Rugby

Rugby has been the main sport of the school throughout its history and the school has a great tradition of producing renowned players and administrators within the game.

Recent international representatives include Luke Marshall and David Humphreys, but the two most famous ex-internationals are British Lions and world rugby legends, Syd Millar and Willie-John McBride. Indeed, the 1st XV pitch (Millar- McBride pitch), located on the school’s grounds on the Galgorm Road, is named after these two great icons of the game. Another great ambassador for Ballymena Academy rugby is the current IRFU President, Ian McIlrath, who is a former pupil, teacher and governor of the school.

The tradition of supplying representative players continues to this day with the current Ulster professional squad containing 4 fulltime professionals, 5 Academy players and 1 sub-Academy member who attended Ballymena Academy, giving the school the largest representation of players from any school in Ulster.

The school last won the Ulster Schools Cup final in 2010 when they defeated Belfast Royal Academy by 10 points to 7, having beaten a very strong MCB team in the semi-final. Previous wins were recorded in 1972 and 1981. The school has also won the Subsidiary Shield on seven occasions.

The Medallion (under 15) team reached the final of the 2019 Shield narrowing losing to Methodist College, Belfast. In 2018 Ballymena Academy won the Ulster Schools  Medallion Shield, having defeated Campbell College in the final, a competition which the school last won outright in 1970. A share of the Shield was also secured on 2 other occasions after drawn finals.

Ballymena Academy has a long-standing relationship with Methodist College and the schools compete annually for the Allan Young Cup, a trophy presented by the Young family to commemorate the life of Allan, whose last game for Ballymena Academy, before succumbing to illness, was our traditional October fixture.

RUGBY ANNUAL REPORT(2024/2025)

1st XV

The 2024-25 rugby season was nothing short of a rollercoaster. A fresh mix of players from all three year groups brought energy, enthusiasm, and determination to the squad. The season kicked off in style with a dominant 32–12 win over Ballyclare at home. However, the joy was bittersweet, as an injury to Connor McKenna on the pitch meant he would be side-lined for the remainder of the season. To make matters worse, Matthew Wright was also unable to feature at all due to a persistent foot injury. Despite these setbacks, the team was determined to press on.

The next few weeks were tough, with narrow losses to Wallace High School and RBAI at home, but the defeats weren’t without promise — the team was starting to gel, showing increasing cohesion and physicality with every match. In early October, the tide began to turn as Ballymena delivered a clinical 52–0 demolition of Coleraine Grammar School. Just days later, they clinched the annually contested Young Cup with a thrilling 26–12 victory over Methodist College Belfast, a match that felt like the season’s first true statement win.

With the cup victory fresh in their minds, the squad packed their bags for a training weekend at Johnston House in Kildare. Spirits were high as they geared up for the challenges ahead. A home match against Campbell College in mid-October would test the squad’s mental strength, and they rose to the challenge, coming from behind twice to snatch a hard-fought victory 27-25. The team then travelled to Foyle College, securing another vital away win before the month closed with a narrow, agonising defeat to Belfast Royal Academy on home soil.

December saw a thrilling comeback in Magherafelt. After being 17 points down against Rainey Endowed, the boys dug deep, displaying remarkable character to pull off a narrow but hard-earned victory. The weather in the weeks ahead, wasn’t on their side, though, and a string of cancelled fixtures left the team with only training victories over Dromore High School and Larne Grammar to show for their efforts before the Schools’ Cup kicked off in January.

The first round of the Schools’ Cup saw Ballymena face Dalriada in a high-stakes away fixture. Though Ballymena entered the match as slight favourites, they were taken to the wire in a dramatic contest. A late Dalriada try left the game tied at 14-14. But the boys weren’t deterred. In the replay, back on home soil, they turned in a much more controlled performance, dominating the game and securing a comfortable 22–0 victory that sent them into the quarter-finals. Next up was Rainey Endowed again, this time in the Quarter-Final. Unfortunately, the team was far from their best on the day and the match ended in defeat.

The season culminated with a victorious outing at the NEBSSA Sevens in late March, where Ballymena lifted the trophy. Looking back, while the Schools’ Cup defeat stung, there was so much more to be proud of. This was a season of remarkable progress, moments of brilliance, and an unwavering sense of camaraderie.

A huge thanks goes to our coaches — Mr. Nicholl, Mr. Moore, Mr. Browne, and Marcus Rea — as well as our outstanding S&C coaches, Phil Campbell and Adam Montgomery. Your coaching, encouragement, and support made all the difference.

James Gregg Year 14

2nd XV

The 2XV’s 2024/25 season began with a series of friendly matches, starting with challenging home defeats against Wallace and RBAI. However, the team demonstrated remarkable resilience bouncing back with convincing victories over Enniskillen, Coleraine, and a decisive win against MCB. A tough loss to Campbell College tested the team’s resolve, but they responded strongly with a commanding victory over Foyle College, setting the stage for their Schools’ Cup campaign.

