Rugby team

Ards RFCFull name| Ards Rugby Football Club

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Union| IRFU
Ulster
Nickname(s)| Black Knights
Founded| 1928
Ground(s)| Hamilton Park, Newtownards
President| Stephen Nutt
Director of Rugby| Stephen Nutt
Coach(es)| John Anderson
Captain(s)| Daniel Patton

Team kit

Ards RFC (Ards Rugby Football Club) is a rugby club based in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, playing in the Ulster Rugby Championship Division 2. It is affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club currently fields three adult teams and a women's team, North Down Women, who are a combination of players from Ards, Bangor and Donaghadee. Three youth teams also play at under-18, under-16 and under-14 levels. There is also a rapidly developing girls' junior section and a very successful mini rugby section in the club. The club works in close collaboration with local schools such as Regent House Grammar School, Movilla High School and Strangford College who provide much of the playing talent at the club.

## Foundation[edit]

On 11 April 1928, Ards Rugby Football Club was formed at a meeting in Newtownards Academy pavilion.[citation needed] The first competitive game was played on 13 October 1928. Ards RFC played most of their early years in the Ulster Junior Leagues.

## Senior Status[edit]

In the 1961-62 season Ards won the Towns Cup for the first time captained by Bobby Haslett. In 1977-1978 season Ards achieved senior status when they gained promotion to the Ulster Senior League by defeating Ballymena 2nd XV 12-6 in an Ulster League Section 2 playoff at Shane Park, Instonians. After a downturn in fortunes in the 1990s Ards were relegated from senior rugby in season 2000-2001 to Qualifying League Section 1. However, in the 2002-2003 season Ards won the AIB All Ireland Qualifying Round Robin playoff and were promoted for a second time to the All-Ireland League. In 2015 Ards were relegated from the All-Ireland League and now play in the Ulster Rugby Championship Division 2.

## Honours[edit]

Boston Floodlit Cup, Bangor: 1 1976-77

* Ulster Senior Cup: 2
* 1984-85, 1986–87
* Ulster Senior League: 1
* 1983-84
* Ulster Towns Cup: 2
* 1961-62, 2002–03
* Ulster Junior Cup: 1
* 1976-77

## Notable Former Players[edit]

### Internationals[edit]

British and Irish Lions

* Nigel Carr
* Phillip Matthews
* Paddy Mayne

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Ireland

* Nigel Carr
* Kenny Hooks
* Harry Millar

* Phillip Matthews
* Paddy Mayne

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New Zealand

* Scott Robertson Dave Dillon

Source:[1]

## https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/ards/a/history-8456.html?page=5[edit]

1. ^ "The Ards Internationals". www.ardsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2019.

## External Links[edit]

* Ards RFC website

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Rugby union in Ireland

Irish Rugby Football Union

National teams|

| Men's|

* Senior
* Sevens
* Ireland Wolfhounds
* Emerging Ireland
* Universities
* U20s
* Schoolboys

|

Women's|

* Senior
* Sevens

URC teams|

* Connacht
* Leinster
* Munster
* Ulster

Competitions|

| European|

* European Rugby Champions Cup
* European Rugby Challenge Cup
* United Rugby Championship
* British and Irish Cup
* Celtic Cup

|

National|

* IRFU Interprovincial Championship
* IRFU Women's Interprovincial Series
* All-Ireland League
* All-Ireland Cup

Provincial leagues|

* Connacht Senior League
* Leinster Senior League
* Munster Senior League
* Ulster Senior League

Provincial senior cups|

* Connacht Senior Cup
* Leinster Senior Cup
* Munster Senior Cup
* Ulster Senior Cup

Provincial junior cups|

* Leinster Towns Cup
* Munster Junior Cup
* Ulster Junior Cup

Intervarsity|

* The Colours Match

Schools senior cups|

* Connacht Schools Rugby Senior Cup
* Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup
* Munster Schools Rugby Senior Cup
* Ulster Schools' Cup

Schools junior cups|

* Connacht Schools Junior Cup
* Leinster Schools Junior Cup
* Munster Schools Junior Cup
* Ulster Medallion Shield

Related articles|

* Comparison of Gaelic football and rugby union
* London Irish
* Dublin Hospitals Rugby Cup

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IRFU Ulster Branch

Part of the Irish Rugby Football Union

Competitions|

* Ulster Senior Cup
* Ulster Senior League
* Ulster Junior Cup
* Ulster Towns Cup
* McCrea Cup
* Ulster Schools Cup
* Medallion Shield

Senior clubs|

* Ards
* Armagh
* Ballymena
* Ballynahinch
* Banbridge
* Belfast Harlequins
* City of Derry
* Dungannon
* Instonians
* Malone
* Queen's University
* Rainey Old Boys

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