YOUTHS & MINI’S RUGBY

Bective Rangers FC have a very active Mini rugby scene fielding teams at all Mini and Youth age grades from u6’s to U17’s. We have helped some great players on their start in rugby including the current Irish hooker Dan Sheehan, former Ireland out-half Johnny Sexton and the current Bective backs coach and former Leinster player Rory O’Loughlin. Many of these current and former internationals have come back to support us on our End of Season days handing out medals which is a real thrill for all our players.

The Mini’s train every Sunday in Energia Park (Donnybrook) between the hours of 9am and 1pm and compete in the Metro area underage groups. Rugby at this level isn’t geared towards winners and losers as players should be given the chance to learn all the skills of the game. At Bective, we recognise that young players develop in different ways and at different times as they grow so we encourage an all-inclusive policy for player development. Everyone is given a chance to play and have fun.

In addition to rugby, we have an active parents committee who help to organise events for players throughout the season. Last year we hosted many visiting teams, providing food and drink as well as good spirited competitive rugby. It is one of the aims of the mini’s group to continue to enhance the reputation of Bective Rangers FC as a welcoming family friendly club and we hope to host many more visiting teams this season. We also held our 2nd Annual Mini’s Ball in the clubhouse which was well supported by 160 parents from the section. All money raised goes back into the mini/youth section helping to pay for new gear and contributions to tours.

Tours and Travel

Tours and trips have become a hallmark of our minis programme, with teams traveling both domestically and internationally last season. Our U9s participated in The Ballyclare Mini Rugby Festival in Co Antrim, while our Under 11s traveled to Valencia, Spain for a three-club tournament. The Under 12s journeyed to Toulouse, France, where they were warmly welcomed by former Bective player Trevor Brennan. Our U13s competed in the Festival of Rugby in Biarritz, France. Closer to home, we had teams participating in domestic blitzes and excursions throughout the country. The Under 10s enjoyed a hiking adventure in Wicklow, including a visit to Clara Lara, while the Under 12s traveled to Shannon and visited Thomond Park to watch Munster take on the Barbarians. Our Under 6s, 7s, 8s and 9s played against Westmanstown and Malahide before all being welcomed to Fort Lucan, where they had exclusive use of the facilities for the morning. Not to mention the numerous trips by teams and parents to support Leinster in their silverware-winning campaign this year. Next season, we are already planning several exciting tours.

Representation and Achievement

All our Mini and Youth players consistently represent the club with distinction. Our Under 6/7s played in the Kiran Burke Memorial Blitz in De La Salle Palmerston and were awarded the overall trophy. Our U11s represented the club superbly in a national blitz held at the Aviva Stadium, showcasing brilliant rugby skills. Our U12s competed in the Father Godfrey tournament, which saw players torn between school and club commitments. They also served as flag bearers and were featured in the programme at the Leinster v Glasgow Warriors match, once again representing the Bective badge with great pride. With all senior teams having concluded their seasons, the highlight of the mini season was left to our U14s (Bective/Lansdowne) to draw the curtain on this amazing season. They lifted more silverware for Bective by defeating Donnybrook Babas (Old Belvedere/Old Wesley) 14-12 in their Leinster Youth Final.

New Mini’s are always welcome, and we hope adult members will continue to encourage sons daughters, nieces, nephews, friends, cousins and classmates to come down and enjoy the Bective experience with our fantastic facilities – spread the word.