Castlebar Rugby Club
Decent Draws For Mayo Sides In Junior Cup
By John Mulligan
10, Dec 2007 - 08:10

It was a case of few surprises on Monday night last (3rd Dec) when the draw for the 2008 Heineken Connaught Junior Cup was announced in front of a large crowd at the Glasshouse Hotel in Sligo. With last year’s finalists Buccaneers and Monivea both involved in the Preliminary rounds as are Westport. Several clubs will be delighted with the way the draw panned out.

The Preliminary Round, usually the graveyard for fancied teams, drew its fair share of gasps when the names of Buccaneers and Ballinasloe came out first and second. Both teams used to be amalgamated before Ballinasloe withdrew a couple of seasons ago. It will be the first time that the first teams will have met in competition.

Westport, last winners in 1975, got a good draw with NUIG while Ballina would have hoped for better with Corinthians. However, Ballina are playing well at the moment and would fancy their chances. Another interesting draw is that of Corrib and Monivea following their league meeting last Sunday. Ballyhaunis have been given a great draw against Carrick On Shannon while finally Dunmore make the long trip to Gort for their opener.

The game of the first round will be certainly happen at the Green as Creggs face Castlebar. The high flying Border side will be up to repeat their Cawley Cup heroics of a couple of seasons ago. Troubled Sligo also have to travel to Tuam knowing that their season could be over should they suffer defeat to their Galway opponents. Galwegians and Loughrea make up the drawn teams as the other games feature teams with byes. The Preliminary Round games will take place won the 13^th of January.

Heineken Junior Cup Draw