NUI Galway RFC

NUI Galway RFC is the rugby team of NUI Galway. Their colours are maroon and white.^[1] The rugby club in NUIG was founded in 1874, which makes it the oldest club in Connacht. They played in the Bateman Cup competition many times and won their first Connacht Senior Cup in 1897. They have held this trophy aloft 34 times in all, more than any other club in the Connacht, and they have won the senior league 16 times. They won the Dudley Cup for the first time in 1905. They have had many successes down through the years, but a real highlight was the 1962/63 season when they swept the boards — they won the Connacht Minor League and Minor Cup, the Connacht Junior League and Junior Cup, the Connacht Senior League and Senior Cup, the OLBC Sevens and the Blake Sevens.^[2]

Many of their players have played for Irish universities international teams, and 10 have been capped for Ireland, several while playing for UCG. One of those, Ciaran Fitzgerald, captained the British and Irish Lions.

Currently NUIG do not compete in the All-Ireland league, but they field two teams at Junior level (J1A & J2) and their under-20 team plays in the Conroy Cup against UCC, UCD, QUB, and TCD, along with competing in the Under-20 All Ireland League. They have also set up a Rugby Youth Academy in an attempt to help strengthen the club.

The women's team was set up in the 2002-2003 season. Their first official game was in 2004 versus Sligo I.T. In the 2008/2009 season NUIG women won the Connacht League. In the 2012/2013 season NUIG contested the Colleges & Universities Sports Association of Ireland Div 1 College League Final against UL. In 2013/2014 and again in 2014/2015 NUIG won the Irish Universities Rugby Union Kay Bowen Intervarsity Cup.

Notable players

• Ciaran Fitzgerald
• Mick Molloy — earned 27 caps for Ireland from 1966–1973.
• Eamon Maguire
• {[ R.E Roche]]

References