Belfast Met Rugby Acadamey to be binned?

[nonplussed]

It seems that the Belfast Met rugby academy is to be no more. A number of youth players at my club are in the academy and have been told it will not run next year as they cannot get meaningful games from schools, with even lower end regional schools only putting out their Bs and Cs against them, meaning there was no contest. I hope this is untrue, and can anyone clarify? in the same week the QUB partnership is announced......

If true its seems that once again the arrogance of grammar school rugby is precluding players from other backgrounds from developing... and before you say its sour grapes, I am a product of a Grammar school...despite the typo in the title! and have 2 boys currnetly playing in the grammar school system. Seemingly this sport for all that we love is only a sport for those who pass the AQE!!

[So It Is]

Would be a ludicrious decision if true.

I'm not sure as to how productive the Belfast Met Academy has been, but it is a sound concept to capture lads that didn't go to Grammar schools or lads from a nationalist background that could be athletic units but never got the chance to play rugby in West Belfast.

If the Grammar schools are lording it over them then the Ulster branch needs to have a word. I went to a "rugby school" in the greater Belfast area and it would be a good season if we won 7 out of 15 games. I think the school's fortunes are probably the same or worse since I left 16 years ago. Schools like that have absolutely no excuse not to be playing Belfast Met. The RBAI/MCB/CCB's of this world have a stronger argument tbf, as they don't bother playing a lot of the weaker. traditional rugby schools. My school only played RBAI out of those 3, and we would get humped by 50+ points every time

[chunky]

Would be a ludicrious decision if true.

I'm not sure as to how productive the Belfast Met Academy has been, but it is a sound concept to capture lads that didn't go to Grammar schools or lads from a nationalist background that could be athletic units but never got the chance to play rugby in West Belfast.

If the Grammar schools are lording it over them then the Ulster branch needs to have a word. I went to a "rugby school" in the greater Belfast area and it would be a good season if we won 7 out of 15 games. I think the school's fortunes are probably the same or worse since I left 16 years ago. Schools like that have absolutely no excuse not to be playing Belfast Met. The RBAI/MCB/CCB's of this world have a stronger argument tbf, as they don't bother playing a lot of the weaker. traditional rugby schools. My school only played RBAI out of those 3, and we would get humped by 50+ points every time

Ironically the Met took great pleasure in cherry picking the best players from the Youth Setups of other clubs, forming their own super squad that then had no competition at u18 level in club rugby, leading them to target fixtures against the Grammar Schools.

They are unable to target "athletic units from West Belfast who never had the chance to play rugby" as they don't have the time to develop them, they target the best players who are already playing youth rugby at a local club.

They don't (can't) have an u12s, u14s, u16s so they have to do this, but their own arrogance over the last few years, the contempt with which they have treated other clubs and their youth sections when taking players which have been developed by a club from mini rugby to u16 and then given a scholarship to the Met for their last 2 years has contributed greatly to the decline of u18 club rugby in Ulster - if the Grammar Schools are lording it over them like this, it's only a taste of their own medicine.

[So It Is]

I get what you are saying but what is better for the player, and the general development of players in Ulster?

Stay at a club and play 1 match a week and maybe train for 2 hours, coached probably by one of the players' dads?

Or join the Belfast Met, probably train to the same intensity as grammar schools 4 days a week with gym sessions etc, ideally play grammar schools at the weekend?

[Lurgan Lad]

What's stopping them applying to be in the Schools Cup? I would imagine once they are in that schools would want to play the competition?

[intheknow]

Ironically the Met took great pleasure in cherry picking the best players from the Youth Setups of other clubs, forming their own super squad that then had no competition at u18 level in club rugby, leading them to target fixtures against the Grammar Schools.

They are unable to target "athletic units from West Belfast who never had the chance to play rugby" as they don't have the time to develop them, they target the best players who are already playing youth rugby at a local club.

They don't (can't) have an u12s, u14s, u16s so they have to do this, but their own arrogance over the last few years, the contempt with which they have treated other clubs and their youth sections when taking players which have been developed by a club from mini rugby to u16 and then given a scholarship to the Met for their last 2 years has contributed greatly to the decline of u18 club rugby in Ulster - if the Grammar Schools are lording it over them like this, it's only a taste of their own medicine.

