Exciting climax to rugby Colours

Posted on: 09 April 2018

The age-old rivalry between Trinity and UCD means that Colours fixtures tend to live long in the memory. And so it was with this year’s rugby Colours, which involved an expanded week-long programme of events under the banner, ‘Festival of Rugby Colours’.

First up were the U20s, who played their UCD counterparts on Easter Saturday in UCD. It was a triumph for Trinity, winning with a scoreline of 13-10 and claiming the Jamsie Maher Trophy into the bargain.

On Tuesday UCD got their revenge when they overcame Trinity Juniors 16-11 in an epic battle that could have gone either way in front of a large Belfield crowd.

A tag rugby blitz, scheduled for College Park on Wednesday afternoon, fell victim to the weather but thankfully the first ever stand-alone Women’s Rugby Colours took place as planned in Trinity that night.

DUFC Women – with only four starters having played rugby before this season – lost out to an experienced UCD side, whose comprehensive victory of 39-0 masks the tremendous team spirit displayed by the girls.

In the men’s clash the following night, it looked like the spoils might also be going UCD’s way when the visitors burst into an early 10-0 lead. However DUFC fought back and thanks to a try by captain Michael Courtney (pictured below) held out to seal an 11-10 victory over UCD in this, the 66th Colours fixture between the two teams.

That match, watched by a crowd of approximately 3,000 in College Park, also confirms the men’s Division 1A status in the AIL for next season.