Preview | Munster Age-Grade Club Competitions

Phase two of the Bank of Ireland Munster under-16 and under-18 league begin this weekend. Clubs will now compete in Cup, Plate and Bowl competitions with teams entering each level based on their performances in phase one of the competitions, which concluded before Christmas.

The competitions were launched in November with some of last season’s victorious captains in attendance along with representatives from this season’s under-18 provincial sides.

A total of 43 teams representing 48 clubs will compete at under-16 level while 41 teams representing 48 clubs while compete under-18 level.

At both age groups, the Cup competition is comprised of three pools of six teams. The plate competition at under-16 level is made up of a pool of six teams and pool of five teams, while the bowl competition at under-18 level has a group of six teams and another comprised of five teams.

In the Cup competition, the top two sides in each group at the end of the group stage will qualify for the knock-out stages while two of the third placed sides will qualify.

The places will be decided by the three third-placed sides being placed in a hat with the first pulled from the hat qualifying for the quarter-finals and the remaining two sides playing off for the final spot.

Group one in the Cup competition at Under-18 level includes Young Munster, Bandon, Castleisland-Abbeyfeale, Muskerry, Bruff and Midleton.

Young Munster qualified for the Cup after finishing first in Conference 1 after going unbeaten in their six games and were runners up in the North Munster League, losing to Nenagh 30-19 last week.

Bandon won Conference 3 with five wins from their five games. Midleton and Muskerry finished second in Conference 4 and third in Conference 6 respectively and have along with Bandon qualified for the South Munster League quarter-finals.

Castleisland-Abbeyfeale finished second in Conference 2 with four wins from their six games played in phase one while Bruff qualified for the phase two Cup with a third-place finish in Conference 5.

Bandon won the under-16 Bowl last season while at under-18 level were runners up in the South Munster Cup and will wish for more success this season.

Group two sees the winners of Conference 2 and 5 in phase one, Newcastle West-Estuary and Clanwilliam joined by Skibbereen, Waterford City, Ennis and Cobh Pirates.

Ennis are defending Munster champions at under-18 level and will be eager to defend the title they won last season.

Skibbereen were runners up in the Munster under-16 Cup last season and are backboned by many of those players this season at under-18 level.

Waterford City finished second in their conference in phase one and will be hopeful of challenging for a knock-out position in phase two.

Cork Constitution, Waterpark, Nenagh Ormond, Cashel-Fethard, South Kerry and Clonakility make up group three in the Cup.

Cork Constitution and Waterpark were undefeated in phase one, finishing top of their Conference while Nenagh Ormond finished second to Young Munster in their Conference but managed to overcome them to win the North Munster League last week in a fantastic clash played on the all-weather surface in the University of Limerick.

Cashel-Fethard were close to winning their Conference in phase one and were just pipped to winning that group by Clanwilliam, while the South Kerry team is made up of players from Killorglin and Killarney and they qualified in third place in Conference 2.

In the under-16 Cup competition, group one is comprised of Ennis, winners of Conference 1 and the North Munster League (pictured above with the North Munster Trophy following the North Final win with a 41-12 victory over Young Munster), Skibbereen who won Conference 3 after a play-off, Tralee, Mallow, Thurles and Midleton.

Ennis have won league titles in their age-group in North Munster for the past three seasons and will be hopeful of progressing to a provincial title this season.

Skibbereen reached last season’s under-16 Munster Cup final and will look to go a step further this season.

Mallow competed in the Cup last season and will be hopeful that the experience from last year can guide them to greater success.

Thurles and Midleton have stepped up to qualify for the Cup having been in the plate last season and having finished third in their conferences in phase one, will be tricky opponents.

Mallow won a South Munster under-16 Development Cup last season and will be hopeful that they can progress on a province-wide scene this season.

Group two sees Killarney, Kilfeacle, Ballincollig, Nenagh Ormond, Cobh Pirates and Sundays Well compete for quarter-final spots.

Killarney were table toppers in Conference 2, while Kilfeacle ended phase one as Conference 5’s top side after five wins from five.

Ballincollig finished second in Conference 3 with a play-off defeat 15-12 in the middle of December to Skibbereen after an earlier 22-22 draw decided the placings in the Conference.

Ballincollig are also scheduled to play a South Munster League quarter-final against Douglas-Carrigaline in the coming weeks.

Nenagh Ormond finished third in phase one of Conference 1, behind Ennis and Young Munster and were semi-finalists in the North Munster League.

Cobh Pirates and Sundays Well both finished third in their conferences and are also scheduled to play South Munster League quarter-finals in the coming weeks.

Clanwilliam, Douglas-Carrigaline, Kinsale, Abbeyfeale, Waterpark and Young Munster make up group three of the under-16 Cup.

Kinsale were Munster champions at under-16 level last season, winning the final with a tremendous display of running rugby in Thomond Park and will be very determined to become champions for a second consecutive year.

