Queen’s Aiming To ‘Build Momentum’ From Colours Clash With UCC

When it comes to rugby production lines, Queen’s University Belfast RFC have helped to develop countless stars in their 155-year history.

This season they are once again continuing to offer a high level programme to players stemming from their partnership with Ulster Rugby, and those looking to study at the prestigious University.

A total of 88 Ireland Internationals have walked through the hallowed halls of Queen’s to date, along with four capped players hailing from nations such as Argentina, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, and the Philippines.

22 players have donned the Queen’s colours and worn the British & Irish Lions jersey, from Alexander Foster and William Tyrrell being the first to do so back in 1910, to the likes of Tommy Bowe (2009 and 2013) and Iain Henderson (2017 and 2021) most recently.

Queen’s have plenty of esteemed alumni and are looking to add to that list with a host of exciting young players currently representing the students in Energia All Ireland League Men’s Division 1B.

Last season, Scott Wilson, Zac Solomon, Joe Hopes, and Lorcan McLoughlin, who are all current Queen’s clubmen, made their senior debuts for Ulster.

More provincial Academy talent is gaining valuable game-time and experience with Derek Suffern’s side through the All-Ireland League, including recent club debutant Jack Murphy who is currently away on the Emerging Ireland tour, along with Wilson.

Speaking to IrishRugby.ie, Queen’s University Rugby Development/Rugby Academy manager David Chambers illustrated how their close collaboration with Ulster Rugby benefits the young players both academically and performance-wise on the pitch.

“It is a little bit more aligned to a performance rugby programme that maybe you would find across the water as well,” he said. “In terms of attracting new students, supporting them through scholarship programmes but also the balance of them playing club rugby at the weekend.

“Playing adult AIL rugby but in a student environment, that’s the new age, the modern game to keep that carousel of players coming through.

“The partnership with Ulster Rugby is key because anyone who has an offer for Queen’s or goes to study at Queen’s, the partnership with Ulster will point them towards playing here as well.

“We can balance all of that. It’s that athlete support while at uni playing top level, but also us supporting their academic work as well.”

He continued: “Recruitment has changed. In the past it was an open club, so there was a bit more leeway with guys in the Belfast area playing rugby. Now it is very much 100% student-focused.

“Guys are getting to see young guys who are playing with Queen’s at the weekend, studying in the classroom but also then seeing them playing for Ulster off the bench, or away on tour with Emerging Ireland.

“So the visibility there is really good for guys their age who they are with in the classroom. They are seeing them on TV getting their Ulster cap. The likes of Joe Hopes last year, Scott Wilson, Lorcan McLoughlin.

“You have Charlie Irvine (pictured below) with Ulster at the minute (away in South Africa), and you’ve got Jack Murphy and Scott Wilson over there too with Emerging Ireland.

The visibility of that is really good for guys leaving school, these are guys a couple of years older than them. At Queen’s, we are proving we are a platform for that.

“On the flipside, as a Queen’s supporter you are going, ‘we are missing two or three guys here’, but that’s the way it is. You got to cheer those guys on. That allows the next guys to push on, while those guys are away representing Ulster or Ireland.

“Who is the next second row? Who is the next tighthead prop? We have already given nine AIL debuts this season, to young guys not in the Ulster platform.”

Queen’s have been very competitive over the last number of years, and the 2021/22 All-Ireland League season sticks out. 15 wins from 18 matches, 14 points clear at the summit, they would however fail to clinch promotion due to a dramatic late play-off final defeat to Buccaneers.

A year later, with automatic promotion/relegation returning following that Covid-19-impacted campaign, Suffern’s young guns topped Division 2A again and, for the first time, secured a place for the club in Division 1B.

However, unlike a lot of clubs competing in the All-Ireland League, player turnover at Dub Lane is high. Being a University team has many trials and tribulations, and although a lot of talented players come through their doors, you only have a number of years in the programme and then you graduate.

In his eight years in his Rugby Development role, Chambers has seen that first hand. Last year Queen’s had to go the play-off route to retain their second tier status, squeezing past MU Barnhall on a 20-18 scoreline, but they are hoping to be a lot more competitive this season.

“We had to use a lot of guys last year. We used 44 guys with the firsts in the AIL, 44 which is huge,” he explained. “The turnover of 14 AIL players leaving through graduation and going to work elsewhere, we have a high turnover, probably the highest turnover in Ulster, maybe Ireland.

“You have a three/four year cycle and you are in a different squad again. That’s a challenge but it’s also exciting as well for us in that there’s always new guys coming in – not just on the Ulster platform, but guys coming to study at Queen’s.

“During that year of promotion we had a full transition year. That year we had 18 leave. 18 guys leaving the senior squad is huge. We find it hard to keep that consistency.

When we got promoted, the squad we had, the majority of them, 80% of them were in their final year, third/fourth year students. And they were in core positions as well, front row, second row, nine and ten, that was a struggle.

“Now we feel last year was a big testament to the boys, and now we’ve got the same squad as last year really. Not as many leaving in key positions, and we’ve brought in guys who we feel will be here for at least the next three seasons together.

“If we can compete this year and we aim to do so, then I do think the next three seasons could be quite competitive for us in 1B.

“I think we found 2A to 1B a bigger jump. I think you feel there’s a big jump between 1B to 1A when you speak to other clubs. I think 2A to 1B there is also a leap there, it’s so competitive. It’s a great league like when you look at the tables and the results, but it is very difficult as well.

“We’re the highest Queen’s have ever been in the long long history of the club. That’s brilliant but there is huge responsibility with that.

“Just staying up last year, so many close battles in the league. Just staying up was a huge sigh of relief initially, but then a big statement to say, ‘look, we want to stay here’.”

Two rounds in, they are eighth in the Division 1B table, following a strong start with a 19-13 home defeat of relegated side Shannon, before a heavy 61-21 loss on the road to Naas last weekend.

Queen’s were missing some key players from the previous week and found it tough going against the Cobras. Not they dust themselves out for Saturday’s much-anticipated Colours match against UCC at Dub Lane (kick-off 2.30pm).

For the first time since the 2021/22 season, there are three University teams battling it out in the same division of the All-Ireland League.

Three seasons ago, Dublin University and UCC were playing top flight rugby against UCD, while Queen’s were in the third tier. Now Queen’s and UCC have been joined in Division 1B by Trinity who suffered automatic relegation last spring.

An added incentive for Queen’s third round clash with UCC is the seeding for the Dudley Cup. Chambers is expecting a high-quality game played between two teams that have a similar style of rugby.

“We counted 12 (players) unavailable through injury and representative honours (last week). You take 12 out of a 20-man squad, it was a very tough task against Naas.

“Student team against student team at the Dub on hopefully a nice day, two teams that play very like each other. A very fast game and one that’s great to watch, but it is also going to be a good contest.

“It’s a Colours day for us so we are trying to build a bit of momentum around it for the students, and it’s also a seeding game for the Irish Universities’ Dudley Cup.

“Whoever wins this goes on to the Trinity game as a challenge for the Dudley Cup, so there is a wee bit more to it,” he added.