Ballina Mini Rugby made their first visit ever to Cistercian College Roscrea on Saturday last.
There are strong ties between Ballina RFC and Roscrea, with quite a few Ballina rugby
players past and present having attended the college.

A 17-strong U12 Boys squad were led by coaches Tommy Lynn, Ken Doherty and Willie Ruane.
Our squad had representatives from Knockmore, Foxford, Swinford, Geesala, Ardagh
Killala and Ballina itself and played in a national blitz at the kind invitation of the college.

Ballina Minis played games against Mullingar, Birr, Portarlington, Garryowen and Athy.
They acquitted themselves very well winning two games, drawing one and narrowly losing the other two.
Intense training sessions over the previous two Saturdays paid off as the boys competed against some of the 'top guns' in mid-Leinster.
The boys enjoyed very generous hospitality in the college afterwards.

Many thanks to Daragh Quinn for facilitating the visit and greeting the squad on arrival
with his wife Alison.
Many thanks also to current college students Conor Heffernan and Cian Quinn for giving
the guided tour of the college facilities - both are 'old boys' from Ballina Minis.

Ballina RFC hope that this prestigious blitz can become a permanent fixture on the Minis calendar.