Rugby champs: Schools Cup victory a lifelong dream come true, says Wallace High coach Neil Hinds

Head of PE and head of rugby Neil Hinds has taught at the Lisburn grammar for 28 years. For each one, he’s hoped to see his boys hoisting the biggest trophy in the U18s game.

On St Patrick’s Day, after years of close calls, that dream finally came true. With the Schools Cup now enjoying pride of place in Wallace High, he’s still wowed by the dedication of the victorious team and the huge outpouring of emotion he saw after the final whistle blew.

"Grown men and women were crying,” he says. “I couldn’t believe it, so many had tears in their eyes, it meant that much.

"I’ve been here for 28 years, so for me it really has been a lifelong dream come true.

"We had a presentation ceremony in which the captain handed the cup to the principal, and the entire school was celebrating.”

Neil’s quick to dedicate the win to all the coaches who work with him and came before him, as well as to the hard-working champs who gave their all on the pitch.

Remembering the moment the realisation set in that a win was within reach, Neil says that it was only in the late stages of the second half that it dawned on him the long-held dream could finally be about to come true.

“It was about halfway through the second half that we started clock-watching,” he told the News Letter, as by that time rivals Royal School Armagh would’ve had to score two tries in the remaining minutes to come out on top.

“I was thinking ‘I think we could do it; I think we’re going to do it’ – but there’s always the possibility of an upset, and you’re watching every bounce of the ball just hoping.

"We made some great covering tackles; the boys really put themselves on the line, they gave everything out there.”

Wallace High played in the final five previous times, only to walk away empty-handed; the school was also due to go into battle in the grand finale of 2020’s cup, only for it to be cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic.

Asked what the secret of their success was this year, Neil attributes the special X-factor to series of gruelling matches in Dublin earlier in the season.

"We learned a lot from those fixtures; learned how to lose, in fact,” he says. “Learning how the team loses and what we have to do to keep them from losing, that’s the important thing.”

The rugby head is quick to praise one important aspect of their victory – the dedicated backing of parents. “They’ve spent seven years washing kits, driving players to training, getting up first thing on Saturday morning to make sure they can get to fixtures; it takes a lot, and that support is essential.”

But with the Schools Cup securely in the trophy case, Neil isn’t resting on his laurels. “Cricket season’s coming, so I’m all for that. Cricket’s going nuts here, actually; we’ve got five boys teams and five girls teams all raring to go.”