
ADULT RUGBY
Heroic Creggs win v NUIG in Cawley Cup
Creggs Rugby 24, NUIG 3.
Creggs Firsts gave a heroic display of defensive rugby in their Round 5 of the Cawley Cup against NUIG, in Creggs last Saturday night, to earn a home semi-final v Connemara in mid-November.
After a tough first twenty minutes, Creggs broke the deadlock with a well worked try. NUIG replied with a penalty a couple of minutes later. Despite having a man off for a yellow, Creggs managed to add another converted try to leave it 14-3 at the break.
Then in a chaotic five minute period in what was be a tough but sporting game, the referee issue a second yellow (so a red) and another straight red for two high tackles. Down to 13 men, Creggs looked in big trouble facing over 25 minutes to go. However, in one of the most heroic and brave defensive performances witnessed in Creggs, not only did they hold NUIG scoreless for that period but they broke out and scored a penalty and on another occasion, a great converted try, to finish out 24-3 winners.
The organised defence and commitment to great tackling frustrated NUIG and Creggs were well deserved winners. Let us hope that the very harsh sending offs carry the minimum sanction in the case of the two yellows and that the straight red attracts no sanction as there was clearly no intent and the tackle slipped up off the chest, with the NUIG player not even falling to the ground, and carrying on playing un-injured.
Finally, we wish Danny Arnold a speedy recovery after he picked up a leg injury in the game, which will keep him out for several weeks.
Creggs Rugby: Sean Og Higgins, Danny Arnold, Eoghan Cahill, Tom Farrell, Brian Donoghue,
Conor Rohan, Ciaran Corcoran, Brian Diffley (Capt.), Mark Brandon, Shane Purcell, Chris Duignan, Eoghan Coyle, Luke Meehan, Michael Farrell, Mark Purcell, Tommy Curley, Eoghan Farrell, Pete Lohan, Jonathan White.
Connacht League is next up this weekend
The Creggs First team will be hoping to continue their good early season form and unbeaten run into their first Connacht League game next weekend away to Tuam.
The Creggs Development Team are down to play Ballyhaunis RFC in the Curley Cup this weekend.
CAWLEY CUP RESULTS:
15/08/2021 Round 1 Home
CREGGS 1ST XV 38 (6) V 21 (3) CASTLEBAR 1ST XV
29/08/2021 Round 2 Away
MONIVEA 1ST XV 15 (2) V 47 (7) CREGGS 1ST XV
09/09/2021 Round 3 A Bye
16/09/2021 Round 4 Away
BUCCANEERS 2ND XV 10 (2) V 13 (2) CREGGS 1ST XV
25/09/2021 Round 5 Home KO: 14:30
CREGGS 1ST XV 24 (3) V 3 (0) NUIG 1ST XV
ADULT RUGBY TRAINING
Training continues for all First’s, Development and Under-20 players each week on Tuesdays at 8pm and Fridays at 8.15pm.
New and returning players are always welcome in Creggs.
Youth Fixtures & Training
YOUTH RUGBY
YOUTH TEAMS FIXTURES
GIRLS FIXTURES:
Creggs Under-14 Girls play Claremorris Colts on Sunday in Creggs, on next Sunday.
BOYS FIXTURES:
Creggs Under-14 Boys will play Corrinthians Blue next weekend in Creggs in their third Connacht League game. Day and time TBC
Creggs Under-17’s are due to play in the Connacht Under-17’s League next weekend, away to Ballinasloe. Time TBC.
Creggs Under-18.5’s are due to play in the Connacht Under-18.5’s League next Sunday, in Creggs at 12 Noon.
YOUTH TEAMS TRAINING
GIRLS Rugby:
New Players always welcome to come along to Creggs and give it a try.
Creggs Under-14 Girls train Monday evening at 7pm.
Creggs Under-16 / Under-18 Girls training on Monday evenings at 8pm. New players always welcome.
BOYS Rugby:
Creggs Under-13 Boys train next Wednesday at 7.30m.
Creggs Under-14 Boys train next Wednesday from 7 to 8.15pm in Creggs.
Creggs Under-15 Boys training continues on Thursday at 7pm.
Creggs Under-16’s / Under-17’s train every Tuesday at 7.30pm
Creggs Under-18.5’s training continues every Thursday night at 7.30pm in Creggs.
Please keep an eye on Creggs Facebook page for updates and any enquiries please contact: Dave Purcell on 087 7000547.
