Abbeyfeale RFC Launch Pitch Development

Last Friday Abbeyfeale RFC welcomed Minister of State for Tourism & Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD for the club’s launch night for their Pitch Development Project. Also in attendance were special guests, former Mayor Of Limerick Cllr. Liam Galvin, Munster legend, Seamus Dennison, and former Ireland captain, Philip Danaher.

'You can't plow a field simply by turning it over in your mind'-Gordon B. Hinckley

The club's presentation, admirably led by committee member and Project Leader, Barry Murphy, outlined the key facts regarding the need for for this potential Development Project.

With Abbeyfeale Rugby Football Club having a proud history of developing rugby in the community since 1959, and with our player catchment areas reaching as far as towns and villages in West Limerick, North Kerry, and North Cork, it has steadily seen the ever growing participation of children, from as early as Under 6's right up to Under 18's in the Boys section, and from Under 13's up to Under 18's in the Girls section.

With an increase in the number of teams being fielded by the club, the demand for additional playing surfaces has become a clear strategic aim of the club as a whole. Extra teams has led to an additional burden on the club's main playing field. Success in the Adult setup along with both the Boys and Girls Underage setups, has resulted in greater enthusiasm amongst young children to take up rugby. With over 180 players in the Mini and Underage sections, over 70 girls in the Ladies section and over 50 in the Men's section, the existing playing areas can no longer fulfil the number of games per season for our young stars.

The club plans to meet this demand by developing two new pitches on its existing site, with one of the new playing areas being a New Full Size Pitch, and the other being a New Juvenile Size Pitch. This Pitch Development Project is a integral objective in the Club's overall Strategic Plan, ensuring that not only success continues on the field, but also, off it. The timeframe for this project to be completed is an ambitions one, but the club hopes to have it completed in time for the start of the 2018 season.

Over the course of the last number of months, the club has undertook the necessary steps in seeking a grant application, with the closing date for submission this Friday (24th Feb). The successful applicants will then be announced soon after.

The Minister was complementary of the clubs in depth and well prepared presentation, and acknowledged the efforts of those within the club, past and present, for their dedication in making the club what it is today. From a traditionally GAA stronghold town, Abbeyfeale rugby club has achieved considerable success, culminating in a historic Munster Junior League and Cup double last season from the Senior male team, fully made up of players who have come through the Underage setup.

The next step to foster this success is through the development of the Mini's and Underage players coming through the ranks, so that they will ultimately be better equipped to seamlessly make the transition into the Adult male team. To ensure this, the addition of playing fields would harbour this ambition. With over 20% of Mini's and Underage training sessions & games having to be postponed last season due to the unacceptable standard of our top playing field, this is a figure that the club feels is unacceptable and one that could derail the tremendous efforts being done to ensure that the club are producing players from the Mini's and Underage setups. The aforementioned Development Project would essentially eradicate this figure.

Indeed, exciting times lie ahead for the club. A collective and united community effort is sought to make this ambitious project become a reality, with initiatives being undertaken in the next number of months.

As Hinckley above states, in order to turn this ambition into a reality, clear and structured planning is needed. Last Friday nights presentation proved that we are on the right pathway.