50 Not Out For Ireland Schools Against England In The Mardyke
The Ireland Schools Team
On Saturday, 29th March, Ireland Schoolboys will host England Schoolboys at the Mardyke, Cork as part of the IRFU’s 150th anniversary celebrations (kick off 5.30pm), this just two years on from UCC Rugby’s own 150 Years celebrations.
Tickets for the match are available now from ticketmaster.ie – buy here.
The University acquired the beautiful grounds of the Mardyke in 1911. Since that date it has been the home of Cork and UCC rugby, even hosting Munster versus All Blacks in January 1954. Saturday’s game promises to be another important day in the venue’s history.
Schoolboy Rugby is a unique feature of Irish sport. Many of the young stars who later become giants in the green jersey of Ireland senior rugby make their first impression in Irish Schoolboys rugby. On 29 March 1975 the very first Schoolboy’s International match took place in Dublin.
The outhalf on the Irish team versus England that day was a young Presentation Brothers Cork player called Moss Finn who was celebrating his 18th birthday. The following September Moss started his relationship with UCC Rugby and the Mardyke, a relationship that continues to this day. Moss Finn and Donal Lenihan, teammates at UCC and both Schoolboy Internationals, went on to be part of the iconic 1982 Ireland Triple Crown winning team, its fifth such honour and its first since 1949.
Fifty years on from that very first schoolboys international in Dublin the repeat fixture returns to Cork when Ireland Schoolboys again host England Schoolboys at the Mardyke on Saturday evening.
Moss Finn – Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Billy Stickland
Moss Finn, still involved with UCC Rugby, recently recounted his 18th birthday match and is very proud that his beloved UCC Rugby will be hosting the 50th Anniversary Schoolboys International match on his birthday again.
“That was a very proud day for me. But the opportunity to host the game at the Mardyke 50 years later, again on my birthday, is fairytale stuff.”
The IRFU looks forward to welcoming all Ireland Schoolboy captains, as well as members of the first 1975 team, who will be amongst the special guests invited to a pre-match reception on Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Ireland Schools match.
While every attempt has been made to contact the database of past captains and members of the first Ireland Schools squad to compete against England back in 1975, there are some contact details which we have been unable to track down.
If you know a past player who falls into either category, please email 150events@irfu.ie