Buccaneers RFC

Buccaneers RFC
Full name Buccaneers Rugby Football Club
Union IRFU
Connacht
Nickname(s) "Buccs"
Founded 1994
Ground(s) Dubarry Park, Athlone (Capacity: 10,000)
Chairman Michael Stapleton & Thomas Conlon
President Joseph Browne
Coach(es) Brett Wilkinson
League(s) All-Ireland League, 1B
Team kit
Official website
www.buccaneersrfc.com

Buccaneers Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club in Athlone, Ireland. The club's colours are Black and Gold. They compete in Division 1B of the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League for 2014/15.

Although the club grounds are currently located in Leinster, it has always competed at underage, junior and senior level leagues in Connacht as Athlone RFC had previously.

It is also the club of current Connacht and Ireland Senior International player Robbie Henshaw

History

The team's name originates from the Shannon Buccaneers club founded by Diarmuid Murtagh from Athlone in the early 1930s. Fielding players such as British and Irish Lions captain Sammy Walker, the club later disbanded due to the Second World War.

More recently, in the 1993/94 season, the Athlone and Ballinasloe amalgamated in order to take part in the All-Ireland League.[1] They were initially known as Athlone-Ballinasloe before changing their name to Buccaneers.

Ballinasloe withdrew from the amalgamation at the end of the 2005/06 season.[1]

Honours

Dubarry Park

Main article: Dubarry Park

As part of a sponsorship deal with footwear brand Dubarry, the Buccaneers sports grounds was renamed Dubarry Park in 2003. It was officially opened by then IRFU President Don Crowley. Dubarry Park is a 10,000 capacity stadium with a state of the art club house and dressing room facilities, and has hosted U-21 and U-20 Irish home games for the Six Nations Championship. From 1998 to 2003 the venue was called Ericsson Park.

References

  1. 1 2 "Ballinasloe decide to make a break for it". 5 May 2005. Retrieved 25 November 2015 – via Highbeam. (subscription required (help)).


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