AIB League winners to be rewarded with trip to France for tournament

THIS season’s AIB League winners will be rewarded with an all expenses paid trip to France to coincide with the World Cup next season.

The play-off champions will be entered as Ireland’s representative in the Languedoc-Roussillon tournament, an initiative taken by that region to celebrate the hosting of the World Cup.

The event will take place between September 3 and 15 next season and will involve six teams. These will include amateur representative club sides from the Languedoc-Roussillon region itself, Ireland, Tucuman (Argentina), Romania, Catalonia (Spain) and Cambridge University.

The club side to win the AIB League play-off final next May will automatically go forward to represent Ireland with a squad selected from their club.

The team will be wearing AIB jerseys which will feature their own club crest in an agreed position. All travel and participation costs for the tournament will be covered by the IRFU and AIB.

The Languedoc-Roussillon region is one of the heartlands of French rugby and home to some of the great clubs of both the past and present such as Toulouse, Montpellier, Beziers and Narbonne

The tournament will have competition on September 4, 7, 11 and 14, with the final day of games taking place in Montpellier.

It’s a nice prospect for amateur players, but it’s not certain whether the development will appease a number of angry clubs who believe there still isn’t nearly enough being done to sustain the game at their level.

Still, it’s a big weekend for the AIB League. Shannon, with a game in hand, top the table by two points from UL Bohemians, by three from Garryowen and four from Cork Constitution and Dolphin.

UL Bohs and Constitution clash at Thomond Park in the big game of the weekend, while Dolphin also have a huge match against Clontarf.

Garryowen seem likely to beat Belfast Harlequins at Dooradoyle, while Shannon can only sit back and wait for other events to unfold.

In a tightly-contested second division, leaders Barnhall have to travel to play Clonakilty, and that’s sure to be a big task for them.

After a bad start, Bective will hope to put one over on Greystones, who sit nicely in second place.

Old Belvedere could be in trouble when they travel to Towns Park to play Midleton, while fourth-placed UCC seem in a strong position to beat off the challenge from Old Crescent at the Mardyke.

The third division leaders, Ballynahinch, could inflict further damage on Sunday’s Well at Ballymacarn Park, while Bruff’s clash with Wanderers (fourth and third respectively) could well make this the third division match of the day.

It will be played at Merrion Road (2.30); an interesting clash of cultures to say the very least, and maybe not everyone in D4 will be following the city boys.