Instonians
Encyclopedia
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| Address | Shawsbridge Sports Complex, Miltown Road Belfast BT8 4XP |
| Phone | (+ 44 28) 90 79 02 58 |
| instoniansrfc@hotmail.co.uk | |
| President 2010-2011 | David Rainey |
| Sports | Rugby Union, Ladies Hockey, Men's Hockey and Cricket. |
| Branch | Ulster |
| Location | Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... , Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... , UK United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
| Founded | 1919 |
| History | Ground Share Between Cooke RFC and Ladies Hockey Club and Instonians Sports Club |
| Club Colours | Yellow, Black and Purple. |
| Other Names | The 'Old Boys', 'Inst' |
| Affiliation | Royal Belfast Academical Institution |
Instonians is the name of the umbrella organisation that incorporates rugby union
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...
, men's and ladies' hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name.
Instonians Rugby Football, Cricket and Athletic Clubs merged on 1 April 1962, the combined sections being known as 'Instonians', and then on 31 May 1979 the title of the club was changed to Instonians Rugby Football and Cricket Club. Finally on 1 April 1988, the Instonians Men's Hockey Club joined the association when the title reverted to Instonians.
Membership
The club was closed to former pupils or staff of Royal Belfast Academical InstitutionRoyal Belfast Academical Institution
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution, is a Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Locally referred to as Inst, the school educates boys from ages 11–18...
, one of the leading schools in Belfast. Instonians was the last 'old boys club in Ireland to finally open its membership to all in 1990. In practice, however, the men's hockey club still only accepts members meeting the old closed criteria.
Grounds
The club for many years used the Royal Belfast Academical InstitutionRoyal Belfast Academical Institution
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution, is a Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Locally referred to as Inst, the school educates boys from ages 11–18...
grounds at Bladon Drive, Osborne Park and Orangefield, before moving to its own grounds at Shane Park in 1965. Shane Park was sold for redevelopment in 1999 and the club now groundshares at the Shaw's Bridge Sports Complex with Cooke
Cooke RFC
Cooke Rugby Football Club, and Ladies' Hockey ClubCooke Rugby Football Club, which was founded in 1910, is the oldest junior rugby club in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It owes its origins to the members of a Bible class in the Cooke Centenary Presbyterian Church in the Ballynafeigh area...
.
Rugby
Instonians Rugby Club started as a section within the Belfast Old Instonians Association. The original part of the modern-day club, it started play in the Ulster Junior League in season 1919-20, and produced play of sufficient quality to merit immediate election to the Ulster Senior LeagueUlster Senior League
The Ulster Senior League is a rugby union competition for senior clubs in the Irish province of Ulster. It has traditionally being ranked second in importance to the Ulster Senior Cup. It has declined in importance due to the formation of the All-Ireland League and growth in importance of the...
for the following season.
Instonians have won the Ulster Senior Cup
Ulster Senior Cup
The Ulster Senior Cup is a knock-out competition for senior rugby union teams in the province of Ulster.It is administered by Ulster Rugby.The most successful club is Queen's University with 22 wins...
nineteen times, the Ulster Junior Cup
Ulster Junior Cup
The Ulster Junior Cup is a rugby union competition for clubs in the Irish province of Ulster that are not considered strong enough to play in the Ulster Senior Cup. It also includes the second teams of the senior clubs...
four times and the Ulster Senior League
Ulster Senior League
The Ulster Senior League is a rugby union competition for senior clubs in the Irish province of Ulster. It has traditionally being ranked second in importance to the Ulster Senior Cup. It has declined in importance due to the formation of the All-Ireland League and growth in importance of the...
seven times (with five shared titles).
When the All-Ireland League
AIB League
The Ulster Bank All-Ireland League is the national league system for the 48 senior rugby union clubs in Ireland, covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is not, however, the highest level of rugby union in Ireland, as teams representing the four provinces of Ireland play...
started, Instonians were one of the original members of Division 1. This period unfortunately coincided with a decline in the quality of players at the Club and they suffered relegation. Instonians currently play in AIL Division 2A.
31 Instonians rugby players have been capped by Ireland at full International level and the club has produced two British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
captains.
