Great Start to the Year. And free yogurt too!

Welcome back to all players and a special welcome to all of the new players that will be joining us over the next few weeks.

TRAINING:  Thursdays, from 4.00 until 5.00 on the main pitch behind the PE Hall.  Bring a gumshield every week.  It's cheaper to buy a new gumshield every week for the year than to visit the dentist even once!

SPECIAL TRAINING FOR GIRLS:  Tuesday 15 September the girls will be travelling to Old Belvedere RFC after school for a training session.  Thanks to Aurelie for the invitation.  Details, questions?  Knock on M4 or H4 for answers.

IRELAND OPEN TRAINING SESSION.

A big thanks to Barry Cunningham of the IRFU for once again facilitating us in attending the Open Training Session of the Irish Rugby Squad. We had a fantastic day out and unusually, we were warm!  Normally these events are in January or early February, ie cold and wet, but today was spent in glorious sunshine below the grandstand of the RDS.

It was a great opportunity (Katie!) to say thank you and good luck to the squad before they head across the pond for the Rugby World Cup.  The training session itself was really intense with the players working extremely hard on the pitch right in front of us.  We had a lot of fun at the touchline ourselves, between cheering on the ballboy, teasing players and hitting people on the head with the ball.  Good hands Nathan!

The players were real gentlemen when it came to signing autographs and posing for photographs with the students.  Unfortunately one of our students (not saying who, right Jess?) brought a selfie-stick and we were all too embarrassed to be seen in any of those pictures. Evan Collins was his usual quiet and reserved self on the sideline, commenting quietly on what was going on in front of him.  We even got a chance to warn Tommy Bowe of what's ahead of him when he comes in to visit the girl's squad!  Ms Brady got her programme signed by Paul O'Connell and had a big long cry afterwards, while Jake and William got to meet their hero, their inspiration, the reason why they play rugby at all; Simon Zebo. Legend.

The craic!

Thanks to all of the students who went along, and to the stalwart parents Mrs Collins and Mrs Hamilton for lending a hand also.  Thanks also to Mr Donnelly who facilitated today's trip and especially to all of the teachers who graciously gave their students a chance to attend today's event.  Remember to catch up on any work you may have missed out on!

Our biggest thanks have to go to Glenisk yogurts.  They were providing free samples of their yogurts to everyone who attended.  Nothing tastes better than free! What yogurts did we try?  All of them!