Connacht Schools Rugby Senior Cup


History

The Connacht School's Rugby Senior Cup is an annual rugby union competition for Secondary Schools affiliated to the Connacht Rugby Branch of the IRFU. Boys, usually of seventeen or eighteen years of age, compete for the Cup with rival schools from within the province of Connacht. The competition was first held in 1913, with Garbally College, Ballinasloe the first Champions..
The first round matches are typically played towards the end of January, with the final being played in the Galway Sportsgrounds the week before Saint Patrick's Day.
Historically Garbally College have been the most successful school in the competition lifting the cup 48 times, while Coláiste Iognáid have been the most successful team since the turn of the millennium winning eight titles in years 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2016 and 2017.
The current holders are Garbally College who beat Sligo Grammar School by 14-12 on 11 March 2020 in the Galway Sportsgrounds.

Competition Structure

The Connacht Rugby Schools Cup is a three tier competition;

The Senior Cup Senior A Cup

The premier competition played by the strongest rugby playing schools in the region.
Current competition format is two pools of three teams playing each other round robin.
The Winners & Runner Up in each pool proceeding to the Semi-Finals.
The two other tiers cater for schools who cannot consistently compete at Senior Cup level by reason of playing population or experience.
In total 30 Schools representing all five provincial counties participated in the various Connacht Rugby Senior Schools Cups in 2019.

Connacht Senior Development Cup Senior B Cup

Is the Second Tier Competition for schools with established Rugby programs but who due to lower playing numbers cannot consistently compete at Senior Cup Level.
Nine schools compete in three pools of three, leading to semifinals and a final.

Connacht Senior Emerging Cup Senior C Cup

Is the Third Tier Competition for Schools who have recently introduced Rugby programs within their schools.
Nine schools compete in three pools of three, leading to semifinals and a final.
The target is for schools to establish themselves within the lowest tier initially, and progress through to the highest tier.

Roll of Honour

SchoolLocationOutright TitlesShared TitlesRunners-Up +1Total Finals +2Last Title
Garbally CollegeBallinasloe, County Galway486542020
Colaiste Iognaid Galway, County Galway1403172017
St. Josephs College Galway, County Galway1212151994
Sligo Grammar SchoolSligo, County Sligo10011212014
Marist CollegeAthlone, County Westmeath30252013
Ranelagh College, Athlone Athlone, County Westmeath20021923
Galway Grammar School Galway, County Galway10011941
Collegians Galway, County Galway11021951
St Sarans College Ferbane, County Offaly10232004
Wilsons HospitalMultyfarnham, County Westmeath10121966
Clifden Community SchoolClifden, County Galway10011975
Summerhill CollegeSligo, County Sligo0022N/A
CBS RoscommonRoscommon, County Roscommon0011N/A
Portumna Community SchoolPortumna, County Galway0011N/A

1910s

Connacht Senior Development Cup Results Senior B Cup

2010s

2010s

Senior League

2000's

From 2014-15 onward the league competition winner is determined as the team finishing top after all rounds are completed.
For year 2017-18, the winner is determined after a playoff final between the winners of Two Group sections.