The Schools’ Cup journey began with a hard- fought away victory against Rainey Endowed in the Round of 16. After conceding an early try, the team displayed immense grit and determination, clawing back to secure a narrow 19-17 win. The Quarter-Final saw the 2XV travel to Regent House, where they delivered a strong defensive performance, securing a 14-7 victory and a place in the Semi-Finals.

The Semi-Final rematch against Campbell College, who had previously inflicted a heavy defeat, proved to be a thrilling encounter. The 2XV showcased significant improvement, remaining competitive throughout. The team battled valiantly, until Campbell managed to overcome them in the final 5 mins running out 18-30 winners in a closer than score line fixture.

With a core squad of Year 12 and 13 players and Mr. Baldwin as the coach, the 2XV has built a solid base for future seasons. The blend of youth and experience, coupled with the lessons learned from this year’s campaign, have put the team in a strong position for next year

3rd XV

The 2024-2025 season for the 3XV was a season of growth, hard work, and ‘craic’. The team started strong, with a good mix of both new and experienced players. This made for a competitive environment where everyone had to push themselves to improve their individual skill and team performance.

Challenges soon arose. Due to injuries further up the senior squad, some players were scouted to move up to the 2XV, which often led to late changes in the 3XV lineup. This tested the players’ ability to adapt quickly and work together as a team, but they rose to the occasion, showing that they had the strength and flexibility to play in unfamiliar positions. The ‘Mighty Threes’ Cup run began with a difficult away game against Wallace, where they narrowly lost to the eventual finalists. Despite the loss, they kept their heads high and pushed forward into the 3XV Plate competition. Their first match in the Plate was a fantastic 32-12 win at home against Omagh, showcasing their attacking power and team spirit. The next challenge came in the Quarter-Finals, where they faced Banbridge Academy.

Although frozen pitches caused disruption to the intense preparation schedule and heavy legs after the long bus, the team responded brilliantly, dominating the game and winning by more than 40 points without conceding a single point.

The Semi-Final against RBAI was a true test of their resilience. We were just five points behind at halftime, despite being on the attack for much of the first half and pressing hard on RBAI’s try line.

The second half remained tight but Ballymena Academy couldn’t quite close the gap, and we ended up on the wrong side of the scoreline at the final whistle. Even so, the team showed tremendous character and determination throughout the match.

In summary, we had a memorable season filled with challenges, hard work, and moments of brilliance. The players learned a lot, grew stronger, and had fun along the way. The future looks bright for the team, with a strong foundation to build on for next season.

Medallion XV

The 2024/2025 Medallion season kicked off with a home match against Ballyclare, where we secured our first victory of the campaign. Encouraged by this positive start, we headed into our next game away to Wallace with confidence and delivered a dominant performance away from home, claiming a 26-0 win with impressive displays from John Ireland and Ross Coleman.

This result showcased the grit and determination that would be essential throughout the season.

Our momentum continued with a strong team performance against Methodist College at Pirrie Park, but we were narrowly edged out in the final play of the game, resulting in a 15-12 scoreline. This tightly contested game, saw Conor Vercoe-Rogers and Ethan Allen playing consistently well. We quickly regrouped and delivered another comprehensive victory over BRA, before heading into our first tournament of the season with growing confidence.

After months of preparation, including a further win against BRA which saw the Medallion debuts of Lewis Greer and Charlie Stewart, we were ready for the Medallion Shield. Our first-round draw paired us against Down High School, away from home. Despite falling behind 7-0 early on against a large Down pack, we fought back with determination. Deep into the second half, quick hands from Charlie King set up Dan McKeown for the crucial try under the posts, with Daniel Johnston calmly slotting a high-pressure conversion to level the match at 7-7. The final whistle signalled a hard-fought draw, setting up a midweek replay back. With strong home support behind us we secured a 26-12 victory.

In the next round we faced Friends. An early try from John Ireland off the back of a strong maul gave us a 5-0 lead, but Friends equalized at the brink of halftime. A second-half penalty from Ross Coleman gave us a slim 8-5 advantage, but Friends responded quickly with a try to make it 12-8 with only a few minutes to go, marking a heartbreaking end to our Shield journey

After the regular season, we had the opportunity to compete in the Ulster Schools’ Medallion Sevens tournament. Ballymena delivered a strong performance in the group stage, setting up a Quarter-Final clash against Belfast High School which we won 40-12. The Semi-Final was a tough game against Sullivan and after a fiercely competitive match, we emerged victorious with a narrow 19-17 win. Campbell College had also advanced to the Final, and the team was eager to avenge the defeat in the group stages. Despite conceding an early try, we fought back to take a 12-7 lead at halftime. Campbell equalised shortly after the break, but our attacking pressure combined with dominant tackling and expansive game play, led to two decisive tries, sealing a remarkable 24-12 victory and our second piece of silverware for the season. This was an incredible achievement and a testament to the hard work from both players and coaches throughout the season.

