

Luckycharm wrote: »

Aren't the Pitches in Marys not currently being reseeded - I saw the under 20's training in Kenilworth last night.

Apologies, I shuld have said a base fitness appraisal.
Strength, flexibility, agility and sprint fitness etc. All can be done on small area of green and in the gym

Luckycharm

norrie rugger wrote: »

Apologies, I shuld have said a base fitness appraisal.
Strength, flexibility, agility and sprint fitness etc. All can be done on small area of green and in the gym

Are you using the area behind the first pitch? What team are you on up there?

norrie rugger

depends on the week ha. Currently J1

Blindside87

I'm not sure about Mary's as I said they're a massive club so might be hard breaking into. What are peoples thoughts on Old wesley or wanderers?

norrie rugger

Blindside87 wrote: »

I'm not sure about Mary's as I said they're a massive club so might be hard breaking into. What are peoples thoughts on Old wesley or wanderers?

Did you call up yet?
You should, the Seniors to the J3s are back.
I played J1 in Cork, played two seasons of low J2, with a junior club in dublin and wasted 2 years. Went to Mary's and played J1-2 but was injured. Came back through J3 and playing J1 now.

the club has no hang ups. If you are good enough you will be brought through to higher teams. TBH I am amazed that I am being considered J1 again

remwhite

Blindside87 wrote: »

I'm not sure about Mary's as I said they're a massive club so might be hard breaking into. What are peoples thoughts on Old wesley or wanderers?

I would recommend Mary's over either of those. If I had to pick I would pick Wesley well before Wanderers.

Simple fact is, if you are sound and you give it your best you will be selected in any club you choose to go to.

Why not join Lansdowne and enjoy the best facilities in the country? No brainer if you ask me?

skregs

Anyone know what the facilities in Guinness RFC are like?

remwhite

skregs wrote: »

Anyone know what the facilities in Guinness RFC are like?

For the love of God don't do it!!!!!!!!!!!

skregs

Fair enough. I just moved so I'm pretty much halfway between them and CYM now