Athboy RFC is an Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 rugby

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 team based in Athboy

Athboy

Athboy , is a small agricultural town in County Meath in Ireland. It is located on the junction of the N51 and R154 roads. The town is located on the Yellow Ford River, in wooded country near the County Westmeath border.-History:...

, County Meath

County Meath

County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...

. They play in the Magee Cup, the North East Junior 3 competition organised by the Leinster Branch of the IRFU. The club colours are red, purple and
black.
Magee Cup Champions 2010

History

Athboy Rugby Football Club was founded in 1978 and the subsequent years have been tough but rewarding time for those who originally came together in the town with the idea of establishing the oval ball game in the area and indeed the many people who have come along since. Edmund Carroll from Athboy and local Vet Rafe Warner were both instrumental in the formation of the club which boasted, in its first year, one team and about a dozen alickadoos, The initial season of 1978-79 constituted a series of friendlies but in the summer of 1979 the club was officially affiliated to the Leinster Branch of the IRFU.

Since its establishment, the club has had its ups and downs, coming from small beginnings to grow into a progressive unit playing at both Junior 3 and 4 level. In the 1995/96 season when the club failed to field a team for the first time since 1978, senior rugby activity was suspended. In the 1999/2000 season, sufficient numbers of players and interest resulted in a re-launch at J3 level and the addition of a women's team, later in that season.

Success on the field has brought home 4 trophies, those 4 triumphs- 3 in the Magee Cup (North-East J3 League) 1987,1988 & 1990 and the Michael Dunne Cup (Provincial J4) in 1982. Playing as a Junior 4 side the club only had to wait 3 seasons before bringing home the first trophy home to the Bawn Inn where the club was then based. It may have taken a replay to see off Kilkenny in the Dunne Cup Final but the 10-6 victory was a great boost for a fledgling club and the Jimmy McCann led XV was toasted at many celebrations in the following weeks.

With growing success in area and provincial rugby the club sought and was granted by the Leinster Branch a move up to Junior 3 in 1982. A second XV was started and the club boasted up to 40 players and several officials. With the club finding success on the field the decision was taken to locate to a new home and this was achieved when land was acquired on the edge of the town . The 2 teams began playing there in 1986 and over £2000 was spent installing floodlights for training.

In the summer of 1999 a meeting was held with the aim of fielding again at senior level this was achieved with a mixture of players who had played both at senior and underage level for the club plus several who had moved into the area and a few new recruits to the oval ball. As with the first team the new team spent its first year playing friendlies and in the 2000-01 season played in the Provincial Thirds League,The Anderson Cup and the Dunne Cup. The Women's team was also started in 1999-00 season playing a number of friendlies and played in the National Conference in 2000-01

In 2001-2002 season the women's XV shared the All Ireland League Division 3 title with Trinity College and the following year lost out in an all Meath final against Navan

Since 1985 Athboy has had fielded under 10's and 12 teams and this has grown to included under 8's under 14',16's and in 03/04 an Under 18's(in conjunction with Ardee) The 18's went on to win leinster Under 18's Division 1 the same season.

Several players have gone on to represent Leinster at several levels including U17,U18,Women's U19, Women's Leinster B and the Senior Leinster Women's Team also former player Richie Feeney(now UL Bohs) made his Ireland U19 debut V England in 2004.

The membership of the club reflects a broad level of interest in rugby throughout the area with players from Athboy,Trim and other parts of South Meath.

Athboy RFC Club Presidents

1978-1981 Patrick Noonan

1981-1984 Jack Ryan

1984-1987 Rafe Warner

1987-1989 Jack Williams

1989-1990 Peter Smith

1990-1991 Luke Mahon

1991-1992 Michael Brogan (Jnr)

1992-1995 Vincent Eivers

1995-1997 Jack Williams

1997-2000 Padraic Staunton

2000-2003 Michael O'Flaherty

2003-2006 Bill Daly

2006-2008 Padraic Staunton

2008-2010 Simon Magnier

2010- Seamus Potterton

Athboy RFC Captains

1978-1981 Oliver Molloy

1981-1982 Jimmy McCann

1982-1984 Jack Williams

1984-1986 Peter Smyth

1986-1987 Vincent Eivers

1987-1988 Norman Allen

1988- 1990 Tom Eivers

1990-1991 Niall Brogan

1991-1993 John Joyce

1993-1994 Padraig Dixon

1994-1998 Tom Eivers

1998-1999 Padraig Dixon

1999-2000 John Paul Matthews

2000-2002 Michael Brogan

2002-2003 David Bohan

2003-2004 Owen Kerrane

2004-2005 Denis Fagan

2005-2006 John Paul Matthews

2006-2007 David Callaghan

2007-2009 Seamus Potterton

2009-2010 Simon Barrett

2010-2011 Cathal Dempsey

2011- Alan Fox


Roll of Honour

Michael Dunne Cup 1982

Magee Cup 1987,1988, 1990, 2010, 2011

Women's All Ireland League Division 3 2002

Leinster U18's Division 1 2004