Brian Smyth targeting more silverware for Rainey

Ulster is split into two conferences of six teams each.

Rainey won the Ulster Senior League last season and start the campaign away to City of Armagh hoping for a repeat of last year’s milestone.

“It was a massive boost and also a record of achievement for all the work we have put in over the years,” commented Director of Rugby Brian Smyth. “Promotion is great, but we hadn’t won a title we went up both years through the play-offs.

“To win the Senior League we beat Banbridge and Ballynahinch, we were in with all the top guns and it was great to get a bit of silverware and get our name on the Stevenson Shield.

“We’re very strong up front but we’re missing our regular 9, 10 and 12 from last season.

“Jason Bloomfield is unavailable, Andy Magrath has an injury and Conor Fitzsimons has had surgery back home in New Zealand and he’s gone for the season.

“Scott McLean is back from Inst and he can play 10, and Andrew Donaghy, who was on the wing, is a scrum-half and Jack Lloyd-Evans is back from university and is a good back-up at nine.

“We’ve tried out centres from the seconds at 12 and they’ve been going well.”

Elsewhere in Conference 1 Queen’s host Banbridge at the Dub, while Malone’s new head coach Wilbur Leacock will hope for a winning start at home to Ballynahinch.

In Conference 2 new-look Belfast Harlequins host Bangor with former Ulster coach Neil Doak taking charge at Deramore.

“We had a good start in pre-season and the boys have worked really hard,” said Doak.

“It was good to get a couple of wins under our belt, playing sides that are above us in the AIL Rainey and Queen’s, it was decent to get wins against those guys.

“It has given the players confidence and there is a nice buzz around the club.

“It’s going to be a disjointed year with the AIL not starting until after Christmas.

“It is a little bit frustrating from our point of view that there is no promotion or relegation, we just have to try and get a foundation in place this year and hopefully the squad can grow next year and hopefully the league will get back to some normality.”

Elsewhere Ballymena host Dungannon while Omagh’s game against City of Derry is postponed.