Gorey Rugby Youths help win Interprovincial title:

Three Gorey players Stephen Gardener, Edward Earle and Stephen Duke were selected to play for Leinster in the recent Interprovincial series. All The players came through the south-east selection and trained throughout the winter. They were part of a larger panel of forty players selected for summer training with Leinster and survived the selection process to make the final twenty two. They were all involved in the pre-season trip to England. All three played a major part in winning the Youth inter provincial trophy with three wins. The first win was away to Connaught. This was a tough affair played in torrential rain and gale force winds. Next they took on Munster in Donnybrook again in a downpour. The series culminated in a close victory over Ulster on Saturday last. The team performed heroically in all three games. Stephen Duke was selected at out-half for two of the matches and at full-back for the Ulster game. He contributed massively to the three victories with slick handling and running great lines. Eddie Earle was selected in the back row for all three games and excelled putting in Trojan work around the field and with some massive tackles. Stephen Gardener played a significant role in all three games in the second row with his tackling and great scrummaging. A fourth player James Nolan would surely have joined his club mates in their victory but due to concussion James missed the series. He is under age again next year and will represent his club at Leinster level in the future. The training and fitness programme was extremely arduous and the commitment of the players over the past few months was justly rewarded. The coach for the Youth team was Eric Miller former Leicester, Leinster and British and Irish Lion.

Over the past few weeks Gorey Rugby Club has been honoured by having a total of eight club members selected at provincial level. Four players were involved at Leinster Club Youth U18 level and four more were capped at Development school level, two for Leinster development schools and two for Munster development schools. In the development schools series Jordan Ahearne, and Padraig Maher were selected to play for Leinster and Andrew Walsh and Stephen Scallan were selected for Munster as they attend school in Waterford. All four play for the club U19 team in Gorey and were delighted with their selection. It is a great honour for the club to have so many of the youth section selected for the provinces.