A very warm welcome to all our players, ex-players and our friends throughout the rugby world and beyond.
As UCD RFC begins its second 100 years and I think of all the Collidge ‘greats’ both on and off the field, I am hugely honoured to be President of this great rugby community, an honour shared by my father and grandfather.
UCD RFC aspires to help our players maximise their prospects to develop to their full potential, while simultaneously supporting their academic ambitions. The numbers in our club close to breakthrough are significant and are being actively supported by UCDs Elite Athlete Academy and the High Performance Unit in UCDs Institute of Sport and Health.
They and all the other players will also be ably guided by our new Director of Rugby, Bobby Byrne and his highly talented and motivated coaching team. We look forward to watching many of our current players lining out in future for our top flight teams and will take pride in our contribution to their development and achievements.
However, there has always been about a lot more to rugby at UCD than elite and senior players. The combination of club rugby in a university environment offers unique opportunities, at all levels, to forge lifelong friendships and lasting bonds during campus life. Few have ever enjoyed these more than I. University rugby is truly a wonderful privilege.
As club rugby strives to reassert its identity in the professional era, my fervent wish is that these, probably, unique opportunities for fun and lasting friendships our sport offers through all its clubs, should become a greater part of the currency of club rugby. I believe, ultimately, they will provide significantly greater rewards for club players than inevitably decreasing financial inducements.
As each season passes, there are always farewells and welcomes. May I wish our retiring Director of Rugby, John McClean well in his ‘retirement’ while congratulating him on his outstanding contribution to Collidge. Best wishes also to players who have moved on, but we look forward to seeing them again soon at club matches and events.
May I also welcome Leinster Rugby to Belfield. As a visitor to Belfield for over 50 years, it has been wonderful to watch it develop as a sporting venue. Our new world class sporting facilities will be greatly complemented by the presence of Europe’s leading rugby team.
Finally, may I wish Bobby Byrne, our Club Captain Andy Cummiskey, and all our players, particularly our new players, one of many memorable and enjoyable seasons with Collidge. I am confident that both old and new friendships at UCD will bring even greater enjoyment, as well success on the pitch, as the club evolves in to its second century.
Maybe, just maybe, WB Yeats had rugby on his mind when he wrote:
‘Think where mans glory most begins and ends
And say my glory was I had such friends’
James Meenan
UCD RFC President 2011/12