Metro League Division 7 04/04/2026 – League Final

Metro League Division 7 04/04/2026 – League Final

Old Belvedere 15 – 0 St Mary’s College RFC

On Easter Saturday, the St Mary’s College RFC J4 Barmen travelled to Ollie Campbell Park for their third League final in a row, looking for back-to-back promotions after winning Metro 8 last season. Facing table toppers, Old Belvedere in their own back yard was never going to be easy, but the Barmen, led by Captain Dara Lynch, went with their heads held high and full of belief. There was a strong wind going across the pitch, but a dry afternoon was what faced the two sides, as well as a great crowd for a Junior Rugby Final, as both sets of teams had a great number of supporters from the sidelines.

The game kicked off, with both teams trying to settle into the game, we saw close chances for each side to score tries. Some great defensive efforts kept the score at 0-0. The big hits, quick hands and great rugby were great to watch, but the pressure got to a few of the lads as both sides saw yellow cards for silly behaviour. Mary’s had a chance to take 3 points, but the kick went from outside the right post across the goal to go wide of the left, a sign of the gale force wind they faced. Belvedere eventually opened the scoring, converting a well-worked try in the corner followed by an outstanding conversion to make it 7-0. The Barmen kept it tight for the remainder of the half and nearly scored again right before half-time. Some excellent work from the pack saw them get over the line, but only for the referee to call held up. Great defence from Belvedere.

7-0 at half-time to the home side, but Mary’s were full of belief. Injuries to Cian O Brien and Kieran Egan saw them having to come off before the half. Quick team talk from the coaches, and we were ready to go for another 40-minute battle.

Some amazing work from Andrew Gibbons, Gordon Tracey and Chris Kane in the forwards gave the Barmen a great platform to build off. Kyle Corrigan, in defence as always, was amazing. Denis Daly was superb in the centre of the pitch as well, causing line breaks whenever he got his hands on the ball. However, this Belvedere side were ferocious in the defence line and stayed stubborn throughout the second half. Much like in the first half, Matty Coughlan had another great chance to convert a well-worked move in the corner, but superb, heroic tackles denied him such success. A few forced substitutions due to injury and the home crowd growing in numbers, the Barmen kept their heads high, pushing right to the end. A breakaway try for Belvedere with two minutes to go now made the score 15-0 to the home side, and a few moments later the full-time whistle went.

Congratulations to the well-deserved winners Old Belvedere, and best of luck next season. From the Barmen, we would like to thank the coaches for another amazing season. Going up to Metro 7 this year, losing nine starting players from last year and still making a final is a great achievement. A big thank you to Captain Fantastic Dara Lynch, who had the support of Vice Captain Andrew Gibbons, for all the hard work they put in this year. Finally, thank you to the club and the fans for the great support shown on the sidelines on the day and throughout the year. The support at the matches is great for Junior Rugby, and we do our best to keep you entertained, both on and off the pitch.

Until then, always, Cheers to that.