President’s Message 2023-24 - Michael Shalloe
It is an honour to be the President of Bective Rangers FC for the season 2023/2024.
I am delighted to welcome you to our Club in Donnybrook, whether you are a member, past member, parent, guest or visitor.
Our history stretches back to 1881 when we played our first game in the Phoenix Park. As we now enter our 142nd season of 2023/2024, the Club is proud of the contribution that it has made to Irish rugby both on and off the field.
We look forward to building on the great success we enjoyed on the field last season. Our 1st XV won the Leinster League 1A for the second year in a row, our 2nd XV the Leinster League 2A for the 3rd year in a row and our U18’s the Metro Cup.
We wish our Director of Rugby Bernard Jackman, our Club Captain Mattie Keane, our managers, coaches, physios, kit managers, players at every level, from Senior, Junior, Under 20’s, Vets, Youths and Mini’ s, every success for the upcoming season. Our Mini’s are the future of Bective! Thank you to Richie & Aoife Maybury and the extended team of volunteers sincerely for all their hard work and commitment.
Our Strategic Review is well underway with a business plan in completion phase for the “Future of Bective”. Following a Seeding Event attended by 120 members back in October 2022, we had a very successful Harvest Event in April 2023. This event emerged with six working groups – Rugby Ambition, Clubhouse & Facilities, Branding & Communications, Community, Sponsorship and Governance. These groups have been working with the Steering Group over the summer months to identify and act on immediate, intermediate and long-term opportunities. The clubhouse construction upgrade is well underway and when completed I have no doubt it will transform our great club, not only for the season ahead but for many years to come. It is a massive undertaking and Bective are blessed to have our own on site team to manage the project. Well done to Paddy O’Brien, Jim Oliver and their extended team for the excellent management of the construction work over the summer months.
I want to express gratitude to our volunteers (including members of the Executive, Trustees, coaches, team managers and those without any designated role at all) who made an enormous contribution to the day- to-day running and the strategic direction of the Club over the last few years. Without your support the Club would simply not function or exist in the way that it does. Volunteers are the backbone of our club so if you feel you can contribute even an hour a month, please let us know.
Off the field, commercial management and financial control is key to the success of any club. Thankfully we are in the safe hands of our Honorary Treasurer Marisa Guerrero and Club Administrator Valerie Stein. We welcome Snow Technology as our main sponsor for the season ahead. Thank you to all our sponsors and financial contributors, your support is key to our future success. We have enjoyed a considerable increase in members subscriptions over the past season and hope for the same for our season ahead. Corporate sponsorship of matchday lunches have made a great contribution to Bective. Thank you to Declan Lawler, Emmett Sheridan, Mark Jones and all involved for your massive effort.
We invite our members, supporters and the wider Bective community to come see our matches both home and away at all levels. Your support means a lot to the players and the vibrancy of the Club. Come join our golf, cycling and rambler societies. We also invite you to drop into the Club for a coffee or tea or something stronger and you will be made welcome by our Clubhouse Manager, Mark O’Brien, Sharon and the team. If you are thinking of hosting any events, social or business, Mark will be delighted to look after you.
A big thank you to our immediate past president David O’Donnell and previous president Michael Flood for all their hard work, support and energy over the last two years and their valuable guidance in relation to this role!
Thank you to Jack McEvoy who steps down this season as Chairperson following three years of outstanding leadership and management. We are delighted to welcome Steve McGettigan as our new Chairperson, John Bolger, Senior Vice President and Jimmy White, Junior Vice President. I look forward to working with you all and the Executive Committee on the continued and future success of Bective.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our visiting teams over the season and hope you enjoy our Bective hospitality. As always let’s hope all players walk off the pitch safely.
We remember with great fondness our members and friends who passed away over the past season. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha.
Michael Shalloe
President Bective Rangers 2023/2024
Coach’s Message - Bernard Jackman
We started back our pre-season training on Tuesday the 11th of July in preparation for the 2023/24 season. Starting earlier than ever in a bid to leave no stone unturned once again in our quest to bring Bective Rangers back to the AIL League and then to climb the ladder once we get there.
