Ben’s right hand man in the club and on the pitch for the coming year is our new Club Captain Matthew Gilsenan.  Hearty congratulations to Mattie on what is a great honour for both him and his family.  I know he will be a great leader and ambassador for the club both on and off the pitch.  I hope he really enjoys his year, keeps up the winning ways and above all keeps his number one fan Nana Phil as proud as ever!

Rugby ambition is led in Bective by our 1st team in this light, but we are very proud to embrace a ‘One Club’ policy whereby participation and success for the club spans across skillsets and generations equally important and universally valued.  In this light, we are very proud of our Minis and Youths section which holds its own in Leinster in terms of participation, structures and standards in coaching and enjoyment.  Sunday mornings in Donnybrook truly herald the bright future of Bective.  Our Under 20’s with Head Coach Dave McAllister and our valued relationship with Technological University Dublin are another key component of our rugby development and Strategic Plan.  This team played some fantastic rugby last year and it was terrific to see them enjoying the camaraderie and fun that epitomises rugby both on and off the pitch.  Our 2nds, who have enjoyed unrivaled success in recent years as quadruple Leinster League 1A J2 champions, had a tough year last year and now face the challenge that is ‘Sunday rugby’.  Hopefully, they will rearrange their social lives, embrace ‘The Tommy Tiernan Show’ and return to winning ways in the coming season.  Our Junior section, which has always been the heart and soul of the club, have gone from strength to strength in recent years.  Their tough, never say die O’Connor Cup Final and the celebrations afterwards showcased Junior rugby in Bective, and fingers crossed a 3rd Junior team may even be on the horizon.  Our Vets team round out the picture and stand unique in being both for retiring players and fresh but not too young blood looking for both rugby and fun!  I wish all our teams continued enjoyment and success for the coming season.  May you wear the Bective jersey with pride and stay safe and well on the pitch.  

Bective needs volunteers!  They are the essence and the lifeblood of our club and act as the custodians of tradition, the key drivers of progress and the upholders of standards.  As a club, we understand that to be both successful and sustainable into the future, it is important to acknowledge the voluntary work and commitment that our members give and to ensure that they contribute to the club in a role that they enjoy and only for as long as they enjoy that role!  As President, I would like to thank most sincerely our pitch side volunteers: the coaches, managers, kit teams, physios, players, subs, and referees who turn up every week, whatever the weather, or the circumstances.  Off the pitch, we are also extremely lucky to have a highly competent and dedicated backroom team from our Trustees, Executive Committee and Management Team to our Project Teams, Working Groups and individual volunteers, not forgetting our brilliant professional staff of Mark, Valerie, Andrea and Louis supported by Sharon and the team.  Thank you all for your continued spirit, effort, and dedication.

Managing and sustaining our financial resources is always a struggle and a balancing act and for the coming year we must recognise and plan for the additional and unavoidable cost of participating in the AIL.  Against this background, we are delighted to acknowledge the welcome and continued support of Snow Technology as our main sponsor for the coming season.  Indeed, a big thanks is also due to all our Corporate Sponsors, supporters of our Yearbook, our “Your Club, Your Country Draw”, our golf day and the attendees at our Corporate and match day lunches, our members and their guests.  Your continued support is key to our ongoing success and your importance to the club is greatly appreciated and never underestimated. Thank you all!

On behalf the club I would like to give a special thanks to the outgoing members of your Executive committee Mick Shalloe as ex Officio President and Shane Comer as Honorary Memberships Secretary.  A special mention is also due to our former President and expert on all things legal Mark McParland who is retiring.  Thank you Mark for all your hard work for Bective over the years.  Our thanks are also due to Richie Maybury and his wife Aoife for their Trojan work with our Minis and Youths over the last number of years, which stands testament to their vision, passion and commitment to the development of rugby in Bective.  Richie moves on to the position of Senior Vice President, while I hope Aoife enjoys a well-earned rest!

I would also like to offer hearty congratulations to Bective’s Lions team ‘connections’ who made history this summer in Australia namely Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher, Hugo Keenan, Jamie Osborne and Johnny Sexton.  You and your families must be so proud of your great achievements.

On a personal level, I would also like to acknowledge the support, help and guidance that I have received from our Immediate Past President John Bolger, our Club Chair Steve McGettigan and all our hard-working Executive.  Keeping me on the straight and narrow is never straightforward, but I am looking forward to both the banter and slagging from my soul mates, the Dollies and the quiet council from my newest best friends, the Past Presidents.  With everyone’s help, I hope to be a worthy President of Bective Rangers in its 145th year, a president for everyone in the club, a suitable ambassador at all our matches and functions over the coming year and above all, to lead by example.

As we begin a new season let us not forget our members and friends who passed away over the past season.  May we never forget them and may they always be with us in spirit, Ar Dheis De go raibh a  n-anamacha.

In Bective, we pride ourselves on our welcome and that ‘our gate is always open, and our fire is always lit’.  It is against that background that on behalf of the club, I would like to wish our Donnybrook family: Bective Tennis Club, Old Wesley Rugby Club and the Leinster Branch continued success and to extend a heartfelt welcome to all our new members and visitors to Donnybrook over the coming year.  Whether renewing old friendships or making new ones, I hope you enjoy a great time, have fond memories and always leave smiling.

To our visiting teams and supporters, I hope you enjoy your visit to Bective.  Let’s hope the rugby is good and played in the right spirit.  Let’s respect the referee and their assistant referees and above all, let’s hope the players play safe and leave safe.

Bective is on a roll, with the club full of positivity and vitality.  Let’s enjoy the coming season.  Come out to our home games or if you are feeling more energetic, make a trip to one of our away games.  Come to a function, dinner or match day lunch or just join us for a drink and a catch up in the bar.  You would be more than welcome to our Men’s Shed, who meet in our recently refurbished clubhouse every Thursday at lunchtime or if you prefer, join us for golf, a cycle or even just a ramble.  Support means everything to the coaches, the teams and the club.  And you will always enjoy a day in Bective catching up with friends!

Yours in Rugby

Jimmy White

President Bective Rangers F.C. 2025-2026