U14 Friendly 30th September 2023

Scorers: Loughran(2*Try,1*Conv), Douthart(1*Conv), Walshe(1*Try)

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Rainey U14 travelled to Coleraine’s Sandel Lodge at the weekend for a friendly match prior to the commencement of their league matches next week.

Right from the start, the visitors signalled their intent.  A ferocious tackle from centre Shea Loughran causing the receiver to knock on.  From the resulting scrum Rainey attacked out wide with fullback Cillian McLarnon joined the line to provide extra width.  Swinging it back across, scrum-half Daniel McIvor drew most of the Coleraine defence and when Rainey got quick ball they went right again. Loughran identified space out wide and backed himself to round the defence to run in a clear score. Out-half Thomas Douthart was successful with the conversion.

Scorers: Walsh (1*Try), Short(1*Try),O’Connor(1*Try), Douthart(1*Try, 4*Conv)

A new-look Rainey U14 side opened their season by hosting a 3-way round robin against Dungannon and Ballymoney. In the first match, Dungannon 14s were the first to score, a forward breaking through a ruck from a pick-and-go and carrying a few players with him to the line to score. They got another out wide via their backs and a third through their heavy set of forwards once more.

Ulster Carpets U14 Provincial League North 19th November 2022

Scorers: Kelly(3*Try), Cassidy(2*Try), Loughran(1*Try), McIvor(1*Try), Douthart(1*Try, 6*Conv)

When these two sides met earlier in the season, Ballymena emerged victorious, with a 21-0 scoreline. The return fixture, however, saw a massive change in fortune, with a 52- 5 home victory, clearly showing the dramatic improvement in this young Rainey side.

All-Ireland League Semi-Final
Scorers: Molloy(2*Try), Kearns(1*Pen, 1*Conv)

Rainey Old Boys U18s travelled to Ashbourne RFC on Saturday to face Leinster champions Skerries in the Semi-Final of the All Ireland League and despite a heroic effort fell to a very hard fought 22-15 defeat. A late and very harsh penalty try finally gave the Leinster champions a bit of breathing space in a most entertaining encounter between two very good sides.

With a stiff breeze behind them Rainey made the perfect start as from a ruck outside the Skerries 22 they were penalised for being offside trying to clear their lines. Up stepped Kearns to open the scoring with a sweetly struck penalty to nudge Rainey 3-0 in front within two minutes.

Skerries playing in to the wind knew they would have to carry hard and this they did through their visibly bigger pack but they were met with ferocious defence all afternoon. They were helped along the way with some poor indiscipline which allowed them to build an attack in the Rainey half. Following sustained pressure from their pack they worked their way towards the Rainey line and eventually squeezed in at the left corner to go 5-3 in front.

U18 Ulster Carpets Cup 31^st March 2017
Scorers: C.Corr(1*Try), N.Corr(1*Try), Clarke(1*Try), McGlone(2*Try), O’Neill(1*Try), Diamond(1*Try), Kearns(2*Conv), Friel(3*Conv)
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After their mid-week exertions in the Nutty Krust Cup, when they knocked out Malone by 57-3, Rainey were understandably slow out of the blocks when they met Virginia in the cup quarter final at Hatrick Park.  Although finally running out 47 – 3 winners, the result was in the balance for most of the first half, before they finally pulled clear.

Ulster Carpets U18 League Final
Scorers: Kearns(2*Try, 4*Conv, 1*Pen), Molloy(1*Try), McGlone(1*Try), Friel(1*Try)

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In literally Baltic conditions at the Mid-Ulster Sports Arena, Rainey U18s secured the Ulster Carpets sponsored Ulster 18 League title against a strong Randalstown team, running out 36-7 victors.  With a strong icy wind blowing straight down the pitch, the belief among the shivering supporters was that it would be a classic “game of two halves”, but in the event, the Magherafelt men were more than capable of winning both.