Meitheal Rugbai Chorca Dhuibhne

Mar thoradh ar thionscnamh pobail rugbaí nua atá ag feidhmiú i gCorca Dhuibhne tá dlús agus fás ag teacht ar Rugbaí i gceann dos na ceantair is iargúlta i gCúige Mumhan.

Le tacaíocht Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann agus Rugbaí na Mumhan tá Oifigeach Rugbaí Pobail lán-aimseartha, Shane O’Rourke, fostaithe ag Rugbaí ChorcaDhuibhne ar mhaithe le rugbaí a fhorbairt ón mbonn aníos.

In ról mar Oifigeach Rugbaí Pobail cuireann Shane béim ar fhreastal ar bhunscoileanna na leithinise, le rugbaí a mhúineadh agus an cluiche a chur chun cinn trí mheán na Gaelainne.

Chomh maith len’a chuid oibre leis na bunscoileanna, téann Shane ar chuairt ar Phobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne áit a oibríonn sé i gcomhpháirt leis na múinteoirí corp-oideachais ag tairiscint Rugbaí mar chuid don churaclaim. Chláraigh an Pobal Scoil ina ball comhlach de Bhord Scoileanna na Mumhan le déanaí agus tá a gcuid foirne páirteach sna cluichí cairdeachais.

Anuas ar a chuid oibre le scoileanna, bíonn Shane gníomhach ag traenáil foirne faoi aois agus foireann sinsir Rugbaí Chorca Dhuibhne. Tá árdú suntasach tagtha ar líon na n-imreoirí faoi aois cheana fhéin an séasúr seo, le méadú 50% sna Minis amháin.

Idir seo agus an feabhas suntasach atá tagtha ar an gcaighdeán traenála toisc an líon traenálaithe go bhfuil cúrsaí cóitseálaithe déanta acu, tá Rugbaí Chorca Dhuibhne, agus an rugbaí i gcoitinne, ag dul ó neart go neart in Iarthar Dhuibhneach.

I measc na bhforbairtí eile atá beartaithe don bhlian atá romhain tá féilte ‘Tag Rugbaí’ agus scéim píolótach a chuireadh gníomhaíochtaí rugbaí ar fáil i gcuid dos na Coláistí Samhraidh Gaeilge a bhíonn ar siúl i gcaitheamh an tSamhraidh do leanaí 13-17. Tréimhse spreagúil gan dabht do rugbaí in iarthar Dhuibhneach.

A new community rugby initiative based on the Dingle peninsula is helping to spread the rugby word in one of Munster’s most outlying regions. With the backing of the Irish Rugby Football Union and Munster Rugby, Rugbaí Chorca Dhuibhne has employed a full time Community Rugby Officer, Shane O’Rourke, to help develop the sport from grass roots level up in West Kerry.

As Community Rugby Officer, Shane’s role thus far has focussed on visiting schools throughout the peninsula to coach rugby and promote the game through the medium of Irish. In addition to working with the local primary schools, Shane also visits Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne and works closely with the P.E. teachers in offering rugby as part of the P.E. curriculum. The Pobalscoil has recently become an associate member of the Munster Schools Board and will be fielding teams this year in friendly competitions.

As well as developing rugby in local schools, Shane is also involved in coaching Rugbaí Chorca Dhuibhne's under-age and adult teams. Already this season there has been a dramatic rise in playing numbers at underage level with Minis alone up by nearly 50%. In conjunction with an improvement in the quality of coaching due to several of the Club coaches recently completing IRFU Coaching Courses, Rugbaí Chorca Dhuibhne and rugby in West Kerry in general is growing from strength to strength.

Further initiatives planned for the coming year include Tag Rugby festivals and a pilot scheme that would see rugby activities being provided in some of the many Irish Colleges that run over the summer months catering for 13-17 year olds. Exciting times indeed for rugby on the peninsula.