4 more players leave Northampton, including midfielder Andy Symons

Another one off win was Glenstal Abbey winning the Cup in 2018, Ben Healy’s year.

I read the report on this year’s Cup, won by CBC. That win puts them level with PBC, 32 each. Only other school close is your Dad’s Rockwell College, on 26 wins. Only Munster has a close race. In Leinster Blackrock dominate, In Ulster, Methodist College, in Connacht, Garbally.

Love the story about your Dad and the Cup😀

Not sure where you would get that information, JW. But your question piqued my interest, and I looked at the background of some Ulster players. If you are interested/have the time, look at the Wiki site for Ulster rugby, and scroll down to the current squad, where you can then click on the individual players, and often there is good info. on their pathway to Ulster squad.

Not many come in from the AIL teams directly. Robert Baloucoune came from Enniskillen into the Ulster setup, but that was after he played Sevens for Ireland. Big standout missed in his school years is Stuart McCloskey, who never played for an age group team, and it was only after he showed good form playing for AIL team Dungannon, that he was eventually added late to Ulster Academy.

“I’m just thinking ahead. You know Ireland is going to come into the same predicament Aus is at where that next group of youngsters waiting to come into programmes get picked off by the French”

That is not happening with top young players in Ireland. I can’t think of a single example of one that has gone to a French club, or to any other country. But as you say, it could happen in the future.

What has happened to a limited extent is established Irish players moving offshore, but they are few. Jonathan Sexton had a spell with Racing in France…not very successful. Simon Zebo also went over to Racing. Trevor Brennan went to Toulouse, stayed there too, with his sons now playing in France, one at Toulouse, one at Toulon. And more recently the two tens, Joey Carbery to Bordueax, and Ben Healy to Edinburgh.

“I see they’ve near completed a double round robin worth of games, does that mean theres not much left in their season?”

The season finishes around mid April. Schools finish on St Patrick’s Day, 17 th Match. When I lived in Ireland, we had a few Sevens tournaments post season. But never as big a thing as in the Scottish Borders, where the short game was “invented”.