Club Focus: Highfield RFC

Unbeaten Highfield RFC are champions-elect of AIL Division 2B and need just two points from their remaining three games to clinch the title having won 11 out of their 12 league fixtures thus far.

It’s been a vintage season for the Cork club as they have responded to last year’s relegation from 2A in the perfect fashion as senior team manager, John O’Hea, explains: “It’s been an outstanding season and, to be honest, we wouldn’t have expected it to have gone so well,” says O’Hea.

“We got a wake-up call after drawing with Bruff in the first game and once we won the next game, we started to build momentum and it just went from there.

"Most of our players are Highfield born and bred. And those who have come in have been here for years so it’s basically a homegrown team. It’s been a great season and I don’t see why next season can’t be as good,” O’Hea added.

The Highfield senior team in line-out action against Sligo

With the majority of the players having come through the underage structure, O’Hea was quick to praise the people involved. “A lot of time and effort goes into our underage system and great credit is due to Holger Ertz (Chairman of the Youth committee) and those guys who put the time and effort in. A lot of the players stay on then at adult level because why go anywhere else?”

Former Munster and Toulon prop Timmy Ryan took the reins as head coach last summer with ex-Newport winger Mike Poole joining as assistant coach. The immediate impact the duo have made at the club is obvious and club president Pat Scott is delighted with how things are going at all levels of Highfield RFC.

“There’s a great buzz around the club,” says Scott. “The seniors are doing very well and that extends to the juniors, the minors and the U-20s as well so it has been a great year so far. We’ve a good underage structure and we’ve had that for many years. Of the current senior squad all bar two of the players came up through our own ranks. The other two are extremely important to us as well because they’ve been with us for a number of years so it’s a reflection of what the youth section does for us,” Scott adds.The Highfield U-16s

Along with the club’s senior team, Highfield can also boast one of the best women’s teams in the country. Highfield compete in Division 1 of the Women’s All-Ireland League and were beaten finalists in last season’s league and cup finals. They have one of the top players in Irish women’s rugby in their ranks with no.8 Heather O’Brien an integral part of the Ireland team that beat world champions England for just the second time ever last weekend.

Below: Heather O'Brien with the All-Ireland Cup in 2013

The family friendly club is situated in the western suburbs of Cork city and was founded in 1930. Highfield were the first club in Munster to own its own ground when current home Woodleigh Park was purchased.

The club has a large membership and turns out five adult teams including the women’s team and has a thriving youth section.

Highfield RFC has contributed greatly to the promotion and development of rugby in Munster and has provided players and administrators to both province and country. The latest player to gain international recognition was youngster Ian McCarthy with the prop representing the Ireland U-18s against Italy last month.