MEECHAM AND BRADY HONOURED AT BUCCS AWARDS
SAMUEL MEECHAM and DECLAN BRADY were the major winners at Buccaneers Rugby Football Club’s end of season awards event which took place in Athlone’s Sheraton Hotel. Outgoing President Eoin Reid welcomed all the nominees, players, coaches and guests to the informal gathering, which was well attended and highly sociable helped by the asides of MC Gearoid McDonald! Another highlight of the event was the presentation by Darragh Murray of his first Ireland Senior jersey to the club.
SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Head Coach Darin Claasen commenced his citation re the Senior Player of the Year by stating that the winner has been nothing short of phenomenal for Buccaneers. Sam Meecham has been outstanding all season …. not just in matches but also in training, the dressing-room and across the social side of the group as well. He brought quality, energy, humour and a brilliant attitude to everything he has done.
Whether winning or losing, Meecham’s standards never dropped. His work rate and mindset were 10 out of 10 every single week. He consistently led the way, put his body on the line and gave everything to the jersey. Sam is the type of player every coach wants in their squad and every teammate wants beside them. He has earned this reward through his performances, commitment, character and the respect he has built within the squad.
The ‘Ray McLoughlin Buccaneers Senior Player of the Year’ trophy was presented to the young Australian by Keith McArdle on behalf of Michael Moore Car Sales.
U-20 PLAYER OF THE YEAR
AINDRIU OATES was the heartbeat of our U-20s pack this season. In a team full of talented players, he consistently led from the front — whether it was carrying hard, dominating the set piece or spurring on his teammates. His physicality, reliability and leadership set the standard for everyone else in the squad.
‘Oatsie’ was the cornerstone in the pack and the man who reckons he’s lighter than his manager and incoming club president Sean Flynn! He was an absolute rock for the team all season — he dominated opposition scrums and his powerful ball carrying punched holes in defences. A beloved character in the squad, especially after the match in the members’ bar, Aindriu proved a very popular and worthy winner of Buccaneers U-20’s Player of the Year.
JUNIOR 1A PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JACK DOWD returned to playing rugby after a number of years and he very much improved week on week. With a great attitude and all round baller, Dowd never shied away from anything that was asked of him. His performances speak for themselves and Jack Dowd is a duly worthy winner of the Buccaneers Junior 1A Player of the Year accolade.
THIRDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Thirds rugby truly is the melting pot of Mens rugby in this club. We had guys from our 18-year-old captain to 50 years old who took to the field this year. We had Committee members and U-20s to the Over-35 Greybeards and everyone in between involved for the brief period we pulled together. It is a squad that needs to be revived properly and consistently as it is the lifeblood of the club.
Coming into this group was CATHAL WALSH, the quiet jackal who made huge carries and terrorised opposition breakdowns. His work-rate, physicality and ability to win turnovers made him a nightmare for every team we faced. He will surely feature at higher levels in the near future and his consistent and influential displays justify Cathal Walsh’s selection as Buccaneers Thirds Player of the Year.
WOMENS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sligo lady Bebhinn Keane started her rugby career in London with Battersea Ironside and, following spells with Ballina and Sligo, she arrived in Athlone where Buccaneers RFC have benefited from her experience. This has been particularly evident since she was moved out of the pack into the middle of the back line, where she has shown tremendous strength, leadership and support across the season.
Bev rarely misses a training session, a match, or a social session; she is fast becoming the heart of the crew. Keane’s willingness to get involved in the game, her mauls, and her defensive line are second to none. She is relentless on the pitch, she is always “On it” and has put her head where you would not put a foot on many occasions! Buccaneers are highly fortunate that she has joined the Pirates crew and Bebhinn Keane is a truly worthy choice as Buccaneers Womens Player of the Year.
BUCCANEERS INTERNATIONALS
Buccaneers had no less than 6 young players who represented Ireland at U-18 and U-19 levels this season, which augurs well for the future of the club. And, of course, they also enjoyed considerable success on various Buccs teams. Andrew Henson, Leo Anic and Rourke O’Sullivan were all capped by Ireland U-19s while Darragh Glennon, Owen Egan and Oisin O’Donoghue played for Ireland U-18s Clubs. Almost uniquely this trio comprised 75% of the teams three-quarters line! With talent such as these richly promising players coming through, the future looks bright at Buccaneers.
CLUB PERSON OF THE YEAR
DECLAN BRADY first became involved with the Minis section before progressing into the role of Minis Co-Ordinator. Through his energy, organisation and leadership, he helped significantly grow participation numbers and standards across the mini rugby programme. He organised and attended countless training sessions, coordinated home and away Mini Blitzes, and became a key driver behind creating a positive and ambitious rugby environment for young players.
A major achievement during his time as Minis Co-Ordinator has been the development of the partnership between Buccaneers Minis and Grovelands. This collaboration has helped raise the bar for minis rugby competitions and player development, strengthening pathways and creating opportunities for young players to thrive. It reflects exactly what Buccaneers strives for — grassroots to green shirts — and Declan has been an integral part of helping that vision become a reality.
Brady is also deeply involved in the girls’ game within the club and is one of the forwards coaches with the U-14 and U-16 girls’ teams. His approach is player-focused, development-driven and grounded in teamwork, discipline and enjoyment. He sees the value in every player and takes enormous pride in watching individuals and teams grow in confidence and ability.
At the core of his work is a strong belief in “One Club, One Vision.” Brady is passionate about moving Buccaneers forward together as a united force and firmly believes the club has the potential to become one of the strongest and most respected rugby clubs in Connacht. Declan consistently focuses on building standards, strengthening pathways and creating a culture where everyone feels part of something bigger.
He has also been instrumental in building our merchandise partnership with Azzurri and he has also somehow found time to play on the Thirds XV! Declan Brady represents everything that is positive about Buccaneers RFC — commitment, vision, hard work, community spirit and an unwavering belief in the future of the club. His contribution to Buccaneers, from grassroots to senior rugby, continues to leave a lasting impact across every level of the organisation. Accordingly, he is a richly merited choice as Buccaneers Club Person of the Year and the Michael Hanley Memorial Perpetual Cup was presented to Declan by Michael Hanley, Junior.
DARRAGH MURRAY PRESENTS JERSEY TO CLUB
The formalities of the evening concluded with a presentation to DARRAGH MURRAY on being capped by Ireland Seniors during the season during which he marked his 6N debut with a memorable try v Scotland. The south-east Roscommon man came through the ranks at Buccaneers and is a regular and obliging attender at events in the club. In response, Darragh presented Buccaneers with his first Ireland Senior jersey, duly framed, and the club is proud and grateful to receive it. Here’s wishing Darragh many more appearances in the green of Ireland.
Congratulations to all Buccaneers award winners and also to Dylan Bolger on being honoured as TUS Senior Rugby Player of the Year recently. Congrats too to Buccaneers U-20s lock Leo Anic on being selected as Connacht Rugby U-19 Player of the Year which rounds off a wonderful season for the Creggs product. Well done too to Marist College on being named Connacht Rugby School of the Year.
