Leinster vs Connacht

Leinster Rugby
Junior Team
The Covid-19
pandemic put
so much of
life on hold.
As lockdowns
descended and
we retreated
to find safety
in isolation,
no area was
left untouched.
Rugby was not
unaffected.
The Junior
Interprovincial
Championship
was placed
on ice since
Leinster last
won the title in
2019.
Now the long wait is over as the
Leinster Juniors return to action
this year.
Robert McDermott is back for another
season as Team Manager and he’s
looking forward to this year’s campaign.
“The Leinster Junior Team finally took
to the pitch on March 9 in Newbridge
RFC after 34 months of waiting. The last
time the Juniors were on a pitch was in
Dundalk in May 2019 where we retained
the Interprovincial Championship,” he
explains.
“We are delighted to be back and there
has been a great buy in from the players
and we had 70 nominations from all the
clubs across the province. The tough job
of narrowing the squad down to 35 has
begun and all the players deserve great
credit for their commitment as they have
to jump into their cars after a long day
work to make training. This weekend
we have a training camp in Tullow RFC,
and we are grateful to them for their
hospitality.”
The former Leinster Branch President,
Robert McDermott is joined in the
Leinster set up by Cill Dara’s Enda Finn
who returns as Head Coach. Maurice
Logue of Tullow RFC is back as senior
coach. Joe Duffy (Wicklow RFC) returns
as Assistant Coach and he is joined by
former Leinster Junior player Corey Carty
(Co Carlow FC) who has come on board
the coaching set-up.
The coaches and management have
been working hard over the past number
of months to ensure that the Leinster
Juniors make a successful return. As part
of their preparation for the Interprovincial
Series, the Leinster team have played
matches against the Ireland Police team
and the Irish Defence Forces team.
Team Captain for the 2021/22 season is
Kilkenny RFC’s Wes Carter.
“For me Junior rugby is all about
representing your local provincial club
2019 Team with Cup
Wes Carter - Team Captain
and I am extremely proud to represent
Kilkenny RFC,” Carter says.
“The club continues to go from strength
to strength and the future is very bright.
To have the avenue to represent your
province from there, is something that
Junior players across the country relish.
“My first year with the Juniors was 2016,
six years later now and I can’t wait for
the 2022 campaign to start. The last two
years in particular with the Juniors have
been some of the most enjoyable rugby I
have played.
“Winning trophies in rugby is rare but
the Interprovincial series provides the
opportunity to do that. We have been
70 | www.leinsterrugby.ie