Latest news with #U19NationalChampionships
Calgary Herald
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Top under-19 rugby prospects descend on Calgary for U19 National Championships
The Calgary Rugby Union is hosting the U19 National Championships. Postmedia Calgary archive The best on the nation's rugby scene are in Calgary for the National U19 Championships, which began Monday. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors For the last six days, the Calgary Rugby union has been hosting the premier under-19 talents in the men's and women's division. This year, the event features teams from Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic. Tournament director from Rugby Canada, Nathan Abdelnour, said support from the City, Tourism Calgary, Calgary Rugby Union and Rugby Alberta have seen the event go off without a hitch. 'Every time we come here, the facilities are always top notch,' he said. 'The rugby community really rallies behind these events.' Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again Chris 'Sandy' Nesbit, executive director for Rugby Alberta, said they cast their bid to host the national championship in Alberta almost a year ago. 'The Calgary Rugby Union is one of the nicest facilities in North America,' Nesbit said. 'It's on the encampment overlooking downtown and the mountains, where we can show it off to the teams from Quebec, Ontario and elsewhere, and they get to see this grand location.' From a list of the top 400 athletes in the province, the list was narrowed down to the 26 best under-19 rugby players in Alberta. Prior to the matches that took place earlier in the week, a welcoming ceremony took place at the University of Calgary on Monday. 'They did a special White Hat ceremony for the 10 captains, and that was pretty cool,' Nesbit said. 'They went on to explain to the people across the country about the Spirit of Calgary, and they also gave us enough hats that we're doing a 'Man of the Match.' 'Every game, the coaches will tell me the Man of the Match, everybody lines up, we call the players, and they're literally just tickled pink to win a white hat from Calgary. So, we're giving 50 hats in all.' The tournament also serves as a pathway for athletes in the nation to find their way into the international or professional realms of rugby. From securing a spot on the roster of the U20 Canada Rugby team or getting recruited by a U SPORTS coach, Nesbit said a lot of attention is on the athletes competing. 'We've got some of our best athletes, and they're putting on a good show,' he said. 'We've got the Atlantic today, and they have a real shot at pulling that off and winning, and hopefully we can grow that into a win against Quebec tomorrow.' Head coach of the visiting Atlantic Selects, Lisa McGrath, said their team is made up of players from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and New Brunswick.
Irish Independent
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Drogheda ACE athletes Nugent and Cooney shine at U23 and U20 National Championships
Athletics Ace AC's Maeve Reynolds in action at the Blackrock AC's beach races last Thursday. Danny Nugent marked a major milestone in his athletic career winning bronze in the 5000m at the U23 National Championships. Last weekend top athletes from across the country made their presence felt at the U23 and U20 National Championships, with standout performances from Ace AC's Danny Nugent and Eimear Cooney, both of whom secured national medals in their respective events. Danny marked a major milestone in his athletic career by winning his first ever national medal in the 5000m at the U23 National Championships. At 19 years old, he clinched a hard fought bronze medal in an impressive time of 14.47. This result is a testament to his discipline and consistent training. Due to his relatively young age, Nugent still has a few years left to compete in this category. Danny has been an Ace AC member since he was a young child and now also trains with the Dublin Track Club. He is a perfect example of how hard work and perseverance pay off. Meanwhile, Eimear continued to build on her impressive season securing another national medal, this time, a silver in the U20 1500m. Fresh off her success at the U19 National Championships, where she claimed silver in the 3k, Eimear showcased her versatility in the shorter distance. Competing against older athletes, 17 year old Eimear made her move with 250 meters to go, when she surged into the lead. In the final 50 meters she was overtaken for gold by a late push. Despite this, she finished comfortably in second, securing an impressive silver. Eimear's performance speaks volumes about her ability to compete at the highest level, even when faced with older athletes. In other results, U19 Shea O'Donnell competed in the U20 1500m, narrowly missing out on a national medal after finishing in an agonizing fourth place. The race was decided by just hundredths of a second, with Shea giving a strong performance in a sprint finish. Racing against older athletes, Shea showed tremendous promise and he will be hoping for an even better result next week, when he competes in his own age category at the All-Ireland finals. Additionally one of the club's most successful athletes over the past few years has been Neil Culhane. Neil faced a tough field in the U23 men's 800m. After qualifying for the final finishing second to Nick Griggs earlier in the day, he raced hard but ultimately finished outside the medal positions in the final. It was still a solid performance against some of the country's top middle distance runners. In other Ace AC news, some of the younger Ace AC athletes competed in very poor condition in the annual Blackrock beach Races last Thursday with some good performances. Medals were awarded to the top six in each race. In the U10 race, Cathryn Cumming was fourth in the girls race while Ruairi Cooney was sixth in the boys U12 race, while Hannah Black, Sophie Black, Finn Murphy, Maeve Reynolds, Aidan O'Connor, Muireann Chamass and Adam Cumming all competed well. Meanwhile Ace AC's Angela Kearney and daughter Maeve Nolan successfully completed the Achill half marathon over the weekend. Overall the future looks bright for Ace AC and we can expect even more success from these young stars in the seasons to come.
