Thurles RFC U18 Boys Team
Thurles u18s are presently coached by John Shaw & Tom Quinlan. They train on Tuesday & Thursday nights from 7.15pm to 8.45pm. The players come from a wide area around the town of Thurles, Loughmore, Drom, Templemore, Moyne, Holycross – Ballycahill & Two – Mile – Borris to name a few. We are currently a squad of 25 and always welcome new players. The captain of the team for 2019/20 season is James Butler and Vice – Captain is Owen Byrne. The squad currently has 3 players with Munster & 5 players involved with the county team. The u18s in Thurles have been very successful over the last number of seasons winning a double in 2017 the East Munster plate & Munster Final. In 2018 they got to the final of East Munster plate but unfortunately were defeated on the day. They came back in 2019 to win the East Munster plate for the 2nd time in 3 seasons. Thurles u18s are looking forward to the season ahead.
Head Coach: John Shaw – 087 6468804
Assistant Coach: Tom Quinlan – 087 8244587
Under 16 Boys
Thurles U16s come from all around Thurles. The panel is made up of players from Thurles town, Templemore, Borrisoleigh, Holycross, Moyne, Loughmore, Moycarkey,Twomileborris and Templetouhy. The boys come from a wide range of backgrounds and have different skills and abilities. Rugby is a big part of their development as young men.
Thurles U16’s had a very successful tour to Wales last April Winning their first match and drawing the second. The boys were very well presented and behaved impeccably. They acted as great ambassadors for their families and Thurles RFC.
2014 Tri County challenge winners
2013/2014 East Munster Development league semi finalists
2013/2014 East Munster plate winners
2012/2013 Adam Bourke plate winners
Girls Youth Rugby U15 & U18
There have also been a number of individual success stories in the last number of years, with the 11 of the girls competing at an inter provincial level for Munster over the last four years: Grainne Fennelly, Emma Byrne, Tanya Dunican, Rebecca Byrne, Katie Longe, Sile Keely, Sarah Sweeney, Aisling Scanlon, Catriona Molumby, Gemma Dunican and Aisling O Hagan. Aisling O Hagan is also the first woman from Thurles Rugby Club to represent Ireland, a phenomenal achievement.
Thurles U14 Boys
Thurles U14 as per their older counter parts in U16’s come from all around Thurles area, a hot bed of GAA which competes for their time particularly around the start of season in September and towards the end in March and April. We encourage the boys to improve their ball skills and maintain fitness through playing soccer and GAA and try to accommodate all codes at this stage of their player development through appropriate scheduling of training and games. This has been beneficial in ensuring we have a strong base level of fitness for all our boys most of whom have been participating in other sports throughout the summer. This we have supplemented with strength and conditioning sessions since early August, customised for boys of this age and customised for the more physical demands of rugby.
We have assembled a squad of 25 players for this year with some new arrivals to rugby who have assimilated well to the game supplemented strongly by players from last year’s squad and upcoming U12’s all of which have been with the club since U8’s. We are always looking for new players and players can be accommodated in the squad at any time during the season.
The panel is made up of players from Thurles town, Templemore, Borrisoleigh, Ballycahill, Moyne, Loughmore, Drom and Moycarkey. The boys come from a wide range of backgrounds and have different skills and abilities. Our ethos and aims at this level are to develop the boy’s skills but also to develop them as young men at what is a very impressionable age group.