Bective Rallying Call

The long and winding road of the AIL. Started all of 7 months ago, way back late September with nerves, excitement, anticipation, expectation. After enduring 7 long years trapped down in Junior rugby. A kick away from Junior 2 and Sunday rugby. The rebuild - on and off the field. The qualification for Senior and the AIL once more. The 50 top clubs in Ireland. The big time. Look at me Ma, top of the world…

Would we be able for it? Would we? Hell yeah. 17 games through an awful Irish winter. Learning to travel outside the Pale once more. Learning to win on the road. Learning to win on grass (!). The bus trips. Raucous when we win. Funereal when we lose. The no fly zone around Ben Kealy on losing bus journeys home. The Alikadoo’s - always there, always travel, always supportive. AIL foundations dug and filled over this long season in 2c. We’re back, baby. And we belong here too.

And so it is. Round 18 (final round of league proper) this Saturday in Donnybrook. Home. Unbeaten here since September 2024. A fortress. And up at the pointy end of the AIL table with a play off semi final already secured. All in our hands Saturday - win against Thomond and we secure a home semi. If per chance we win and Clonmel lose that sees us top of the league. If we lose then Thomond host us in Moyross in a fortnight. So many permutations. So many opportunities. Can you feel it?

If we were offered this scenario back in September we’d have taken it gleefully. So here we are. Masters of our own destiny. To an extent. We need your support. We need your presence. We need your noise. We need you this Saturday. 14.30 in Donnybrook. Going to be epic. Don’t miss it. Be there. Witness our coming of age in the AIL. Witness the Phoenix finally rising from the ashes.

Hon Bective.

Simon (Chuck) Byrne