Thank You
A big thank you to all our members and friends that bought tickets for the IRFU Your Club Your Country raffle.
We managed to raise nearly €7500 in less than 6 days, which is phenomenal for a club of our size.
Like all clubs we have been hit very hard by Covid and have been unable to fundraise as normal.
Unfortunately, there are lots of costs which still have to be paid even during lockdowns like insurance, heat, electricity and loans but thanks to your generosity we can keep going until hopefully we get back doing what we love, which is watching and playing rugby.
The draw takes place on Monday December seventh, so hopefully one of our members who bought a ticket will be among the lucky few.
Even during the Covid restrictions we have been pushing on in Longford RFC, with work starting on our new state of the art 3G artificial pitch, which will be opening in 2021 with works under way at the moment.
Thanks again, we all look forward to welcoming you to CPL Park when underage and Senior rugby are back playing games.
Senior Rugby Match/Training Update
We finally have some good news, with the relaxing of restrictions Senior Rugby training can resume this week albeit with extra restrictions and Covid safety measures.
We look forward to seeing all our Senior players back on the pitch Tuesday/Friday nights at 7.30 (Women) and 7.45pm (Men).
Below Senior Men’s Head Coach Glenn Baskett gives his thoughts on the current state of affairs; “So, after a 6 week break due to Government restrictions, we finally got back out training this week.
To get the boys back out is a step forward, but now we really need something to aim for.
Under the current restrictions we still aren’t allowed to contact train. However, the lack of clarity around a return to games makes it very difficult to build a season.
We will need a minimum of 2 weeks contact training, ideally 3 and Leinster & the IRFU are mooting a return to games after 9 January 21, but as we can’t contact train in Level 3, I honestly don’t see how this will be workable.
Someone needs to stand up and ask questions of how we are meant to move forward and complete a meaningful season.
There are talks of restructured league and cup comps, but I know as a group we are of the opinion a league comp with no promotion or relegation holds no interest for us, whereas a meaningful cup comp is achievable if the will from the powers that be is there.
We have put a in a huge amount of work pre-season and now we are trying to get guys back up to where we were after being stopped for 6 weeks. We were doing individual work in that time but that isn’t time on the pitch.
If there really is going to be a season to salvage here a decision needs to be made before xmas on what shape that will take.
We have a 6 session block for December planned, and we are giving the boys the full xmas week off, something we normally wouldn’t do in mid-season, but we have to give guys a bit of a break to spend time with family after all that’s happened this year. I have talked to some of our group and the desire to play in what will essentially be a cluster of friendlies holds no interest to them with promotion removed.
Leinster have looked for submissions from the clubs as to how we believe the season can be structured, those submissions are due by 14 December, so I really hope we have some clarity on this shortly after that date, but to achieve a meaningful season this will require someone in power the Sport Ireland level to make a brave call, if that will isn’t there I just don’t see how a positive season is achievable.
I mean for me the frustrating thing is we are meant to be “living with Covid’, this is not living with Covid, this is hiding from Covid and if this is the thinking then let’s draw a line through the season now.
If that is done, it could do real damage to the club game nationally but this is the road we have gone down unfortunately.
I believe we should scrap the league comp now, restructure the cup comp into a champions league style format with group games leading into knockout games after that, it brings a real goal for the boys and something to show for your years’ work. Let’s see what the will is.”
Great news: Underage rugby continues
One of the few rays of light during the Level 5 restrictions was that training continued for all underage teams.
Thanks to the dedication to all our Officers, Coaches and Parents for keeping the show safely on the road.
Obviously with restrictions starting to relax training can continue. However, at the moment there is no news on when matches might restart.
For the moment our players will keep working on their skills and fitness and look forward to taking the pitch again soon.
Minis (Boys/Girls)
U6-U12 Sundays 10.30am-12.00pm.
Boys
U13 Wednesday 7.00-8.30pm (born 2008)
U14 Thursday 7.00-8.30pm (born 2007)
U15 Mon 7.00-8.30pm and Thursday 7.00-8.30pm (born 2006)
U16 Tuesday 7.30-9.00pm (born 2005)
U17 Wednesday 7.30-9.00pm (born 2004)
U18 Wednesday 7.30-9.00pm (born 2003 & up to 01/07/2002)
Girls
U12&U14 Thursday 7.30-8.30pm
U16&U18 Wednesday 7.30-9.00pm
Contact 0862526741 for more information.
Longford Rugby Club is a 'Minimum20' club. Youth teams up to U15 promote minimum 20 minutes game time for all players on match day squads. Longford Minis rugby promotes equal game time at all times during games or blitz events.