Ladies' Hockey
Instonians Ladies' Hockey is somewhat unusual in that the club is associated with a boys' school. However, the ladies' hockey section was the second part of the club to be formed in 1921. Membership was initially made up from wives, sisters, daughters and girlfriends of Inst old boys and staff.The ladies' hockey club was one of the most successful club sides in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
over a period from 1930 until the mid-1960s. They were winners of the Ulster Shield
Ulster Shield
The Ulster Shield is the premier knock-out competition for ladies' hockey teams in the Ulster province of Ireland. It is one of the oldest ladies' hockey competitions in the world, with the first competition being held in 1896...
on ten occasions and won the Irish Senior Cup
Irish Senior Cup (Ladies Hockey)
The Irish Senior Cup is the premier knockout trophy played for by the top ladies' hockey clubs in Ireland. The competition is held under the auspices of the Irish Hockey Association, a body that was formed with the merger of the Men's and Ladies' Unions in 2000...
in 1955. The dawning of the 1970s saw a gradual decline in playing standards, and eventually Senior League status was lost.
They took up a nomadic existence moving from ground to ground over the past twenty years. However 2006 has seen Instonians Ladies' Hockey Club renew its connection with the parent club with the opening of a new water-based artificial turf pitch at the Shaw's Bridge Sports Complex.
Instonians Ladies currently play in Section Four of the Senior League (following the restructuring of the ladies leagues in 2007 removing Qualifying and Intermediate Sections) of the Ulster Women's Hockey Union.
Cricket Club
Instonians Cricket Club was founded in 1932. The first team currently plays in the Premier League of the NCU Senior LeagueNCU Senior League
The Northern Cricket Union Senior League is the provincial cricket league within the NCU jurisdiction in Ireland, which covers counties Antrim, Armagh, Down and south Tyrone of Northern Ireland. The league was formed in 1897 and is currently divided into four sections, namely the Premier League,...
.
Honours
- NCU Senior LeagueNCU Senior LeagueThe Northern Cricket Union Senior League is the provincial cricket league within the NCU jurisdiction in Ireland, which covers counties Antrim, Armagh, Down and south Tyrone of Northern Ireland. The league was formed in 1897 and is currently divided into four sections, namely the Premier League,...
: 2- 1962, 2009
- NCU Challenge CupNCU Challenge CupThe NCU Challenge Cup, also called the NCU Senior Challenge Cup and the NCU Senior Cup, is the most important provincial cricket knock-out cup of the NCU jurisdiction in Ireland...
: 2- 1964, 2009
- Ulster CupUlster Cup (cricket)The Ulster Cup is knock-out cricket competition in Ireland run jointly by the Northern Cricket Union and the North West Cricket Union. The top eight teams in the previous season’s NCU Premier League and North West Senior League 1 are eligible to take part...
: 4- 1999, 2007, 2010, 2011
- NCU Junior CupNCU Junior CupThe NCU Junior Cup is a provincial cricket knock-out cup of the NCU jurisdiction in Ireland. The competition began in 1891 and is open to teams playing in the Sections 2 and 3 of the NCU Senior League and Section 1 of the NCU Junior League...
: †3- †1967, †1970, †2001
† Won by 2nd XI
Men's Hockey Club
Instonians Men's Hockey Club was formed in 1959. The first team is one of the top teams in Ireland, winning the Irish Senior CupIrish Senior Cup (Men's Hockey)
The Irish Senior Cup is the premier knock-out trophy played for by the best men's hockey clubs in Ireland. It is one of the oldest hockey tournaments in the world.-Historical format:...
on four occasions with their initial success coming in 1995. Four Irish Club Championships have also been won.
In association with Royal Belfast Academical Institution
Royal Belfast Academical Institution
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution, is a Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Locally referred to as Inst, the school educates boys from ages 11–18...
the club have just completed the purchase and laying of a water-based artificial turf playing surface at the Shaws Bridge Sports Complex.
Distinguished past players
- Sam WalkerSam Walker (rugby player)Samuel "Sam" Walker was an Irish rugby union prop. Walker played club rugby for Instonians and played international rugby for Ireland and was captain of the British Isles team in their 1938 tour of South Africa.-Rugby career:...
, Captain (1938), British and Irish LionsBritish and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... - Robin ThompsonRobin ThompsonRobin Thompson was a rugby union international for Ireland and a former British and Irish Lions captain.Robin Thompson won two Ulster Schools Senior Cup medals with RBAI and played for Ulster Schools...
, Captain (1955), British and Irish LionsBritish and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... - Maeve KyleMaeve KyleMaeve Esther Enid Kyle, OBE, née Shankey, , is an Irish Olympic athlete and hockey player. She competed in the 100m and 200m in the Melbourne Olympics and subsequently in the Rome Olympics and Tokyo Olympics...
, hockey player and athlete
Source
Belfast Newsletter, Belfast Telegraph