Douglas-Carrigaline have combined resources at age-grade and adult level for the past number of seasons and the results are beginning to pay off with the clubs reaching the cup stage of the Munster competition for the first time together.

Waterpark are ever present in the Munster Cup competition and will be a very tough challenge.

Young Munster finished second in their conference and were also North Munster finalists following a 41-10 defeat to Ennis on the all-weather pitch in UL on December 27^th.

Clanwilliam finished second behind local rivals Kilfeacle in Conference 5 and will aim to challenge for the knock-out stages this season after exiting in the group stage last season.

Under 18 Cup: Group 1: Young Munster, Bandon, Castleisland-Abbeyfeale, Muskerry, Bruff, Midleton. Group 2: Newcastle West-Estuary, Clanwilliam, Skibbereen, Waterford City, Ennis, Cobh Pirates. Group 3: Cork Constitution, Waterpark, Nenagh Ormond, Cashel-Fethard, South Kerry, Clonakilty

Under 18 Plate: Group 1: Kinsale, Kanturk, Sundays Well, Garryowen, Charleville, Galbally. Group 2: Thurles, Tralee, Highfield, Shannon-St Marys, Ballincollig, Old Christians

Under 18 Bowl: Group 1: Clonmel, Kilfeacle, Mallow, Thomond, Old Crescent, Listowel. Group 2: Youghal, Dunmanway, Bantry Bay, Dolphin, Douglas-Carrigaline

Under 16 Cup: Group 1: Midleton, Ennis, Skibbereen, Mallow, Thurles, Tralee. Group 2: Ballincollig, Killarney, Sundays Well, Cobh Pirates, Kilfeacle, Nenagh Ormond. Group 3: Kinsale, Abbeyfeale, Clanwilliam, Douglas-Carrigaline, Young Munster, Waterpark

Under 16 Plate: Group 1: Old Christians, Castleisland, Cashel, Bandon, Newcastle West-Estuary, Youghal. Group 2: Cork Constitution, Clonakilty, Highfield, Carrick on Suir-Dungarvan.

This weekend’s fixtures:

Saturday January 6^th

Under 18 Club Cup Group 1: Muskerry v Castleisland-Abbeyfeale, Ballyanly, 12pm;

Group 2: Cobh Pirates v Ennis, Cobh, 1.15pm;

Waterford City v Newcastle West-Estuary, Waterford, 1.30pm;

Group 3: Waterpark v Cashel-Fethard, Ballinakill, 12.30pm;

Under 18 Club Plate Group 1: Kinsale v Kanturk, Kinsale, 11.30am;

Group 2: Old Christians v Ballincollig, Rathcooney, 1.30pm;

Thurles v Tralee, Thurles;

Under 18 Club Bowl Group 1: Listowel v Thomond, Listowel, 1pm;

Mallow v Kilfeacle, Mallow;

Group 2: Bantry Bay v Dunmanway, Bantry, 12pm;

Douglas-Carrigaline v Dolphin, Moneygourney, 11.45am;

Under 16 Club Cup Group 1: Midleton v Ennis, Towns Park, 1.30pm;

Skibbereen v Mallow, Skibbereen, 12.30pm;

Thurles v Tralee, Thurles;

Group 2: Ballincollig v Killarney, Tanner Park, 11.30am;

Sunday’s Well v Cobh Pirates, Irish Independent Park, 12pm;

Group 3: Kinsale v Abbeyfeale, Kinsale, 1.30pm;

Under 16 Club Plate Group 1: Old Christians v Castleisland, Rathcooney, 12pm;

Group 2: Cork Constitution v Clonakilty, Temple Hill, 11am;

Highfield v Carrick-Dungarvan, Woodleigh Park, 12pm

Sunday January 7^th

Under 18 Club Cup Group 1: Midleton v Bandon, Towns Park, 12.30pm;

Group 2: Clanwilliam v Skibbereen, Clanwilliam Park, 12.45pm;

Group 3: Nenagh Ormond v Clonakilty, Nenagh, 1.30pm;

South Kerry v Cork Constitution, Killorglin, 1pm;

Under 18 Club Plate Group 1: Galbally v Charleville, Galbally, 12pm;

Garryowen v Sunday’s Well, Dooradoyle, 12.45pm;

Group 2: Shannon-St. Mary’s v Highfield, Coonagh, 12pm;

Under 16 Club Cup Group 2: Kilfeacle v Nenagh Ormond, Kilfeacle, 11.30am;

Group 3: Clanwilliam v Douglas-Carrigaline, Clanwilliam Park, 11.30pm;

Waterpark v Young Munster, Ballinakill, 1pm;

Under 16 Club Plate Group 1: Cashel v Bandon, Cashel, 12.30pm

Newcastle West-Estuary v Youghal, Newcastle-West, 1pm;

For updates on the games this weekend follow #MC16, #MC18 & #MunsterStartsHere.