Dungannon RFC
Encyclopedia
Dungannon RFC is a rugby union
club from Dungannon
, Northern Ireland
. The club first team plays in the AIB League
Division One, Ulster Senior League
and Ulster Senior Cup
.
, who was President of Dungannon Football Club for 24 years and Patron for a further 37 years, was Governor of New Zealand
from 1897 to 1904. He brought his love of rugby to New Zealand and gave his name to the most prestigious rugby trophy in the Southern Hemisphere, The Ranfurly Shield
. The Club played junior rugby for most of the first half of the 20th century before returning to the senior ranks in 1954 under the captaincy of Roy Saunders the Club's first Honorary Life Member.
As a result of winning the AIB All Ireland League play offs in 2000-2001 Dungannon has now won every available domestic competition. The AIB League
, The All Ireland Floodlit Cup, The Stevenson Shield (Ulster Senior League), The Ulster Senior Cup
(a record five times in the 1990s), The Ulster Towns Cup
( a record eighteen times), The Ulster Junior Cup
and The Forster Cup.
In 1995 the Club took a bold step in appointing Willie Anderson as its Director of Rugby. It was one of the first Clubs in Ireland to make such a move in a desire to further develop and promote rugby football in the area. The Club has supported the All Ireland League since its inception, although they had to fight their way into it by way of the play offs after year one. Since then Dungannon have always played in either division One or Division Two. After demotion in 1998 the Club immediateloy regrouped and bounced back to Division One as winners of Division Two in 1999. Dungannon Rugby Club achieved its most historic victory in May 2001 by winning the AIB All Ireland League Final.
Stevenson Park was purchased in 1969 and has been gradually improved into one of the finest arenas for playing and viewing rugby in Ireland. In 1999/2000 the Club completed the first phase of the development of its facilities by totally renovating and extending the changing facilities. Incorporating new administration offices, new heating and building a new car park. The new development which cost £500,000 was funded by a National Lottery Grant and by the generous donation of members.
, Ireland
, Barbarians
and the British Lions
. In recent years Jimmy Davidson, Stewart McKinney
, Willie Anderson, Jimmy McCoy, Paddy Johns
, Ronnie Carey, Jeremy Davidson
, Allan Clarke, David Humphreys
, Jonathan Bell
, Mark McCall
, Justin Fitzpatrick
, Tyrone Howe
, Stephen Ferris and Kieran Campbell
have represented Ireland
. Additionally Gary Leslie, Ashley Blair, Stephen Bell, Tony McWhirter, Jan Cunningham and Bryn Cunningham
have played for Ireland A.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club from Dungannon
Dungannon
Dungannon is a medium-sized town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the third-largest town in the county and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The club first team plays in the AIB League
AIB League
The Ulster Bank All-Ireland League is the national league system for the 48 senior rugby union clubs in Ireland, covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is not, however, the highest level of rugby union in Ireland, as teams representing the four provinces of Ireland play...
Division One, Ulster Senior League
Ulster Senior League
The Ulster Senior League is a rugby union competition for senior clubs in the Irish province of Ulster. It has traditionally being ranked second in importance to the Ulster Senior Cup. It has declined in importance due to the formation of the All-Ireland League and growth in importance of the...
and Ulster Senior Cup
Ulster Senior Cup
The Ulster Senior Cup is a knock-out competition for senior rugby union teams in the province of Ulster.It is administered by Ulster Rugby.The most successful club is Queen's University with 22 wins...
.
History
The 5th Earl of RanfurlyRanfurly
Ranfurly can refer to the following places:*Ranfurly, Alberta, Canada*Ranfurly, Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, Scotland*Ranfurly, New Zealand, Otago, New ZealandRanfurly may also refer to:...
