Above Picture: Youth team players at Ards RFC.
Roy Lawton brings INTOUCH up to date with what’s happening at Ards Rugby Club.
Ards RFC – A Brief History
Ards Rugby Football Club has been in continual operation since its foundation in 1928. There is no question but that it has been sustained through its close connection with Newtownards’ rugby playing grammar school Regent House and the clubs Youth structure. It has never been, however, a former pupils club as such. It is, and always has been, completely open to the community at large and has benefited accordingly.
It is probably the single biggest sporting organisation in the Ards area in so far as active participation by adults and young people in structured team competitions week in week out is concerned. Ards currently turn out 4 adult sides and 4 youth sides on a regular basis in official League and Cup competitions. Mini rugby, involving well over 100 children in the 7 to 11 years of age group, is also actively promoted on a weekly basis.
Ards 1st XV of course, play at Senior level, in Div 3 of the AIB All-Ireland League and in the Ulster Senior League, the only team to do so in the entire North County Down area. Ards play at Lansdowne Road, Newtownards.
- Stuart Paul, Club Captain 2010, with ex Ulster player Scott Young.
Div 3 of the League is a highly competitive environment to which Ards have adjusted reasonably comfortably through the club’s own player products and judicious recruitment. In May 2004 Ards contested the Div 3 championship final at Lansdowne Road, Dublin it was a memorable day. It was also a fitting reward for a squad of young homebred talent, including Stewart Paul, Ards current 1st XV captain, who playing fullback that day, scored a try on the famous ground.
There is a great social scene at Ards also with many events planned throughout the year helping to keep the clubhouse ticking over and well used in and out of the rugby playing season.
The Ards Internationals
Philip Matthews- the first Ardsman to be awarded an Irish cap, went on to win 38 caps in all, a number of them as captain
Nigel Carr- 1st cap against Scotland in Jan 1985 gained 12 caps in all and played alongside Philip in the 1984/85 Triple Crown success. Appeared for British and Irish Lions in IRB centenary game
Kenny Hooks – represented Ireland against the All Blacks and went on to win numerous caps, captained club in 1989/90 and now coaches at Armagh Royal.
Blair Mayne- appointed Ards captain 1933/34 at the tender age of 18. 1st cap against Wales in 1937, although he was a major success in Sammy Walker’s British and Irish Lions team that toured South Africa in 1938, he only gained 6 caps prior to the outbreak of World War 1. This great Ardsman’s heroic military exploits- awarded the Distinguished Service Order 4 times are of course, another well chronicled story
Harry Millar – gained his first cap on the wing against England at Lansdowne Rd in 1951. Went on to play 6 times for Ireland
David Tweed – Oldest debut cap for an Irish international when he appeared against France in 1995
Scott Robertson – Played for the mighty All Blacks of whom he was vice captain in 2003, played for Ards in 1993/94 season mainly on 2s side as a young 19 year old.
Ards Youth – A Brief History
Ards Youth rugby has been part of the history of Ards rugby periodically since the mid 1970s. However a sustained and progressive approach throughout all the various age groups started in 1995 when Duncan Wallace and Lindsey Stead met with former Youth mentor David Coffey for an informal chat on the feasibility of forming an Under 14 team the following season.
The first training session attracted 7 players in August 1995. However through word of mouth, the squad soon increased to 22 players. The first game was played on Wednesday 4th September away to Dromore where a youthful Stewart Paul, led his side to a 15 points to 5 victory.
Since its inception the Youth section has gone from Strength to strength winning numerous competitions, cups and leagues at home and abroad at Under 14, 16, 18 and 20 levels, most notably under the stewardship of Roy Lawton, whose teams have enjoyed the most success at the different age groups throughout this time. In 2009, the age groups changed to Under 13, 15, 17 and 19. This change has been very challenging and at times difficult for young players to become accustomed too, but with dedicated coaches at all levels, Ards are confident that this transition will be completed sooner rather than later.
Ards Youth have produced a fist full of bright young talent who have represented Ulster and Ireland at either club or schools level. Players such as Colin Thompson, Shane Barr, Mark Wallace, Chris Jordan, James Kirkpatrick, Mark Banford, Chris Agnew, Simon Bailie, Scott Millar, Adam Nelson, Aaron Burns, Palmer Eccles, James McCavery, Conor Piper, Michael Bittles, Michael Lawton, Kenny McCombe, Taylor Ferguson and Curtis Stewart, have all been privileged enough to represent their club or school at the higher level. Currently two Under 17s players Andrew Savage and Jordan Depledge are involved with the Ulster 17s Development squad, and we wish them well for the future. The Youth have also flown the flag for Ards on tours to England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Holland and France with more tours planned in the years ahead.
- Michael Lawton, Ards Youths most capped player at Ulster 18s, 19s and 20s. Michael also appeared for Irish Provinces and Ulster Colleges
Ards Minis – A Brief History
As with the Youth section, Minis have been part of the Ards landscape for many years. But it wasn’t until September 1995 that it first became formerly structured resulting in the smooth purring machine it is today. A meeting held at Hamilton Park in April 1995 between Roy Lawton, Darryl Callaghan and Chris Moore hatched the plan of starting a Mini section at Ards. The proposal was presented to the executive committee and approved and the first beginnings of a bright new chapter in the history of Ards had begun.
In April 1998, Ards hosted their first ever Mini tournament known as the North Down Invitation, and attracted over 320 players at all levels to the event. This was a mammoth undertaking but the end result was a huge success and an annual Mini tournament has continued at Ards to this day.
- Ards U7 Mini Rugby Team
By 2000 Ards Minis were well established across the province and were invited to send a P6 team to Ravenhill to play a short game against Ballynahinch during the interval of a game between Ulster and the Rugby Lions from England. Before the game, a young Michael Lawton had been chosen as the Ulster team mascot and ran out onto the hallowed turf of Ravenhill with the Ulster captain Paddy Johns and later appeared on UTV’s Kelly Show, to help promote Mini rugby across Ulster.
The Minis continue to attract over 100 boys and girls from the Ards area on a regular basis and look set to be around for many years to come.