Another good away win for Creggs Under-14 Boy’s
Corinthians RFC 10, Creggs Rugby 22.
Creggs boys Under-14 team played their second round Connacht League game away to Corinthians Black last Sunday. The Creggs boys continued their great start to the league campaign with a 22 points to 10 win.

The Creggs Under-14 squad from the previous game v Ballina.
On a wet day in Galway the Creggs team dealt with a good strong start from their opponents and absorbed some forward pressure. They eventually turned over the ball and moved the ball wide and made good ground up the field where they recycled the ball quickly and Roger Connolly took advantage and they slotted it over for a seven point lead.
Corinthians restarted with a kick long to Myles Mc Sharry who caught it and ran back at his opponents. The game continued with neither team giving an inch. Corinthians had an opportunity to score but a good tackle by the full back Myles on their centre, prevented a try.
The ball was gain worked up the field when there was a penalty awarded to the Creggs. This was in a kickable position and Kaylum Curran obliged and stretched the lead to ten points to no score. The Creggs boys we’re starting to grow in confidence and with good forward play they continued to push Corinthians backwards. Then in a clever piece of play Kaylum Curran gave a cross field kick to winger Mark Beisty who collected the ball and touched it down over the line. Kaylum slotted the conversation for a commanding seventeen – nil scoreline at half time. The Creggs coaches made a few change to the pack at half time to give other boys a run.
The Corinthians team came out in the second half with a new vigour and started to move the ball wider to their centre and wings. Creggs look vulnerable on a few occasions but last ditch tackles from Jack Finn and Jack Dolan in the centre held Corinthians out.
Eventually the pressure from Corinthians told when they scored a try out wide on the wing. This left a difficult conversation attempt which was unsuccessful. This left the score at 17-5, and before the restart, Creggs made two further changes .
Corinthians continued to put pressure on Creggs. Daniel Fleming made a tackle in the middle of the field which resulted in him having to be replaced. The resulting scrum was won by Corinthians and Creggs defence were at sixes and sevens, resulting in another try from Corinthians out wide again. The conversion was missed so the score was now 17-10.
On the restart Creggs kicked long into the corner. Kaylum Curran read a ball well and intercepted a pass but was stopped just short of the line. Creggs were awarded a scrum five meters out and from that, Ruari Webb was held up over the line. The ball was dropped out by Corinthians but Creggs ran again at the line and got over on this occasion thanks to some strong attacking play which was finished off by Kaylum Curran. The conversion was missed, but the score was now 22 – 10. Creggs brought on two more subs for the last five minutes.
This was another good performance considering the weather conditions and that Creggs managed to play 23 players . There next outing is against Corinthians Blue next weekend at home.
Creggs Rugby: A. Smyth, C. Diffley, J. Walsh, C. Keane, R. Connolly, R. Blighe, J. Trundle, R. Webb, D Fleming, K. Curran, M. Beisty, J. Dolan, J. Finn, C. Fitzmaurice, M. McSharry, D. Fallon, P. Concannon, S. Carlos, S. Kearns, H. Kilcoyne, P. O’Farrell, M. Gurren, M. Daly, M. Byrne, G. Greene, C. Higgins, H. King and D. King.
Great start to Youth Rugby for Creggs Under-13 Boy’s
Creggs Rugby 24, Westport 17.
Creggs Under-13 Boys welcomed Westport to the Green in Creggs on Saturday last in the first round of the Connacht Under-13 League.
While this was the first competitive game for the boys, who have graduated up from Mini Rugby, they settled into the game really well and were on the front foot from the off.
A period of sustained Creggs attacking play was met with a strong Westport defence who kept out several short efforts from the home side before the play eventually shifted to the middle of the field and Matthew Donnelly burrowed his way over the line for a Creggs try. Harry Waldron provided the extra points with the conversion.
Westport didn’t allow this to put them off and when their flying winger received the ball after sustained pressure he found a gap out wide and crossed for a try.
Creggs once again went down the field and laid siege on the Westport line and after several brave attempts were stopped by the travelling defence, Jack Lally powered over in the corner to extend Creggs lead. At half time, the score was Creggs 12, Westport 5.
In the second half Creggs had some wonderful breaks from wingers Dara Kelleher and Darragh Killeen, who brought the team into Westport territory on numerous occasions. Joseph McSharry deservedly got on the score sheet after this work.