Clearly someone doesn't follow or know much about the "Met" much with all of these statements. I believe there hasn't been a fixture against a "Grammar School" since 2017/2018? They have been pretty much playing club rugby since 2016 as the schools wouldn't let them in.

Having followed Ulster Youth for the last 20 years, I have rarely seen a Belfast Met player on the Ulster Clubs teamsheet, so not sure where the "Cherry picking" is coming from? Surely if they cherry picked from the best youth players then it would be ALL the Ulster Youth players? If that was also the case would they not be winning the Club leagues since 2016? Almost sure for the last 2 years it was Ballymena and Banbridge won cup and league? If they are cherry picking, they need to get a better selector

Pretty sure Covid also destroyed youth rugby, follow it for some time and many clubs have struggled since the return. Schools not releasing their 3rds or 4ths to clubs also have not helped.

Have a son who loves rugby, so you need to point me to where it says there is a scholarship as when I looked on their website there is no such thing. Not like Campbell or RBAI.

Seems as though it is a first come first served kind of College, so I can't see where any of your points are in any why factual and not a little salty? In my opinion.

Let them play school competitions! It would be the best thing for clubs as then there would be a double registration and there would be no leaving you mini's or youth club.

I agree with another post here. How is letting a young 16yr/17yr old get 3-4 days training like the grammar schools not a bad thing?

[intheknow]

It seems that the Belfast Met rugby academy is to be no more. A number of youth players at my club are in the academy and have been told it will not run next year as they cannot get meaningful games from schools, with even lower end regional schools only putting out their Bs and Cs against them, meaning there was no contest. I hope this is untrue, and can anyone clarify? in the same week the QUB partnership is announced......

If true its seems that once again the arrogance of grammar school rugby is precluding players from other backgrounds from developing... and before you say its sour grapes, I am a product of a Grammar school...despite the typo in the title! and have 2 boys currnetly playing in the grammar school system. Seemingly this sport for all that we love is only a sport for those who pass the AQE!!

I went to have a look on their website for son and nephew. They are still actively recruiting and you can apply so I don't think this is happening. Have heard through the rugby grapevine though, they have applied for schools competitions.

They should never have been a club. They are a education provider and have more young kids from low income backgrounds. Think all this "rugby is an inclusive sport" is a pile of rubbish. It is when the money is coming, but not really where it matters, in the youth club game.

[De-aRt]

Certainly news to me as my son has applied and intends to go to the Met Rugby Academy in September! They have again applied to be part of the School's Cup but have met with the usual resistance. I don't know the details but apparently the schools object as their stance is rugby is an extra curricular activity alongside A Levels in lower and upper 6th form, whereas it is part of the curriculum in the Met's Academy. I'm sure that all the training in the elite schools only happens as extra curricular...ahem.
Just to clarify the course is actually a BTEC Level 3 in Sports and Exercise Science specialising in rugby, they also run the same course as a football academy and a boxing academy too. Also the students don't have to play for the Met at all and can elect to play U18s at a club instead and still study for the course and make use of the facilities and extra training that the Met provide.

[nonplussed]

I hope this is correct, as this could be an excellent pathway for younguns to learn, develop and stay connected to the game is used and supported appropriately by the branch.

[De-aRt]

I hope this is correct, as this could be an excellent pathway for younguns to learn, develop and stay connected to the game is used and supported appropriately by the branch.

Certainly should be part of the "pathway" that has recently been touted around...but didn't see it mentioned by UR at all. You would think they'd be exploring and encouraging/supporting as many resources as they possibly could (including club youth rugby as well here) outside of the traditional schools route plus the odd club rugby "find" popping up every few years.

[rumncoke]

The problem is that most schools have a set of annual fixtures against other schools and there is a limited number of weeks for those fixtures to be played either saturday morning or afternoon .

Thus it is difficult to to arrange another fixture into the season especially of first fifteens -- seconds and thirds frequently have fewer fixtures -- the unfortunate thing is that with subs allotted to firsts -- the talent at this lower level is thin and the seconds teams may be mostly underaged .