Grosvenor In View Magazine 2025

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such made rapid progression, nailing down a starting position in the centre. Daniel has a talent for spotting intercept opportunities, and as he continues to gain experience and refine his skills, he could develop into a balanced player in the seasons to come. The RBAI tournament brought a significant challenge as we were drawn in the ‘group of death’ alongside heavyweights such as MCB. GGS teams have shrunk from the challenge in the past, however this U14 year group conducted themselves brilliantly, fighting for every inch in each match, and not backing down from any side. I hope this positive attitude, especially in the face of adversity, will stand them in good stead going into their Medallion campaign. U13 Boys Rugby

My thanks to the commitment of the coaching group, led brilliantly by Mr Stevenson. His relentless commitment to the players to afford them every opportunity to improve was infectious, and it was clear how deeply he cared for all under his tutelage. He was ably assisted by Mr Kaymak and Mr Millar, who each brought their specific expertise to ensure players continually improved. My hope is that this side realises how good they could be, and attacks their Medallion season with an insatiable appetite to continue to improve, and ultimately succeed. Mr M McDowell

Back Row (L-R): A Cullen, B Paton, J Calvert, C Early, F Nicol, J Campbell, L Adair, J Bejenaru, S Kelly Middle Row (L-R): Dr F Vasey, H McAlpin, T McClay, D Dugan, A Stevenson, O Reid, J Dunney, S Baird, O Thorpe, Mr A White, Mr A Cowan Front Row (L-R): A Bradley, G Scott, G Marshall, D Bates, J Duncan (capt), T Olakojo, M McAdoo, J Rickert, G Topping

Dalriada It was with a great sense of anticipation that the U13s got on the bus to travel to Dalriada for the first match of the season and of course their first foray into the 15-a-side game. It was a promising start as Grosvenor enjoyed some territory and possession but couldn’t make the final pass when it was needed to gain an early advantage on the scoreboard. This joy was short lived, with Dalriada using their strong running backs to either punch through or go round the Grosvenor defence. With injuries being picked up on the back of such a high volume of defensive tackles, Grosvenor failed to get any foothold in the game and were on the receiving end of a chastening defeat.

Down High School The disappointment of the defeat to Dalriada seemed to be lingering as the whistle blew for kick off in Downpatrick and the U13s were playing like a team whose confidence had been shattered. Standing off tackles, not carrying with any intensity and failing to make the right decisions under pressure put Grosvenor strongly on the back foot as Down High took a comfortable 17-0 lead at half time. Stern words had to be spoken, with Mr Cowan setting out some clear objectives for the second half. An early score again by Down High could have derailed Grosvenor but it was fantastic to see a positive response and some of the coaching points put into action. Two excellent team scores by Ollie Thorpe and Daniel Bates put Grosvenor

GROSVENOR IN VIEW > 2024/25