Ireland Elite fixtures.

[Druzik]

The fixtures for the 2008 Elite League have been drawn up. The full fixture list will be added to the site in the next couple of days.

10th May - Tullamore 9's

17th May - Round 1
Portadown Pumas v Treaty City Titans
Tullamore Knights v Dublin City Exiles
Carlow Crusaders v North Dublin Eagles

25th May - Round 2
Treaty City Titans v Tullamore Knights
Dublin City Exiles v Carlow Crusaders
North Dublin Eagles v Portadown Pumas

31st May - Round 3
Tullamore Knights v Portadown Pumas
Carlow Crusaders v Treaty City Titans
North Dublin Eagles v Dublin City Exiles

7th June - A team vs France Away

14th June - Round 4
Portadown Pumas v Dublin City Exiles
Carlow Crusaders v Tullamore Knights
Treaty City Titans v North Dublin Eagles

21st June - Round 5
Treaty City Titans v Dublin City Exiles
Carlow Crusaders v Portadown Pumas
Tullamore Knights v North Dublin Eagles

28th June - Round 6
Treaty City Titans v Portadown Pumas
Dublin City Exiles v Tullamore Knights
North Dublin Eagles v Carlow Crusaders

5th July - A team v Wales Away

12th July - Round 7
Tullamore Knights v Treaty City Titans
Carlow Crusaders v Dublin City Exiles
Portadown Pumas v North Dublin Eagles

19th July - Round 8
Portadown Pumas v Tullamore Knights
Treaty City Titans v Carlow Crusaders
Dublin City Exiles v North Dublin Eagles

26th July (or 2nd August) - Round 9
Dublin City Exiles v Portadown Pumas
Tullamore Knights v Carlow Crusaders
North Dublin Eagles v Treaty City Titans

2nd August (or 26th July) - A team v Scotland Home

9th August - Round 10
Dublin City Exiles v Treaty City Titans
Portadown Pumas v Carlow Crusaders
North Dublin Eagles v Tullamore Knights

16th August - Grand Final

6th September - A team v England Home

[beez]

I was just browsing the Irish website and came across Treaty City Titans beating Tullamore Knights 99-0.

Just thought it was interesting they took a field goal.

[Druzik]

Yeah I saw that too and laughed... well, many of the players are ex-union... go figure.

Actually in Prague last weekend I was chatting with the ref who was Irish. He works with the Tallaght Tigers in the lower division and he was saying that many of the players are Union players that are actively encouraged by their Union teams to play league to keep fit over the summer and keep up their skills, but now increasingly players are either a. ditching Union for league or b. many players are being nurtured as League only players and have never played Union in their lives.

All good stuff coming out of Ireland either way.

[beez]

Good to see some positives coming out of Ireland. Hopefully they put on a good show at the world cup and things really start to take off over there. The union teams might want to put a stop to their guys playing league soon.