Ulster School's Cup Final

GOOD LUCK FROM ROGER WILSON

Today is the fruit of over nine months’ hard labour for both Wallace and Inst. Before the ink has dried on their summer exams, these players will have been working hard and relentlessly in the dark confines of the gym.

Then winter comes and dark cold afternoons are filled with training sessions, to get ready for the next round of the cup. The games never get easier and the challenge is stark, but St. Patrick’s Day has finally arrived. For 80 minutes at Kingspan Stadium both teams will get the chance to do what most schoolboys dream of doing, playing in a Schools’ Cup Final. I got lucky. I played in two finals in 1998 and 2000 and was on the winning team both times. I have played many times at Ravenhill (now Kingspan Stadium) for Ulster and it never ceases to be special, even today. But nothing will replicate the feeling I got as a teenager running out for RBAI in those two games. You are never just representing your school in a final, there are many other people involved. You are representing your best friends inside rugby and out. You are representing your family, especially your parents who have sacrificed so much time and effort to support you on all those cold days and nights. Finally, you are representing people all around the globe who went to the school and will be supporting you for every minute of the game today.

I benefited a huge amount from my rugby experience at Inst under Brian McLaughlin who was my coach at school and later at Ulster. It was a different era in many ways back then... The shirts were baggier, weight sessions weren’t as rigorous perhaps and there were more gaps in open play. But we were still always motivated by the need to play and win for our team mates, who remain some of my closest friends to this day. Those friends are scattered around the world today. The years have been kinder to some rather than others. Some will watch in front of the TV, some will catch a sneaky glance at a second screen in the office and many will be at the game. Life moves on very quickly, so remember to cherish every last second on the field today. You are playing in the Danske Bank Schools’ Cup Final, which is something many dream of, but few experience. You will remember today for the rest of your lives. Good luck and enjoy every moment.

THE ROYAL BELFAST ACADEMICAL INSTITUTION

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