Vale Star Notes:

Last weeks Vale Star Notes:

BRUFF
RUGBY
All Ireland Senior Cup 3rd Round
Malone RFC…………37
Bruff RFC……….……3
The senior team travelled to Belfast to meet Malone RFC in the postponed All Ireland Senior Cup 3rd Round match on Saturday with a very depleted team due to injuries and went down 37-3.
Bruff had less than half of their¬ regular side and were lucky to hold Malone to 37 points consisting of six tries by Peter Baird (2), D. Bradford, M.Bradford, S. McDonald and K. Hallett who also added a penalty and two conversions.
Alan Kilcoyne accounted for Bruff’s only score of a penalty. With the important league match against second placed Instonians due to be played in Kilballyowen this Saturday, the selectors were not prepared to take any risks with players who were carrying injuries.
Great credit is due to the 2nd XV, 3rd XV and U20 players who made themselves available to travel at short notice.
Hopefully a full panel of players will be available for Saturday.

Bruff v Instonians this Saturday
This Saturday the senior team will meet Belfast side Instonians in a top of the table clash in the AIB All Ireland League at 2.30p.m. in Kilballyowen Park.
Bruff and Instonians are neck and neck after ten rounds on 46 and 43 points respectively followed by Queens University on 38 points and Bandbridge who have a match in hand against Connemara on 35.
With five rounds left Bruff are at present in pole position to gain promotion if they get a good result on Saturday.

Referee Training Course for Tag Rugby
A special training course for people (male or female) who are prepared to referee in the Weekly Twilight Spring Tag Rugby League (April 10th to May 15th) is being arranged on Tuesday March 11th.
The venue and time has yet to be arranged, but it’s expected to be a two hour session from around 7.30p.m.
This course is being arranged by the IRFU and everyone is invited to come along. Underage coaches and parents are very welcome to get involved. Refereeing is a great way to get involved in tag to keep fit and enjoy the social scene.
People who attend this course and referee tag matches under the IRFU tag programme will receive a complimentary Canterbury kit and other concessions.
Those who are interested (male or female) are requested to contact Gráinne O’Keeffe 087/9312817 or email brufftagrugby@yahoo.ie or to Seoirse Clancy, the club’s referee co-ordinator 086/2523183.

Ireland v Scotland
Tickets
Tickets for the Ireland v Scotland Six Nations match at Croke Park on Saturday February 23rd must be applied for before 3.30p.m. on this Monday February 11th on 087/1386244 using text or voice only.
No applications will be taken personally.
A list of the membership numbers of those who have been allocated tickets will appear on the club website www.bruffrfc.com from next Tuesday night. Times and dates for the collection will also appear.

Tickets for Munster v Gloucester
Applications for tickets for the Munster v Gloucester game will not be accepted until Monday March 10th at the earliest.
Please do not book on the dedicated phone number before this date as any bookings made before March 10th will be deleted.

League Changes
The format for the North Munster Senior Seconds League has been changed to two four team sections who will each play in a round robin.
Bruff will be at home to Thomond and UL/Bohs and away to Old Crescent with the winners and runners-up involved in semi-finals against the winners and runners-up of the other section.
Dates have not yet been decided on, but Bruff have applied to have their two home fixtures under the new floodlight system and are awaiting a reply.

Gleeson League Semi-Final
The Bruff v Garryowen Semi-final of the Gleeson League has been fixed for Kilballyowen Park on Saturday February 16th at 2.30p.m.

Munster Junior Plate
The Bruff junior 1 team will meet Newcastle West on this Sunday February 10th at Kilballyowen Park at 2.30p.m. (et).
A full turnout of local support would be appreciated.

Supporters’ Bus to Ards Next Saturday
Those people wishing to travel in the supporters’ bus to the Bruff v Ards match next Saturday February 16th should book their place as soon as possible. Contact Mike O’Connor 061/382388 or any committee member before Wednesday.

Rugby Trivia
Switching Codes After Grand Slam
After the celebrations of the 1948 Grand Slam were concluded Ireland re-grouped for the 1949 season short on numbers.
Two of their winning team, centre Paddy Reid from Limerick and Chris (or Jack as he was sometimes known) Daly, a robust athletic prop from Cobh had accepted offers during the close season to switch codes and join Huddersfield Rugby League side across the water in England.
In Reid’s case it was a move of choice, and after a couple of months at Huddersfield he was snapped up by Halifax. He was part of the team that lost the 1949 Challenge Cup Final to Bradford. Daly, meanwhile was somewhat forced into taking up Huddersfield’s offer for the simple reason that he was sacked from his job, and couldn’t find another one after celebrating a little too long following Ireland’s Grand Slam clinching victory over Wales.
Other notable Irish players to switch codes include Robin Thompson, a second row from Ulster who signed for Warrington after playing in the Lions Tour of 1955 and Ken Goodall another Ulster forward who joined Workington Town in the early 1970s.
Paddy Reid has many connections with the Bruff area through his wife Celia Kelly whose father Mick Kelly won nine Munster senior cup medals with Garryowen in the 1890s and was born in Roxtown, Grange while her mother was Celia Canty from Garryspillane. Kelly was a grand uncle to former club president David O’Keeffe and a cousin of current senior team wing forward John Stephen Shine. Paddy Reid’s granddaughter Lisa Whelan last year married former Bruff player Jim Wallace from Gormanstown. Jim is current chairman of the club’s very hardworking finance committee.

Fixtures
Thursday: Senior and junior 1 training at 7p.m.
Friday: Junior 2 and U20 training at 7p.m.
Saturday: Senior team v Instonians at Kilballyowen Park at 2.30p.m. (All Ireland League 3rd Division)
Sunday: Junior 1 team v Newcastle West at 2.30p.m. at Kilballyowen Park. (Munster Junior Plate).
U18s v Richmond at Canal Bank at 11.30a.m.
(North Munster League Final).
U16s v UL/Bohs at Annacotty at 11.30a.m. (League).
U14s v Old Crescent at Kilballyowen at 11.30a.m. (League).
U12s blitz in Old Crescent at 10a.m.
U8s, U9s, U10s v Newcastle West at Kilballyowen Park at 10.30a.m.
Usual training for other underage teams as notified by team coaches from 11.30a.m. to 12.45p.m.
Usual tea/coffee and a read of the Sunday papers for waiting parents.
Monday: Executive committee meeting at 8p.m.