Lansdowne FC U20’s have been very successful in recent years, especially the season gone by, 2022/23, when we completed the   double by winning both the Fraser McMullen All Ireland Cup and by retaining the JP Fanagan Premier 1 League for an impressive fourth time  in the last five  seasons.

We are very proud of our under 20’s structures, led by Head Coach Rhys Ruddock, whose knowledge and attention to detail are second to none. Rhys brings a huge amount of experience from his Leinster & Ireland background. Ross McKeever is our Backs/Attack Coach, assisted by Adam Curry. This season we welcome Richie Allen as an assistant forward’s coach this season. Richie will bring a vast amount of experience and technical knowhow to the squad.

Off the field, Mark Mac Mahon, Director of Under 20’s Rugby, keeps everything moving as it should be in an efficient manner.

Lansdowne under 20’s rugby under different guises, such as 19’s & 21’s, has been around for nearly 30 years and was set up as a comprehensive player development programme, firstly to supplement the senior team and more recently to also develop young players for the professional game.

Lansdowne FC aims to identify and develop potential club, provincial and international players who will be equipped with the knowledge, skills and competencies required to succeed in both the amateur and professional era, both on and off the pitch.

Lansdowne FC is a traditional but still very progressive club with a proven history and culture of creating a quality environment for players where the foundations are laid to prepare players for a life in professional rugby but also for a career outside of rugby.

Mission Statement

To Nurture and Develop the Characteristics and Skills Necessary in the Pursuit of High-Performance Rugby through the Provision of a Professionally Structured Programme of Fitness, Rugby, Mental and Personal Skills.

While the aim of Lansdowne 20’s is to fast- track players to senior AIL, under 19/20 interprovincial/ international representative levels as well as senior interprovincial development level, and beyond, our structure creates an environment conducive to the development of a career that will extend beyond rugby.

On completion with Lansdowne 20’s we expect the individual to have attained a level of sporting excellence together with the complementary life skills necessary to sustain a productive career whether that be in or out of rugby.

Objectives

Lansdowne 20’s, similar to the IRFU Provincial Academies, has an elite player development programme and is closely aligned to the IRFU elite provincial programmes. The programme is structured to enable the player to maximise his potential and the strategy is designed so that players realise their full potential. At Lansdowne FC we not only want to develop the elite professional, but we want and encourage club players to achieve their maximum goals on and off thee pitch and to be a Lansdowne member for life.

If you want to be part of one of the best under 20 set ups in the country and want a competitive and enjoyable place to play rugby then send us an email ASAP (to info@lansdownerugby.com) as we would love to have you involved.

Training for U20s takes place every Tuesday & Thursday at 18.00 on the back pitch in Lansdowne Rd, adjacent to the Aviva stadium.

Our J2 team plays in the Metro Division 2 league. This league is a highly competitive league and is made up of J1 and J2 teams. There is a strong focus on the social side of rugby along with the playing side to ensure that our team members are well-rounded individuals!

Games are mostly on Saturdays and training takes place on Mondays and Wednesdays alongside the J3s to ensure that there is strong competition for places. There is great opportunity for players to move up (as well as down) the Junior teams. Historically, Lansdowne have always been strong at this level so we are always open to welcoming new players as well as those who may have put their boots away for a few years and are looking to rekindle the love of the game.

The newly promoted J3’s will be playing their rugby in the Metro 5 Division this year. The J3’s are the life and soul of Lansdowne Rugby, with a massive social scene at the forefront for this team. The squad trains on Monday and Wednesday evenings alongside the J2 and J4 squads. Matches are played on Friday nights and Saturdays along with some rehydration in the club after.

This tight-knit group welcomes new players, young or old, with open arms and are always looking for volunteers and players to join the squad.

There hasn’t been a J4 squad in Lansdowne for many years but the recent influx of players from all across the world and Ireland gave the coaching and management group no choice but to enter a J4 team in Metro Division 10. This team is made up of some Lansdowne legends and newcomers to rugby. Training on Mondays and Wednesday alongside the J2’s and J3’s and playing matches Friday and Saturday’s, the J4’s bring an expansive brand of rugby with a massive emphasis on their attacking game.

The J4’s are always looking for new players to bolster their match day squads.