In the footsteps and tyretracks of Galwegians before them, the Ken Larkin-coached Under13s pulled away from Glenina shortly before 03:00am Friday morning, Mar 27, bound for Lisbon. In what has become a rite of passage for Crowley Park pre-teens, Estádio Universitário de Lisboa (Lisbon University) welcomed 24 players, 22 parents, five siblings and a coach on Saturday morning for a 27-team pool-play seeding competition.
Just short of noon Friday and awaiting hotel check-in, the 52-strong complement invaded seaside resort suburb Estoril for a long-awaited lunch. Pow’s Chick took every bit the hammering Ballina did in league and cup fixtures this year, but fired out more than four dozen meals in no more than 40minutes. As far as we are aware, staff took the rest of the afternoon off and retired to the south of France for the summer. The diners nearly all napped.
Played under 10-a-side format on 60m x 40m pitches, Galwegians met tournament hosts Sporting Clube du Portugal, 10:15am Saturday morning. Albeit on constricted pitch-widths, the Baby Blues made great use of space farther out winning several one-on-one collisions and, ultimately, the match 35-05. A vocal parents & friends support crew welcomed them back to the stand, one-from-one first job done, watched by an overseas audience via tournament video link.
Larkin and co-coaches Aidan O’Brien and Jamie Connolly unloaded the bench for game two, and all tourists had seen pitch minutes by full-time against Rugby Vila da Moita, at 13:35 Saturday afternoon. RV Moita, from Lisbon’s southside, fell prey to a similar scoreline (40-nil), outmuscled by kilos and pace courtesy of the touring Irish. That said, stiff resistance emerged from a handful of RV Moita and Sporting CP players in both games, which mimicked Galwegians’ best for evasive footwork and crisp passing width. Portugal, contesting their third rugby world cup next year, has a thriving player population in its main centres particularly among youth rugby grades.
Maidstone RFC, one of England’s oldest clubs, was to prove a thornier issue for the buoyant Galwegians, last game of day one, 17:20 Saturday. Maidstone’s size and ability to dominate the breakdown saw them to get away to a two-try lead within seven minutes, and while Galwegians went toe-to-toe on the scoreboard thereafter, Galwegians finished 10-20 down, but well placed to contest the second tier of the draw (ninth to 16th) on Sunday.
Unfortunately for Galwegians, Moita was its last on-pitch success, day two’s fixtures proving too formidable a hurdle. St Julian’s (Lisbon) exerted every ounce of physical prowess to outmuscle and outflank Galwegians’ best efforts late morning (25-15), and the 15th and 16th playoff v de la Salle Palmerstown Chiefs was a close-run three tries to two loss.
Competition birthdates allowed for players born after 01 September 2012 to contest the U13s, giving several opposition players a few months’ maturity (and moustache bragging rights) over a handful of our 12yr-old Irish lads. That said, all opposition contested the 20min matches as gentlemen (and gentlewomen), the U13 grade allowing for mixed panels. All in all, tournament hosts complete more than 300 games on at least nine pitches in two days across seven grades (U13 mixed, U15,17 and 19 boys; and U15,18 and 20year girls).
While playing and flight schedules afforded little opportunity to see much of Lisbon beyond the university, Estoril’s Piccadilly Circus, and the hotel we managed to catch daily glimpses of Estádio José Alvalade (the 50,000 seater Sporting CP soccer headquarters), Benfica’s 65,000 seat stadium, and Estadio Nacionale du Jamor (athletics), a 37,000 seat open-air terraced theatre. Needless to say, those three arenas comprised a wholly appropriate and fitting parade route for the Ken Larkin-coached elite athletes of Galwegians’ Under13s.
Our thanks to all parents who travelled each contributed to everybody coming home again, commiserations to those who stayed in Galway – your support in the groupchat was shared with all present. Particular thanks to Caroline Heary (Kelly) whose monumental fundraising efforts significantly trimmed player costs. Special mention also to Bon Secours Hospital, Renmore; Dunnes Stores, Briarhill; Connacht Rugby; Flannerys Hotel and countless others who donated to the cause.
It was in every sense another roaring and runaway success by memory-making metrics, life experience, and friendships made.
Squad : Jude Landy, Aaron Kristopaitis, Cillian McParland, Cathal & Conor Keady, Dara & Oisin Hernon, Ruadhan Ó Dómhnaill, Rían Mitchell, Iarlaith O’Brien, Tadhg Kelly, Éanna Fanning (and fanclub), Adam Chodola, Iarla Cavan, Jakub Glomba, Derren Cahill, Conor O’Brien, Flynn Wilson, Senan Larkin, Tom McCafferty, Jack Kelly, Julian Kotonski, Cillian McCarthy and Pierce Noonan.
Coaches : Ken Larkin, Aidan O’Brien, Jamie Connolly. Manager Michael O’Brien.
