Captain's Message

Captain’s Message

I am delighted and honoured to be selected as club captain for the coming 2009/10 season and I will be ably helped by the vice captains Daragh O’Shea, Niall Treston and Killan Lett.

Since I first joined ‘Tarf in 2006 I have seen the club grow into one of the leading rugby clubs in Ireland. In that time I have also witnessed how much time and dedication, from many people, has gone into making Clontarf a successful club. The success of recent years – in every grade of the club from mini rugby to the Senior XV – has proven how this effort can be rewarded. This season, our main focus is to win the AIL and finally land the elusive title that has been so desperately coveted by everyone in the club. I am very confident that we can achieve this goal with the same hard work and determination that has gotten us to this point. We desperately want to recapture the Leinster League Cup that I lifted the season before last. Finally we want to lift the AIB Cup for the first time and achieve the elusive treble.

I would like to congratulate the other captains and management of all our other club teams on the remarkable achievements of recent seasons and wish them all the best for the coming year. I really believe we can bring plenty more silverware back to the club this season.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all the new members and faces to the club. It is great to see so many new people joining and I hope you all enjoy your time in the special atmosphere of Castle Avenue.

A huge thank you to all our Club sponsors throughout the year, and, in particular, to our main Club sponsor, Dublin Port Co. It is your commitment that allows the Club to function to its full potential.

Thank you to Paul, Jill, Paddy and all the bar and kitchen staff who are always so helpful throughout the year.

I want to welcome the new coaching team of Simon and Dave, Barry Browne as Manager and finally Bernard as Director of Rugby. To Niall, Jim, Mick, Stephen, Harry and all the back room team keep up the good work – it is very much appreciated.

I would especially like to thank our incredibly loyal (and vocal) supporters who travel the length and breadth of the country to cheer us on. It means a lot to the squad to have you behind us and we hope to reward your loyalty this season.

Finally, to all visiting teams, players, officials and supporters, I hope you enjoy your time with us at Castle Avenue – at least off the field anyway!

Regards,

Simon Crawford

Club Captain