The 2018/19 Shane Horgan Cup kicks off today with the North Midlands taking on the South-East area in the first round of this year’s cup.
This year sees the first ever U18 area sides taking to the pitches alongside their Shane Horgan U16 counterparts. This now means Leinster Rugby will have U16 and U18 sides from all five areas of Leinster; Metropolitan, South-East, Midlands, North Midlands and North-East area.
Trevor Hogan, Leinster Rugby Talent Identification Coach, said: “Having the U18 teams keeps the door open longer for aspiring rugby players around the 12 counties and ensures they have the best opportunity to progress into our player pathway.”
The North Midlands area will take on the South-East area at both U16 and U18 level tonight in Cill Dara RFC at 6.45pm and 8pm, while the Midlands take on the North-East area in the coming weeks. The Metropolitan area receives a first-round bye.
2018/19 Shane Horgan Cup fixtures:
Round One:
Monday, 1st October
North Midlands v South-East (Cill Dara RFC)
TBC
Midlands v North-East (Mullingar RFC)
(Metropolitan Bye)
Round Two:
Wednesday, 31st October
South-East v Midlands (Enniscorthy RFC)
North-East v Metropolitan (Ashbourne RFC)
(North Midlands Bye)
Round Three:
Wednesday, 2nd January 2019
Metropolitan v North Midlands (Energia Park, Donnybrook)
South-East v North-East (Energia Park, Donnybrook)
(Midlands Bye)
Round Four:
Wednesday, 20th February 2019
North-East v North Midlands (Ashbourne RFC)
Midlands v Metropolitan (Tullamore RFC)
(South-East Bye)
Round Five:
Wednesday, 17th April 2019
North Midlands v Midlands (Cill Dara RFC)
South-East v Metropolitan (Enniscorthy RFC)
(North-East Bye)
