Young Munster
Full name | Young Munster Rugby Football Club | |
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Union |
IRFU Munster | |
Nickname(s) | The Cookies | |
Founded | 1895 | |
Ground(s) | Tom Clifford Park, Limerick | |
President | Tony Cusack | |
Coach(es) | Gearoid Prendergast, Ian Keatley, Ger Slattery, Eoin Tarrant | |
League(s) | All-Ireland League, 1A | |
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Official website | ||
www |
Young Munster is a Rugby union club based in Limerick, Ireland, playing in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League. It was founded in 1895 and plays its games at Tom Clifford Park in Rosbrien, Limerick.
They are the only Limerick club to have won, prior to its revival in 2011, the now defunct Bateman Cup which they won in 1928. The club song, Beautiful Munsters, remembers this victory. They also won the All Ireland League in 1993 by beating St Mary's College at Lansdowne Road in front of a record attendance for a club game of 20,000.
Club Honours also include 7 wins in the Munster Senior Rugby Cup, in 1928, 1930, 1938, 1980, 1984, 1990 and 2010 and 7 triumphs in the Munster Junior Cup in 1911, 1922, 1927, 1959, 1960, 1984 and 1999.
The Club also was one of the first Irish teams to tour North America extensively when, in 1985, they played 5 games in New York City, Vancouver, Langley (B.C.), Los Angeles and San Diego.
The current Coach is John Staunton. Assistant Coaches: Mick Lynch and Johnn Keehan. After a decade in the A.I.L Division 1, the club was relegated to Division 2 in 2002. The club played in Division 2 of the All Ireland League in the 2007-2008 year, but as a result of winning promotion, it will play in Division 1 in 2008-2009. It maintained division 1 status with victory on the last day of the 2008-2009 season away to UCD. Due to the new format of the All Ireland League Young Munster played in Division 1B in the 2009-2010 season and won promotion to Division 1A by finishing in second place behind Old Belvedere RFC. Young Munster finished the 2010-2011 regular season in third place in Division 1A, thereby earning a place in the All Ireland League semi-finals, away to Cork Constitution F.C.
The Club is known by its nickname "The Cookies"
Honours
- All-Ireland League
- 1992-93
- All-Ireland Cup
- 1927-28: 1
- Munster Senior Cup
- 1927-28, 1929-30, 1937-38, 1979-80, 1983-84, 1989-90, 2009-10
- Munster Senior League
- 1929-30, 1931-32, 1943-44, 1951-52, 1995-96
Famous players
- Tom Clifford
- Peter Clohessy
- Peter Meehan
- John Fitzgerald
- Ger Earls
- Mike Mullins
- Rob Henderson
- Paul O'Connell
- Keith Earls
- Ger Slattery
All the above, except Ger Earls & Peter Meehan, have played at some level for Ireland, most appearances by Paul O'Connell who currently holds 100 Ireland caps (to 1 June 2009) as well as having played 6 Tests for the British & Irish Lions and 3 as captain.
On 17 April 2010 Young Munster defeated University College Cork RFC in the ODM Munster Senior Cup on a scoreline of 22 - 13 in Musgrave Park Cork. They also earned promotion to Division 1A for the season 2010 - 2011. The Young Munster Senior ladies team won the AIL Shield competition in the 2010 season. The Under 19 team defeated Thomond in the final of the North Munster Cup on a scoreline of 32-0 at Garryowens ground Dooradoyle on Sunday 1 May 2010. This added to the underage sections Under 13 North Munster win over Shannon earlier in May. The Club was awarded the "Munster" Club of the Year award at a gala function held at Thomond Park to end a great 2010 season.
2013/2014 Squad
- Full-backs: Craig O' Hanlon, Adam O' Loughlin, Declan "BJ Bown" Brown
- Wings: Derry O' Connor, Lukas Kunz, Mark Doyle, Jamie Mc Garry
- Centres: Dan Goggin, Kolio Hifo,
- Out-halves:Willie Staunton, Shane O' Brien
- Scrum-halves: Sean Upton, Brian Haugh
- Front-rows: Alan Cotter, Ger Flaherty,Hugh Mc Grath, Evan Ryan, Gavin Ryan
- Hookers:Ger Slattery (captain)
- Second-rows: Sean Duggan, Mikey Madden, Ken Hanley
- Back-rows: Colin Liston, Tom Goggin, Sean Rennison, John Boy Moroney, Alan kennedy, Darren Ryan, Cian Clohessy