City of Derry hoping for IRFU 'green light' to return to rugby

IRFU ‘Return To Rugby’ guidelines issued to clubs on June 5th recommended that clubs only activate a return with an appropriate COVID-19 Club Safety plan was in place. To that end each club was advised to appoint a COVID-19 Club Safety Officer, whose role it is to oversee public health measures across the club, and a COVID-19 Club Compliance Officer or Officers whose role it is to monitor day-to-day compliance with the COVID-19 protocols.

Those particular roles at Judges Road have been filled by Susan Spence, Richard Gillen and Richard Manning who are close to finalising Derry’s safety plan and Head Coach, Paul O’Kane is optimistic of a return to action sooner rather than later.

“We have done nothing in terms of training or playing at this point,” explained O’Kane, “Every club in Ireland is at the same stage. We’ve appointed our Covid Officers, they have been working hard, going through the risk assessment. Then you have to submit your plan for your club to the IRFU who consider it and then give you the go ahead to return if everything is in order.

"Susan Spence, Richard Manning and Richard Gillen are doing it for us but there are all different scenarios being rumoured as well as to what structure the season and leagues will take but we’ll just have to wait and see on that.

“We are working off September as the date (for a return). I’m led to believe the club plan will be going this weekend and once that hopefully gets ratified, then we can get going again. We may have to use Foyle College as a base because the COVID testing centre is still located at the club grounds but that’s not really a problem.

“Foyle has superb facilities so if that happens it wouldn’t be a problem. We are genuinely hoping to get up and running for the first week in July. We might have to be creative in the sense that it could be in smaller numbers, or working with the players in different batches but we are keen to get it up and running shortly and keep aiming for mid-September in terms of a competitive return.”

The lack of action on the pitch has not been matched by inactivity off it though as O’Kane continues to build a squad even if the format for next season’s post-COVID Ulster and All Ireland Leagues is yet to be confirmed.

“There are various ideas being mooted by people, things like of an ‘Ulster’ league until Christmas and then possibly one round All Ireland League in the New Year but even then, there are various ideas and possibilities about how the AIL might look in this,” added O’Kane.

“Those are all things yet to be decided and while the boys are all itching to get back, safety has to be the top priority.”

When they finally do get back to playing, Derry will likely have a very youthful look and no shortage of new faces among the First XV squad. Hooker Eoin McDonald has joined from Randalstown while former Irish underage prop Jack McIntosh joins from Rainey and Jordan Mealiff from Ballynahinch. Centre Richard McGregor joins from Lisburn while the arrival of former Ulster underage scrum-half Jamie Millar, whom O’Kane knows well from their time together at Limavady, is another major boost.

Derry will be without Thomas Cole who has moved to England to complete his studies while Richard Baird’s relocation may rob them of the forward later in the season but overall, O’Kane is happy with the work being done at the club.

“We’ve picked up Eoin from Randalstown because he’s studying at Magee but even with the link-up with Magee, which we are very keen to grow, you would only expect to get one or two a year at that level.

“If Magee can expand you may see people from the traditionally stronger rugby schools being attracted to Derry and that would definitely help. We have had to try and plan as best we can. Probably the only thing missing is a general start date but we’ll hope to get up and running around the end of June or the start of July. We’ve signed tight-head Jack McIntosh from Rainey and he’s a great signing, he’ll make a massive difference for us.

“Jack was Ulster underage and Irish Under 18. He’ll be a replacement for Sam Duffy and is very much a modern day prop. He’s about 6” 3’ and 23 stone and can move so we are delighted to get him. He was part of Rainey’s AIl 2B League winning squad and he’s still young at 21 so has plenty of time to get even better.

“Davy Browne is now injury free and he will be like a new player for us while Jordan Mealiff has joined from Ballynahinch. He’s a Strabane lad who spent most of last season with Hinch IIs but he’s looking to try and push on and secure a place in our First XV.

“Richard McGregor has signed from Lisburn while Cody Laverty is coming out of our Under 18 set up. He’s a guy I think will step up fairly quickly into senior rugby. Some of the other U18s may need a bit of time but Cody is a real, real talent so we’ll have him in the squad from the start.

“Jamie (Millar) is a fantastic 9, a great talent. I brought him to Limavady after he had just left school. City of Derry were actually after him then but I convinced him it wasn’t the time but he is more than good enough to make the step up. He was Ulster underage alongside Neil Burns and there is a decent vibe about the place.”

While O’Kane admits the squad will be a lack of experience in some areas, he’s hoping the obvious talent and potential there can bridge the gaps and revealed a new set-up for the club captaincy.

“We have freshened things up regarding the captaincy and will be going with a co-captaincy. It’s something new, something different, a bit of a double job as opposed to putting all the pressure on one person. Jimmy Hamilton and David Graham will be the two captains.

“Jimmy is fantastic. He’s 40 years of age but he’s out running the roads at the minute. He’s fit as a fiddle and mad keen to keep progressing. He is your heart and your fight, your determination whereas Davy is a thinker. Davy is a very intelligent player and knows the game so I think the two will work well together.”