It’s double success for NUI Galway in intervarsity Cups

NUI Galway Rugby has for the first time won both women’s and men’s intervarsity rugby competitions this year, while the NUIG Rugby Academy have won the first trophy for the university at underage level.

The men’s team are current holders of the Irish Universities’ Rugby Union (IURU) Maughan Scally Cup, and the women’s squad won their Intervarsity honours, the IURU Kay Bowen Cup, in UCD in November. The NUIG women’s team did not concede a single try during, and remained unbeaten throughout the entire competition, while the men’s team held UCC scoreless in the final of the Irish Junior Intervarsities, which they also hosted in Dangan.

Established in 2011, the NUIG Rugby Youth Academy also continues to go from strength to strength. The Youth Academy U-13s squad and coaches celebrated success last season, as the first side to win an underage rugby trophy for the university.

With many graduates from last season’s successful U-13s, the NUIG U-14 squad remains unbeaten this season. The U-15s finished 3rd in their league.

In recent seasons, NUIG Rugby has grown participation in rugby on campus significantly, and now fields four adult rugby teams, including a second men’s squad and an U-20 team that participates in the South West Conference of the highly competitive Munster U-20 league, as part of an amalgamated team with Corinthians RFC.

The U-20 side also played in the Conroy Cup U-20 intervarsity competition this year, for the first time since 2005, and advanced to the play-off stages.