April 19th & 20th, UCD Sports Centre, Belfield, Dublin 4
Report:
Three of last year’s Championship winners have retained their Championship titles in the 2007/08 competition, with Division 2 Champions Rebels once again claiming an emphatic success in the women’s Intermediate Championships after defeating the top-3 in the women’s 1st Division to retain their title. They were however amongst some of the somewhat-surprise results on the opening day of competition, with 5th place in Division 1, UCD, beating them in straight sets in the Preliminary group. That result meant that Rebels would have to play an in-form ESB Power Spikes side in their Quarter Final, while UCD would play Santry. Clonhouse and Naas Cobras topped their respective groups and yet another show down between the two rivals was looking very much on the cards for the Intermediate Final. In the women’s Junior Championships, non-League Coláiste Phádraig (St. Pats College) picked up a surprise win over 3rd place in Division 2, Loughrea. Dublin and Newbridge Cheetahs were proving to be the teams to beat however in this competition as they topped their groups respectively.
In the men’s competition, the supposed “group-of-death” was being played out between Cork, White Eagles and non-League “Gentle Rain” (from Waterford City VC), with all 3 teams showing Intermediate Championship potential. It was however the Cork-White Eagles duo that would qualify for the Intermediates, while Gentle Rain finished 3rd and getting a bye to the Junior Championships Semi Final. Elsewhere, Dublin were becoming the surprise package as they over came the Division 1 runners-up UCD to climb to the top of their group and through to the Intermediates. UCD would then be drawn in a group with once-again-double-chasers Cork, while 3rd placed cbphoto.ie Lions got to the Junior Championship Semi Final. In the last group, Loughrea and non-League Edenderry qualified for the Intermediates, with NUI Maynooth also going to the Junior Semi Finals.
On the 2nd day of competition, Garda claimed their spot in the Junior men’s Semi Final after pipping non-League AerLingus Harriers on score difference in the Semi Final 3-way play-offs, also involving cbphoto.ie Tigers. In the women’s competitions, Rebels overcame ESB in the Intermediate Quarter Finals, as did Naas Cobras against AerLingus Hawks. The Cobras then played Rebels in their Semi Final in a replay of last year’s Final, but were once again beaten by the Leesiders to end their dreams of silverware this season. Clonhouse beat AerLingus1 and UCD beat mid-table rivals in Division 1, Santry, to set up a Clonhouse-UCD Semi Final. Despite a spirited display from the Belfield students, Clonhouse won through to the Final and looking strong for a League and Championship double. Yet they were up against the same credentials in Division 2 winners, Rebels.In the women’s Junior Championships, Dublin and Newbridge Cheetahs claimed their final spots with respective wins against Coláiste Phádraig and Garda in their Semi Finals also.
The men’s Intermediate Finalists were confirmed with Cork were outright winners of their 3-way Semi Final group with UCD and Edenderry, while Dublin edged into the Final thanks to Loughrea holding back White Eagles in the final game of that group. The final itself however was a predictable win for the Cork men over a gallant Dublin side that performed heroically throughout the competition. In the men’s Junior Championships, cbphoto.ie Lions overcame Gentle Rain from 1 point down in the 1st set to win the 2nd set comprehensively to claim their place in the Final against Garda, who beat NUI Maynooth in their Semi. The Final itself lived up to be the most thrilling final of the competition, alike the 06/07 final. Garda won the 1st set but the Limerick side came back to win the 2nd by 4 points, and then the 3rd by a similar margin.
In the women’s Finals, Dublin edged out defending Champions Newbridge Cheetahs in the Junior Final, while the clash of the Division 1 and Division 2 Champions in the Intermediate Final went in favour of the Division 2; Rebels yet again proved too strong for 1st Division opposition and successfully defend their title.
Overall, the event boasted an array of talent and potential for growth of the National League, with a large number of non-League teams amongst one of the largest team entry figures to date in the competition’s history.