Minutes later a superb individual try from Luke Hayes who gathered the ball on halfway and backed his speed and skill to evade the whole Westport team and touch down under the posts for an easy kick for Harry Waldron. This left Creggs leading by 24- 5 at the second water break.
The effort and warm conditions began to take its toll on the home side and despite some resolute defending Westport crossed the line in the corner and once they gathered the kick off and went the length of the pitch for a try under the posts the Creggs lead was down to just 7 points.
The Creggs boys then dug deep and some strong tackles from Joseph McSharry and Jack Lally in the centre as well as super breakdown work by Cathal Mulry and Matthew Donnelly, ensured that Creggs held out for a victory. The final score Creggs 24, Westport 17.
Creggs Rugby: AJ. Tully, Fionn Heavey, David Fetherstone, Oisin Connolly, Connor Hannon, Matthew Donnelly, Robbie McArdle, Cathal Mulry, Sean Richardson, Harry Waldron, Darragh Killeen, Joseph McSharry, Jack Lally, Dara Kelleher, Luke Hayes, Aleksandr Bajuks, Cameron Clark, Callum Clarke, Calvin Beckett, Callum Ward.
Training continues next Saturday. New and returning players always welcome.
Creggs Under-16 Girls earn big win away to Claremorris
Claremorris RFC 12, Creggs Rugby 38.
Creggs girls Under-16’s Girls followed up their big win over Galwegians the previous week, when they travelled to Claremorris last sunday morning for another Connacht League game.
Played in heavy rain both teams tried hard to move the ball but conditions dictated that knocks ons would be inevitable and it is a credit to both teams that the game was so high scoring.
Creggs won by 38 – 12, with six tries on the day that came from Siofra Hession, Sarah Purcell (2), Grace Mannion, Jemima Adams Verling and Shauna Walsh with 4 conversions coming the boot of Siofra Hession.
There was great carries up front by Michaela Gillooly, Julie Ann Fahy, Elizabeth Gory, Stacey Corbally, Beibhinn Maher and Isabelle Quinn while out wide Leah Heavy, Katie O Connor and Rachel Kilcoyne carried hard and were held short on a few occasions by a good Caremorris defence. Meanwhile Sophie Trayers and Elizabeth Gory did very well in defence when called on
Great performace delivers big win for Creggs Under-18 Girls
Creggs Rugby 42, Ballinasloe RFC 12.
Creggs Under-18 girls had an impressive victory last Friday night on the Green in Creggs, when they defeated Ballinasloe 42-12 in the opening round of the Division 1 of the Connacht Girls Under-18 League.
The first half was very much played between the two 10 metre lines with both defences on top and some excellent defence on the Creggs side especially by Megan Donoghue, Eadaoin Walsh and Nadine Fitzmaurice, particularly as the half wore on. Up front Roisin Maher and Grace Scanlan were excellent in their ball carries and neither side could break the other down, leaving the half time score at 0-0.
The second half began very well for Ballinasloe and they got in for the opening score after 5 minutes in the corner to take a 5-0 lead.
Creggs then really started to open the game up and played some fantastic rugby with some very good offloads from Roisin Maher, Jean O Boyle and Rachel McDonnell creating space for others to exploit.
In the set piece Gabriella Kilcommons did brilliantly in the lineout, while Ella Brady and Emily Murray had some excellent carries and were held up short originally before Creggs managed to breach the defence with quick tries from Rachel Gormley (2) Jemima Adams Verling and Sarah Purcell. All were converted brilliantly by Eabha Dowd.
There was still work to do in defence and Caoimhe Walsh, Eabha Conroy, Ciara Boyle and Michaela Gillooly were never found wanting.
However, Ballinasloe did manage to get in for a try to narrow the deficit to 28-12 before a fine individual try by Aoibhinn Murray and another from Jemima Adams Verling which Eabha Dowd also converted to completed the scoring for Creggs, and crowned excellent performance from a well drilled team.
MINI Rugby
MINI Rugby Is Up and Running
MINI Rugby continues on this Saturday (October 2nd) at the following times:
Under-7’s/ Under-8’s / Under-9 Boy’s at 10am;
Under-10’s and Under-11 Boy’s at 10.15am;
Under-12’ Boy’s and All MINI Girls Age-Groups at 10.30am.
Beginners and all Boys and Girls new to Mini-Rugby at all age levels are always very welcome in Creggs.