On behalf of the team, I would like to thank Mr. McClelland, Mr. Corr, Adam Lamont, and Tristan Ferguson, Phil Campbell, and all of our other coaches throughout the season. We will carry forward the lessons we’ve learned and the pride of our achievements into next season, striving to build on our successes and keep making the school proud.

Oscar Eddis – Captain

U14 XV

The 2024/2025 season for the U14 Squad started in early August with the coaching team of Mr. Gourley, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Coleman, Mr. McLean and Mr. Bell, with a squad of approximately 33 boys. Our set of fixtures resulted in good wins against Ballyclare High School and Wallace High School. A defeat away to RBAI then followed, however, there were clear signs of increased cohesion and teamwork from the group of players. This was evident in the following fixtures against Enniskillen Royal Grammar School and Coleraine Grammar School which both resulted in victory for Ballymena Academy U14A and B teams. Away trips to Methodist College and Belfast Royal Academy then followed with closely contested games at Pirrie Park and Roughfort.

The half-term break gave the team a chance to recover from a good start to the season and an early opportunity to reflect on the performances in the first part of the season. On returning to school after the break and preparing for away fixtures to Campbell College, the squad had suffered a few injuries. This made the away fixtures to Campbell College difficult for both the A and B teams. The following week squad fixtures against Royal School Dungannon and Enniskillen Royal Grammar School resulted in two good wins. Charlie Stewart, Lewis Greer and Tom McAuley also earned well deserved call ups to the Medallion squad.

The post-Christmas break led to a number of fixtures being cancelled due to the weather. Our first fixture of 2025 was against Down High School in late January – with a number of players playing for the Medallion XV – the U14 team were narrowly defeated.

Our first tournament was the Wellington College Tournament – a tournament in which we entered our B team. In the group stage the team played against a strong Wallace High School B team and
drew the game 7-7 with some fantastic rugby being played. We then played a Wellington College A team which had beaten the B team well earlier in the season. The boys played very well and won the game 7-5. Our last game was against Campbell College C team – it was a game which we won 7-0 to confirm our place in the final against Belfast High School A team.

The final was an enjoyable game with the boys keeping their best rugby of the season for this tournament. Ballymena Academy B team won the game 7-5 which was an excellent achievement by everyone.

U13 XV

The season kicked off in late August, with a strong turnout of eager players keen to build on their experiences from last year with some touch rugby in the sun. From the outset, it was clear that this was a group full of energy and enthusiasm, with excellent numbers at training and a genuine buzz around matchdays.

Throughout the season, over 35 boys consistently attended Monday and Wednesday afternoon sessions, demonstrating impressive commitment and camaraderie.

The A team enjoyed a number of hard-fought matches, securing solid wins against Ballyclare (49-14), BRA (A 24-17) , Enniskillen Royal (45-7) and Rainey Endowed (33-12). These performances were built on strong teamwork, solid defensive work, and some excellent individual displays.

The B team also enjoyed this season, continually improving upon their skills and pushing the quality of the entire squad. Some notable wins included matches against BRA (32-12) and Dalriada (24-22).

A number of players deserve special mention for their leadership and impact this season. Seth Connaughty captained the side with maturity beyond his years, while Mason McNeil impressed every week with solo tries and top tier kicking accuracy off the tee.

A huge thank you must go to the parents for their support throughout the year – whether it was getting the boys to early morning training sessions or standing on the sidelines on cold Saturday mornings, your encouragement has been vital.

Thank you also to Mr. G. Harpur, who brought great knowledge and enthusiasm to coaching each week – his support made a real difference to the team.

Finally, to each of you boys—thank you for your attitude, commitment, and positivity you brought to the pitch each week. It has made my return to school as a teacher and coach so memorable. It has been a joy to coach you, and I hope you continue to progress as you move into Year 10 and beyond.

Mr Corr

Year 8

The Year 8 rugby season kicked off the first Saturday in September with our usual 6 week block of ‘Sporty Saturdays’. This was very well attended by almost all of the Year 8 boys, giving them an opportunity to make new friends and learn new skills.

The format of ‘Sporty Saturdays’ allowed pupils an opportunity to participate in football, cricket, fitness and rugby, and laid the foundation for the start of the rugby season.

The team’s first competitive fixture was before the Halloween break with everyone in Year 8 enjoying the opportunity to represent Ballymena Academy for the first time. Practices were always very well attended and the season culminated in a number of tournaments. The annual Larne tournament was a particular highlight with the team being crowned overall winners.

Very well done to all the boys involved this year in Year 8 rugby and a special thank you to parents and especially coaches for all of their hard work and commitment with this talented group of young men. As a school, we look forward to following this group of players as they progress through the ranks of school boy rugby at Ballymena Academy.

Mr Johnson