Ulster Schools' Cup Final 2024: Praise for Ballymena Academy captain Stevie Bristow who backs team 100% after career ending injury

Director of Rugby at the school, John Nicholl, paid tribute to Bristow after Ballymena beat Sullivan Upper 25-14 in an exciting semi-final on Wednesday to secure their chance against holders RBAI.

This will be the tenth time Ballymena has reached the final and, he hopes, the fourth it wins the cup.

Ballymena was also the last provincial school to prise the cup from the Belfast schools - but that was 14 years ago.

(The 2020 Royal School Armagh Vs Wallace final was cancelled by Covid).

His current 1st XV beat both RBAI and Methody on the path to winning the first ever Ulster U16 Cup.

"So I am fully aware that this is a team who know how to win," John told the News Letter.

They also beat RBAI 28-15 away at the start of this season.

Ballymena Vs Sullivan semi-final creates divided loyalities between BBC Correspondent Mark Simpson and dad John

"But for me the games before Christmas are irrelevant; Everybody's trying different squads and different strategies at that point."

However the path to the final has been lined with sadness, due to the loss of captain Stevie Bristow, who is also head boy.

"He sets incredibly high standards for not only the players but us as coaches as well," John said. "He is such a dedicated young man but unfortunately he tore his ACL in November.

"So after we realised we would be without him - he was our player of the year last year - we decided that this journey in the Schools Cup is going to be for Stevie.

"He still attends all the sessions. He's still in the team meetings, giving everybody advice and looking after the boys. So this one's really for Stevie at the end of the day, as well as the boys and the school. So we're kind of doing this one - hopefully - for him."

John says the captain will never be able to make a rugby comeback.

"No. He will go to cricket. He is a phenomenal cricketer and plays for Ballymena XI. So I think that might be his focus now, and tragically that's the end of his rugby career."

He was injured due to the manner in which two players "cleared him out of a ruck" in November, John says.

"It was just an unfortunate injury really. But he has been brilliant since then. You can't speak highly enough of his attitude since he knew he was going to miss the schools cup. He has just put the team ahead of himself the whole way, he's class."

Michael McLean has now stepped up as an “excellent” captain, he adds.

John credits the team’s success to the "holistic programme" of support from the wider school and teachers, Ballymena Rugby Club, and coaching support from three Ulster players, Andy Warwick and Luke Marshall - both old boys like himself - as well as Alan O'Connor.

Ballymena is relishing the chance to be the first school to take the Ulster Schools Rugby Cup out of Belfast in 14 years, when they clash with defending champions RBAI on 18 March at the Kingspan Stadium.

So dominated has the competition become by the big Belfast schools, that the last time the trophy left the city was in 2010 – when it was also Ballymena Academy which took the honours.

Ballymena Academy coach Andy Nicholl spoke to the News Letter after his team beat Sullivan Upper 25-14 in an exciting contest at Kingspan Stadium on Wednesday, to secure a place in the final.

"There's no doubt Methody, Inst and Campbell - all from Belfast - are usually the top three schools in the competition year in and year out," Andy told the News Letter.

“So it is certainly nice for Ballymena Academy to get their opportunity in the final."

Sullivan Upper Principal, Mr Craig Mairs sent his best wishes into the final with the Ballymena team.

"We are very proud of the achievements of our 1st XV this season and how they played on Wednesday," he said. "This is testament to the dedication and skill of our coaching team, led by Adam Craig. Unfortunately they came up against a very strong Ballymena team who were deserved winners on the day.

"We wish them the best of luck in the final. Both teams played with great skill and scored impressive tries. We were also delighted with the enthusiastic support of our pupils, staff, parents and friends of the school. "