, who was President of Dungannon Football Club for 24 years and Patron for a further 37 years, was Governor of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
from 1897 to 1904. He brought his love of rugby to New Zealand and gave his name to the most prestigious rugby trophy in the Southern Hemisphere, The Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
. The Club played junior rugby for most of the first half of the 20th century before returning to the senior ranks in 1954 under the captaincy of Roy Saunders the Club's first Honorary Life Member.
As a result of winning the AIB All Ireland League play offs in 2000-2001 Dungannon has now won every available domestic competition. The AIB League
AIB League
The Ulster Bank All-Ireland League is the national league system for the 48 senior rugby union clubs in Ireland, covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is not, however, the highest level of rugby union in Ireland, as teams representing the four provinces of Ireland play...
, The All Ireland Floodlit Cup, The Stevenson Shield (Ulster Senior League), The Ulster Senior Cup
Ulster Senior Cup
The Ulster Senior Cup is a knock-out competition for senior rugby union teams in the province of Ulster.It is administered by Ulster Rugby.The most successful club is Queen's University with 22 wins...
(a record five times in the 1990s), The Ulster Towns Cup
Ulster Towns Cup
The Ulster Towns Cup is a rugby union competition organized by the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union.It is confined to teams outside of Belfast...
( a record eighteen times), The Ulster Junior Cup
Ulster Junior Cup
The Ulster Junior Cup is a rugby union competition for clubs in the Irish province of Ulster that are not considered strong enough to play in the Ulster Senior Cup. It also includes the second teams of the senior clubs...
and The Forster Cup.
In 1995 the Club took a bold step in appointing Willie Anderson as its Director of Rugby. It was one of the first Clubs in Ireland to make such a move in a desire to further develop and promote rugby football in the area. The Club has supported the All Ireland League since its inception, although they had to fight their way into it by way of the play offs after year one. Since then Dungannon have always played in either division One or Division Two. After demotion in 1998 the Club immediateloy regrouped and bounced back to Division One as winners of Division Two in 1999. Dungannon Rugby Club achieved its most historic victory in May 2001 by winning the AIB All Ireland League Final.
Stevenson Park was purchased in 1969 and has been gradually improved into one of the finest arenas for playing and viewing rugby in Ireland. In 1999/2000 the Club completed the first phase of the development of its facilities by totally renovating and extending the changing facilities. Incorporating new administration offices, new heating and building a new car park. The new development which cost £500,000 was funded by a National Lottery Grant and by the generous donation of members.
Notable players
The Club has developed many great players who have represented Ulster rugbyUlster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
, Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
and the British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
. In recent years Jimmy Davidson, Stewart McKinney
Stewart McKinney (rugby player)
Stewart Alexander McKinney is a former Ireland international rugby union player. In 1974 he played for the British Lions on their tour of South Africa. At the time he played club rugby for Dungannon. He moved to England and played for London Irish. His son Sam was the club Captain for the London...
, Willie Anderson, Jimmy McCoy, Paddy Johns
Paddy Johns
Patrick Stephen Johns, known as Paddy Johns was an Irish rugby union player from 1990 to 2000. He played mainly as a lock and occasionally in the back-row.He won 59 caps, scoring 4 tries and 20 points...
, Ronnie Carey, Jeremy Davidson
Jeremy Davidson
Jeremy Davidson is a rugby union lock who played club rugby for Dungannon RFC, Ulster, London Irish and Castres Olympique. At international level he represented Ireland with 32 caps and also represented the British and Irish Lions...
, Allan Clarke, David Humphreys
David Humphreys (rugby union)
David Humphreys MBE is a retired rugby player. He played for 72 times for Ireland and for Ulster.-Life & Career:...
, Jonathan Bell
Jonathan Bell (rugby player)
Jonathan Charles Bell is a rugby union player who played at centre for Ulster, Dungannon, Northampton and Ireland. He made his international debut in 1994 against Australia....
, Mark McCall
Mark McCall
Mark McCall is an Irish former rugby union player and former coach of Ulster. He played 13 times for the Ireland national rugby union team, making his debut against New Zealand on 30 May 1992 as a substitute...
