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Despite the presence of four UBL Second Fifteens in
the Provincial League, the Division One champions
and winners of the Harden Cup were Omagh Seconds
who turned the tables on Ballynahinch Thirds, who had
claimed the title ahead of Omagh last season.
The winners of the other Provincial Divisions were
Portadown Seconds, who were promoted last season,
Grosvenor Seconds, who made a last minute charge
to win a very competitive division, Armagh Thirds and
Ballyclare Fourths. Bangor Thirds, who had played
Minor league rugby the previous season, won all
fourteen of their league games to win the Provincial
Division Six title.
In the Regional League, two different league structures
were trialled, before and after Christmas, as a way of
recognising the different playing profile of those playing
at the lowest tier of adult rugby.
Before Christmas, Enniskillen Thirds, BHSFP Seconds
and Ballynahinch Sevenths won their respective
Regional League sections.
After Christmas, the top two teams in each of the three
Regional League sections played against each other
in the Regional Premier League section. Following a
nip and tuck battle at the top of this league, Enniskillen
Thirds eventually overhauled Ballymoney Fourths to
win the title and the Ravenhill Cup. Finn Valley made
history by becoming the first team from that club to
win an Ulster Branch competition, coming out on top
of Regional West. Ballymena Fourths were unbeaten
in winning Regional North West. A fine overall season
for the PSNI club saw their Thirds, a new team entry for
2016/17, winning Regional East 1. While both Holywood
Seconds and Ards Thirds finished on the same number
of points at the top of Regional East 2, it was the latter
who claimed the title because of the results between
both teams.
As the season end approached the Rugby Committee
and the CMC was seeking club views on the Regional
League trial to inform planning for the lower tier rugby
structure for the 2017/18 season.
A complete listing of all league tables has been
reproduced later in the report.
Domestic Cup Competitions
In what was to be a successful week for the club in
December Ballynahinch won the First Trust Senior
Cup for the second year running, comfortably beating
Dungannon 27-10 in the final at the Kingspan Stadium.
In the other Kingspan final played pre-Christmas,
Ballynahinch Seconds beat Omagh by 17-3 to win the
Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup.
The River Rock Towns Cup was won by Ballynahinch
Seconds for the second time in their history in a
dramatic final at headquarters on Easter Monday. With
Enniskillen leading into the second period of extra time,
it took a last minute try from Ballynahinch to win the
Towns Cup with a 17-13 scoreline.
Earlier on the same day, the final of the McCrea Cup
was contested by Malone Seconds and Cooke for
the second successive year. On this occasion, last
season’s losing finalists Malone had to withstand a fight
back from Cooke, holding on to win 26-20.
As has been the case on a number of occasions in the
recent past, the Gordon West Cup Final was won by the
underdogs. Cavan secured a 16-13 victory over PSNI,
who had finished eight places and fifty points above
them in the league.
On the same day two other finals were played at the
Kingspan stadium. Malone Fourths won the Forster Cup
by beating Portadown Seconds and in the McCambley
Cup, Ballymena Fourths overcame Ballymoney Fourths
in a derby thriller.
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