'Great time' as Rainey Endowed's Schools' Cup semi-final progress ends four-decade wait

Wilbur Leacock’s side beat last year’s runners-up, Ballymena, in the quarter-final to set up a Kingspan Stadium last-four clash today with Royal School Armagh.

“The boys had worked incredibly hard on their detail in the lead-up to the game, we put together a game plan and, full credit to the boys, they were perfect on it and we got the job done,” said Leacock. “Over the 70 minutes it was a great performance and over the 70 minutes I thought we thoroughly deserved to win the game.

“It is great time to be in the school...the first XV are in the semi-finals for the first time in over 40 years, the excitement is building.

“For the younger kids, that hope to be in the first XV in a few years...they are super excited and it is just great for the whole school community.

“The girls are also in a Schools’ Cup semi-final, so it is an unbelievable time to be playing sport at Rainey Endowed and it has been a brilliant year for rugby and hockey.”

The last-four line-up has an unfamiliar look this year.

“I think it is great for the school system that we have two country schools, plus Wallace and BRA in the (Wednesday) semi-final,” said Leacock. “I think it is great for the game and it’s great to see none of the big schools in it, if I’m being really honest.

“They (Royal School Armagh) are a good side, I know Jonny Gillespie quite well...we coached together at Malone, I’m looking forward to seeing him.

“I’ve had a few chats with him and it has been good fun, Armagh are well-coached and we are probably underdogs again but we’ll give it a go and, hopefully, we’ll get the job done again.

“Armagh will bring a step-up in physicality, their No8 is a class act and they are a physical side, they do all the simple things really well, so it will be a huge challenge for us.

“Physically we have to go up a notch and if we can get on their physicality then I think we have a chance.”

Playing at Kingspan Stadium will present a different challenge for the Magherafelt school.

“Very few of the boys will have played there, our 10, Owen O’Kane, has won an inter-pro so he has played at Kingspan,” said Leacock. “Another couple of the boys have played underage there for Ulster...for a lot it will be a new experience, a different surface.

"But it is a dream-come-true for a schoolboy to play at Kingspan in a Schools’ Cup semi-final.

“It will be an unbelievable experience for them, they are excited for it...they have worked incredibly hard this season to get there.

“You just try to treat it as another game, but it is hard...you’re going to the home of Ulster Rugby, it is a massive experience for the boys, for some of them it could be the only time they play at Kingspan.

“You don’t want to dampen that excitement, you want to use it as a real positive.

“The town has been rallying around the team...the local community has been brilliant.

"Rainey Rugby Club have been really supportive, they have been helping us out.

"It is an exciting time for the school and the excitement is building in Magherafelt and we are hoping we can get a big crowd from the town.”