, Justin Fitzpatrick
Justin Fitzpatrick
Justin Fitzpatrick is an Irish rugby union footballer. He plays for Ulster. He made his debut for the senior Ireland team in a 13–37 defeat against South Africa on June 13, 1998 going on to win 26 caps.-External links:*...
, Tyrone Howe
Tyrone Howe
Tyrone Gyle Howe is a former rugby union footballer who played on the wing for University of St Andrews RFC, Ulster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions....
, Stephen Ferris and Kieran Campbell
Kieran Campbell
Kieran Campbell is a former Irish scrumhalf who currently plays for Connacht in the Magners League. Born in Hillingdon to an Irish father and Sri Lankan mother he was a key player for Gunnersbury Catholic School and helped them reach the last eight of the Daily Mail school's cup and to win the...
have represented Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. Additionally Gary Leslie, Ashley Blair, Stephen Bell, Tony McWhirter, Jan Cunningham and Bryn Cunningham
Bryn Cunningham
Bryn Cunningham is a retired Irish rugby union footballer.He is a former pupil of Bangor Grammar School in County Down and TCD, and currently plays as a full back for Ulster Rugby. In September 2010 he retired from rugby with imidiate effect.-External links:**...
have played for Ireland A.
2009/10 Squad
- Full-backs: Bryn CunninghamBryn CunninghamBryn Cunningham is a retired Irish rugby union footballer.He is a former pupil of Bangor Grammar School in County Down and TCD, and currently plays as a full back for Ulster Rugby. In September 2010 he retired from rugby with imidiate effect.-External links:**...
, Conor Gaston, John McGuckin, Simon Potter - Wings: Chris Cochrane, Craig Gilroy, Matthew Maguire, Neil Patterson (captain), Darren Simpson, Anas Smaali
- Centres: Ethan Allen, Andrew Holmes, Paul Magee, Glen Telford
- Out-halves: Scott Browne, James Shiells
- Scrum-halves: Jason Bloomfield, Melvin Ferry, Gareth McGonigle, David Spence
- Front-rows: Richard Carleton, Liam Currie, Declan FitzpatrickDeclan FitzpatrickDeclan Fitzpatrick is an Northern Irish rugby union footballer. He plays for Ulster.-External links:*...
, Justin FitzpatrickJustin FitzpatrickJustin Fitzpatrick is an Irish rugby union footballer. He plays for Ulster. He made his debut for the senior Ireland team in a 13–37 defeat against South Africa on June 13, 1998 going on to win 26 caps.-External links:*...
, Gareth Maxwell, Michael Reid, Glen Sinnamon, Steven Sinnamon - Hookers: Nigel BradyNigel BradyNigel Brady is an Irish rugby union footballer. He made his debut for Ulster in 2002. As of January 13, 2010, Brady has capped 65 times for Ulster and was re-signed for a two-year contract extension in 2010...
, Colm Heaney, Christopher Knipe, Stuart Philpott, Timothy Potter - Second-rows: Ryan CaldwellRyan CaldwellRyan Caldwell is an Irish rugby union footballer. He plays for Bath after signing from Ulster in the Summer of 2011. Caldwell joined Ulster on a development contract in 2003 following a successful spell in the province's academy...
, Richard Holmes, Neville Magee, Michael Rainey, James Sandford, Curtis Stewart - Wing-forwards: T.J. Anderson, Ali Birch, Stephen Ferris, Derek Hall, Rowan Halsall, Paul Heaney, David PollockDavid Pollock (Rugby player)David Pollock born 19 March 1987 in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland was a rugby union player for Ulster Rugby in the Magners League. He played rugby for Dungannon RFC who play in the AIB League.Pollock's position of choice was as an Open Side Flanker....
, Jeremy Turkington - Number 8s: Stuart McKenzie