Dolphin into Well won’t go

REPORTS published yesterday that the Dolphin and Sunday’s Well clubs are amalgamating have been emphatically denied.

It was suggested the two clubs hoped to join forces in time for next season’s AIL league and that the club would be called Cork RC or Cork City RC.

Officials of both clubs were said to be in Dublin yesterday for discussions with the Irish Rugby Football Union but spokespersons for both clubs emphatically denied any such meeting took place.

In fact, both club Presidents were in Cork all day yesterday, one of them relaxing at home and the other involved in a golf outing for the entire afternoon.

The Dolphin spokesman admitted that preliminary discussions on a possible merger had taken place way in the past but that there had been no new developments.

He insisted he knew absolutely nothing about the reported talks and added: “It has certainly not been discussed at any meaningful level in the club.

“If there is a proposal then it will have to go to a special meeting of the members and there is no proposal on the table.”

Meanwhile, a source close to Sunday’s Well suggested the it was pure speculation: “A lot of people in Cork have been slagging us off recently because Dolphin went up and we were lucky to survive in the second division. Perhaps that’s where the story came from.”

Dolphin have just been promoted to the first division of the AIB League and have extended coach Hamish Adams’ contract for another two years.

Niall Woods, CEO of IRUPA, said, “Being voted best player by your peers is the highest accolade for all sportspeople. This awards ceremony will celebrate an outstanding year for Irish rugby and also raise much needed funds for the IRUPA Injured Players Fund.”

IRUPA is the voice of all professional rugby players’ on issues of importance to the game as well as those affecting their economic, social and employment interests.

Amongst the favourites to land the top award, the IRUPA Mira Players Player of the Year are Munster and Ireland front rower John Hayes, the enigmatic Leicester player Geordan Murphy and the towering Leinster lock Malcolm O’Kelly.

Nominations are as follows:

IRUPA Mira Players Player of the Year

John Hayes (Munster)

Geordan Murphy (Leicester)

Malcolm O’Kelly (Leinster)

IRUPA Green Giant Unsung Hero Award

Jason Holland (Munster)

Mark McHugh (Connacht)

David Quinlan (Leinster)

IRUPA Tyrone Crystal Try of the Year

Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster)

Rob Henderson (Munster)

Wayne Munn (Connacht)

IRUPA O2 Young Player of the Year

Mossie Lawlor (Munster)

Neil McMillan (Ulster)

John O’Sullivan (Connacht)