Ardscoil NaMara win John O’Neill Memorial Blitz

On Thursday, November 14, schools from Waterford and across the east of the province gathered in Waterpark RFC to take part in the 4th annual John O’Neill Memorial Blitz. Ardscoil na Mara, De la Salle and Newtown School flew the flag for Waterford with Cashel Community College, Thurles CBS, St. Ailbes and Colaiste Mhuire also in attendance.

An accomplished player in his prime, representing Munster and lining out for Ireland A, ‘Johno’ joined the development department of Munster Rugby in 2007. From then until his untimely passing in 2020, Johno, was pivotal in driving participation in Waterford and East Munster. His impact and influence on players and coaches in the region remains visible and he is held in high regard by all those who were lucky enough to have encountered him.

In a break from the usual developing school blitzes, teams are competing for the right to go away with the perpetual shield. The standard of play was high and the participating teams all managed to embrace the extra element of competition while maintaining the general ethos of the development blitzes.

Following a number of matches Newtown School and Ardscoil na Mara topped their respective pools for the right to face off in the final. A strong start from Ardscoil saw them build a lead but a determined and spirited Newtown side dug in and started to claw their way back into the match. An exchange of scores meant that it was still possible for either team to win heading into the final few minutes but Ardscoil held out and proved victorious in the end.

Members of the O’Neill family were on hand to present the trophy as well as having a treat for every player. It was commented that Johno would have gotten a kick from seeing the winners come out of Tramore and he certainly would have appreciated seeing so many players from across the region taking part in the days’ activities – a fitting tribute to the memory and legacy of a great rugby man