Ulster Rugby vs Glasgow

DANSKE BANK MEDALLION SHIELD DEALS UP NOVEL SEMI-FINAL PAIRINGS The final four of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield has a novel look this year, as it features three schools who have never won the competition, namely The Royal School Armagh, Portadown College and Friends' School Lisburn.

Indeed, the one remaining semi-finalist with previous experience of winning the competition, Bangor Grammar School, have to look back to 1985 since their last success. The Medallion Shield, a competition for Year 11 schoolboy pupils, was first played for in 1910 when Methodist College Belfast were crowned the inaugural winners following a 11-0 win over Royal Belfast Academical Institution. For the first five years of the competition, only the two Belfast teams competed in the competition. Royal School Dungannon became the next school to join in 1915, before Bangor Grammar School in 1916 then Ballymena Academy and Coleraine Academical Institution in 1917. A century later, there are 36 schools competing in the 2016/17 Medallion Shield, with Methodist College Belfast and Royal Belfast Academical Institution currently topping the roll of honour on 35 titles each. Paths to the semi-finals: Portadown College have travelled the longest route to the semi-finals, having opened their campaign in Round 2 with a comfortable 58-10 win at home over County Armagh neighbours Lurgan College. They then won three successive away games with victories over Ballyclare High School (10-34), Royal School Dungannon (7-20) and Omagh Academy (15-17) to book their place in the last four. Bangor Grammar School entered the competition in Round 3 where they travelled to Ballymena Academy and edged out a 22-29 win. In the next round the Bangor pupils recorded a more comfortable 8-36 win away to Limavady

Grammar School. The quarter-finals dealt up a difficult tie against Royal Belfast Academical Institution but Bangor made the most of home advantage to squeeze through 14-12. The Royal School, Armagh began the competition with a 5-20 win away to Cambridge House in Round 4. The Armagh boys were also on the road for their quarter-final encounter against Wallace and it proved to be a tighter affair, with the visitors going through on a score line of 5-7. Friends’ School Lisburn also joined the competition in Round 4 and recorded an impressive 3-19 win over Belfast Royal Academy. In the quarter-finals Friends’ School hosted Methodist College Belfast and the home team held out for a 12-8 win to book their semi-final spot. THE ROYAL SCHOOL, ARMAGH V BANGOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL AT QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY ARENA PORTADOWN COLLEGE V FRIENDS' SCHOOL, LISBURN AT BANBRIDGE RUGBY CLUB Both semi-finals will be played on Saturday 25th February, kick-off 10.30am. The Danske Bank Ulster Schools' Medallion Shield Final will take place on Tuesday March 7th at Kingspan Stadium, kick-off 2.30pm. DANSKE BANK ULSTER SCHOOLS' MEDALLION SHIELD SEMI-FINAL DRAW:

MEDALLION SHIELD UPDATE

22

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com