As President of Blackrock College RFC, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Stradbook in 2022-23, our 140th year.
It is indeed an exciting time to take up this office. We are just off the back of a very successful season on the pitch and equally some major developments to look forward to off the pitch.
Our first team squad have gained promotion to Division 2A and have seriously rejuvenated and harmonised the club spirit throughout the whole of last season. Our playing membership is growing again after some tough Covid years, and we are all looking forward to the year ahead. I wish Mick Hearty, James Blaney, Stan Mc Dowell, and all the coaching/management structure another successful year in their efforts to maintain the momentum generated last year.
Our Womens teams are thriving under the expert coaching of Ben Martin and Philip Doyle, and the leadership of Jen Moore, and again I wish them, the players and all involved in coaching and management every success in going one step further this year.
Mark MacGinty and Dave Gannon will once again be looking after our Under 20s and I wish them well for the year ahead.
I also wish every success to our underage structure which continues to grow, and I hope to see these boys and girls continuing into youth and senior teams in the years to come.
I extend a warm welcome to all our new players and their families, and it is great to see a growing Munster influence coming into the club.
To all our Captains and players, enjoy the season ahead. Represent your club with pride and passion and be aware always that you are just minding your jersey for the next generation.
To all our sponsors and supporters of the club, a huge debt of gratitude is owed to you. In these tough times we are very fortunate to have such generous friends of the club. To Pat Finn our Chairman, Simon Mullen (last year’s President) and the Executive Committee, and to our many volunteers, thank you all very much for your contributions and efforts to help maintain our club through challenging times.
I look forward toworking with you all throughout the 2022-23 season. No club or organisation can run smoothly without a backroom team and my thanks goes to Conor and Susan and all those involved in the day to day running of the club.
I would like to extend a warm Rugby welcome to Blackrock AFC who will be playing their home games in the Leinster Senior Football League at Stradbrook this year. This is a significant development, and we all look forward to supporting them in their Friday night home games.
The 2022-23 season will also see the switching on of the new floodlights on our bottom pitches. A huge thanks to Mick Hearty and his team for the sterling work he put into getting this project across the line. The dark days are over.
To all visitors to Blackrock College RFC, please enjoy your day and our hospitality and please God some more new Rugby friendships can be started. Finally, many thanks to Martina and all my family for supporting me in my role as President in the year ahead
John ColcloughPresident of Blackrock College RFC 2022-23