It may have been Grand National day in England but the Claremorris Colts U10 team had their own race to run as they headed to An Cheathrú Rua for the Connemara cup and like the race across the water the outsider came out on top by the smallest of margins as U10’s won the first trophy in the history of Claremorris Colts RFC.

The lads had an early start as they left Claremorris before 8am to make the trip west. They had only one objective win the cup and deprive their hosts of four in a row. If victory was to be theirs then they had to overcome the Galway clubs of Corinthians, An Ghealtacht, Connemara All Blacks, Monivea and Barna.

First up for the Colts were the aristocrats of Galway rugby Corinthians RFC. If the Claremorris lads had any hope of claiming the cup then victory in their opening game was vital to achieving their aim. In a tight battle it was the Colts who got the victory courtesy of trys from Cathal Joyce and Kyle Leonard. This game was notable for some excellent tackling and rucking from the lads in red and white particularly Conor Toughey and Patrick Kirrane.

Game two saw the Colts up against the host club of An Ghaeltacht. In a see-saw battle it was the visitors who squeezed trough with a try from the excellent Cian Quinn. One was reminded of Michael Flatley in his pomp as Quinn danced through the An Ghaeltacht defence to touch after some excellent interplay with his colleagues. The hardworking Colts defence setup the platform for victory with Cian Goggins, Matthew Vahey and Dylan Morris doing most of the damage.

Game three was against the Connemara All Blacks. Another win ensured it was three wins from three games for the Colts. The Colts had a number of notable performances in this game with two trys from the lightening quick Adam Vahey and one from Thomas Kean who gave an exhibition in his position of full back not just in this game but right throughout the day. He has clearly made this position his own for years to come. He was ably assisted by an excellent rucking display from Mark Kelly and the tackling of Jamie Campbell.

The penultimate league game saw the Colts beat Monivea 2-0 with trys from Cathal Joyce and Adam Vahey. The first try was as a result of some excellent play by Cathal Joyce who crossed over in the corner. The second try was all about the team as a number of players were involved before Adam Vahey touched down to seal victory for the Claremorris lads. One has to give a special mention to Joe Lydon and Adam Vahey who were excellent from first whistle to last.

After a well earned break the final league game saw the Colts play Barna RFC. In a game that high in quality and enterprise it was Colts who came out on top and ensured they won all five league games that they played. This was the ultimate team performance with Kyle Leonard bagging a hat-trick. Cathal Joyce, Adam Vahey, Patrick Kirrane and Dylan Morris also got their names on the score sheet. Although all players were at the top of their game Joseph Gilmore, Morgan Pilbrow, Darragh Joyce and Mark Gibbons shone brightest.

When the final league positions were calculated it was clear the Colts had finished top with 5 wins from 5, 16 trys scored and only 1 conceded. The hosts An Ghealtacht finished second which meant it was winner take all in the final. A true Galway-Mayo clash. If the game was decided by the number of supporters then the Colts would have won hands down as parents and supporters travelled in great numbers to cheer on their team. It was without doubt the tightest game of the day with both teams not giving an inch. It was clear both teams didn’t want to lose and as the game entered the final moments neither team could be separated but all that was about to change. After been camped on the An Ghealtacht line Kyle Leonard somehow spotted the smallest of gaps and wriggled his way over to win the cup for the Mayo men. The roar that greeted the final whistle must surely have been heard across the Atlantic Ocean as the cup was heading out of Galway for the first time. Each and every player and their coaches Eddie McLoughlin and Fergal Leonard can be very proud of the display of rugby that was produced on a historic day for the south Mayo club.

Team: J. Campbell, M. Vahey, C. Quinn, M. Kelly, T. Kean, K. Leonard, M. Pilbrow, D. Morris, P. Kirrane, C. Goggins, J. Gilmore, C. Toughey, A. Vahey, C. Joyce, D. Joyce, J. Lydon, M. Gibbons