While we were gutted to fall at the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland against a very strong Clogher Valley side, the 2022/23 season was a successful one on and off the field as a whole. We retained our Leinster League Division One Trophy at both First and Second team level which was testament to the commitment and dedication of the players and back-room team. Our players are committed to representing Bective Rangers to the best of their ability and have the talent to play some great rugby, which we hope to replicate next season.
We have a new Captain this season in Mattie Keane who has been an outstanding player and leader for us since joining from Clontarf 3 seasons ago. We are very lucky to have him and I know he will have the support of the whole club. To last seasons Captain Colin Jackson, who has gone away travelling for a year, I would like to thank you for all you have given and I look forward to seeing you back on the pitch or in the clubhouse in Donnybrook in the future.
We have a lot of new faces this summer to help us try and be successful and in true Bective tradition, there is a lot of diversity in terms of backgrounds. We are now an attractive proposition for players looking to play competitive rugby in a great club. The progress on the field has been mirrored off the pitch with significant investment in the clubhouse, bar and dressing rooms which is very much appreciated.
To support the team on the pitch and to help us safeguard our future, we will be recruiting a Head Coach for our Under 20’s. Having an Under 20’s side again is key to increasing our adult players but also administrators and members in the long term.
The task ahead is far from straightforward, as we saw last year but the hunger and desire are there. Now we have to put it into place on Saturday afternoons.
We look forward to representing you and the club proudly and getting to meet you all in the clubhouse after the games.
Yours in Rugby
Bernard Jackman
Captain’s Message 2023/24 - Mattie Keane
It is a massive honour and privilege to be named as Club Captain of Bective Rangers for the 2023/2024 season. Four years ago, I was warmly welcomed to this club that I have grown to love, and I now look forward to leading this extremely talented group of players for the upcoming season.
The past season was another of great success for the club: we welcomed a host of new players to Bective, with a number of players making their senior, seconds and thirds’ debuts for the club; we had hundreds of Mini’s getting a taste for rugby at Donnybrook each weekend; the U13’s and U14’s both had very strong seasons; the newly formed U-18.5 team had a stunning victory in the Metro Cup final, despite having barely trained together; the thirds had another successful campaign; the seconds team, led by evergreen club stalworth Sean Geraghty, came back from the brink, winning on the final day in Gorey to secure an incredible 3rd league title in a row; and the senior team once again won the Leinster Junior League, securing back to back titles for the first time. While we did not achieve our ultimate goal of gaining promotion to the AIL, it is nonetheless important to recognise the achievements of the past year and give credit to the individuals involved and behind the scenes.
I would like to thank all involved in the senior team this year; Bernard Jackman, Head Coach, Hein Havenga, Defence Coach, Louis Magee, Forwards Coach, Danie Poolman, Backs Coach, Ben Kealy and Manuel Alonso, Team Managers. A special mention to kitman Steven Rattigan who leaves no stone unturned for the teams’ preparations. I also want to thank Mark Gibbons and Seb Senior for both togging out and building a strong second’s team; and Richie Maybury for his work with the Mini’s and to all members of the club involved at every level, from Mini’s through to Senior, thank you for your hard work, support, and dedication to the club.
The club has gone from strength to strength in the past number of years under Bernard’s stewardship, creating a strong culture of inclusion at all levels which is evidenced by the results on the pitch and success off it with a noticeable buzz around the club on match days especially. Special thanks also must go to Mark O’Brien, Sharon Byrne and all the bar staff for providing great post-match entertainment and hydration, Emmett Sheridan for organising the sell-out pre-match lunches; to the club Executive Committee and to everyone who put work in behind the scenes.
To outgoing President David O’Donnell, who has been hugely instrumental in the implementation of the club’s Strategic Review and has supported us at every turn, I wish you well. I would like to congratulate incoming President Michael Shalloe and wish him every success as Club President. We welcome new players to the club this season and bid a number of players adieu. Most notably, to departing Captain Colin Jackson, someone who never took a backwards step on the pitch or off it, I wish you and Aisling well on your travels. Finally, a special thanks to my family, friends and all who call Bective home for your continued support.
As we look to the season ahead, I have full faith in this talented group of players and coaches to bring Bective back to its rightful place in the All- Ireland League.
Best wishes
Mattie
