Donaghadee RFC

Huge congrats and good luck to our very own Erin Playfair and former player, Joy Lemon (pictured) who will start for Ulster U18’s on Sunday vs Connacht! Good luck Erin, everyone at the Dee is very proud! ❤️💚

Our Vice-President Paul Blewitt was delighted to receive our new equipment that has been provided by CGI UK. One of our 1XV players, Adam Russel works for CGI and he submitted the funding application to make it all happen.

CGI is one of the world’s largest IT and business consulting service firms, having recently established a presence in Northern Ireland. At the heart of CGI’s community engagement is its kit sponsorship programme, which aims to support local communities, build meaningful relationships and encourage active, healthy lifestyles.

CGI offer a wide range of business and IT opportunities, including placements, degree apprenticeships and graduate roles.

Thanks to Adam and to CGI for the new equipment and make sure you give them a follow to keep up to date with any job opportunities they may have!

🌟 Introducing our new CCRO, Jamie Lemon ❤️💚

We are delighted to introduce our new Club Community Rugby Officer (CCRO) Jamie Lemon. Jamie replaces Guy McManus, who has been apart of the club for several years and we thank Guy for all his hard work and wish him well in the future.

Jamie has been coaching mini rugby at the Dee for a number of years and at the end of last season he passed his P7 group onto our youth section….but we have convinced him to take on an even bigger job.

So who is Jamie??

He is 38 year old local personal trainer with a passion to help people feel confident in themselves.

As a father of three he realises the importance that sport plays in children’s lives. Jamie loves inspiring those around him and he works on resilience, work ethic and discipline. Jamie always thrives to make fitness and sport accessible to all and works with our local community association to offer free classes as part of the Donagahdee Festival each year.

The man himself:

“I’ve played rugby all round the world from Ireland, England and as far as Dubai and the friendships and opportunities it has given me knows no limits. I look forward to working alongside our future stars at Donaghadee Rugby Club”.

Jamie is in the process of completing all of the necessary courses so that he can fulfill the role to its full potential.

If you are a local school then we will be in contact to see how we can grow rugby by working together and we hope to continue to build on the partnerships that Guy has made over the years.

So here we go, a new chapter for youth rugby in Donaghadee and we know that the players will be inspired by Jamie and his positive outlook on life. ❤️💚

The 1885 Challengers are over 1,000 miles, but they need YOUR help! Please follow the link below to donate whatever you can, to help them towards their fundraising target!

The money raised will go towards funding vital research and support by NI Chest, Heart & Stroke, for those who have been affected by a multitude of different illnesses, as well as helping SPORTS to raise awareness of mental health illness and su***de prevention! ❤️💚

https://gofund.me/6183f0b3e

We’re half way through our August Summer Camp and it’s been fantastic to see so many young players out enjoying the rugby and the sun! ☀️ ❤️💚

Huge congratulations to our very own Lucas Northey, who scored two tries in the Ulster 17 School’s 59-17 win over the USA Eagles last week.

Lucas who is also pictured with his Campbell school mates has been a member of Donaghadee RFC since P1 mini’s and it’s fantastic to see him coming through and smashing it! 👊❤️💚

The 1885 Challenge is back for the 6th year and this year we want to go even bigger and better!

For those new to the club, the 1885 Challenge is when members of Donaghadee RFC take on walking, running and cycling a combined 1,885 miles in one month to raise money for good causes. This August we will be taking on the challenge in aid of Northern Ireland Chest, Heart & Stroke, as well as SPORTS - Su***de Prevention Offering Recovery Through Sport.

NI Chest, Heart & Stroke is a fantastic charity that does incredible work for those facing life-changing illness and is a charity close to the hearts of many in the club. Only a matter of months ago, young Peter Causby - a Dee youth graduate and emerging young 1st XV player suffered a stroke, much to the shock of his family, friends and teammates. Thankfully Peter is on the road to recovery due to outstanding treatment by the NHS and support networks. The work that NICHS does helps us to learn more on how to combat a multitude of different illnesses such as this - from prevention to crucial support.

Our second charity this year is SPORTS - Su***de Prevention Offering Recovery Through Sport, a local charity that do amazing work in encouraging sports clubs to be a forum for open and honest conversations about mental health. SPORTS offers training and awareness courses, counselling services and community work, helping many through mental health struggles, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in Northern Ireland in recent years.

*So how can you help?* We need members to get active this August and contribute anything you can to the mileage through walks, cycles and runs - no matter the distance or speed! There is a WhatsApp group set up to clock the miles and support each other along the way, so just comment below if you want to join in.

Finally, we need to raise as much money as possible for these amazing charities, so if you can donate whatever you can through the link below, we would be extremely appreciative of any contributions.

https://gofund.me/b4ed0f5ad

Lets get the miles in and get it done!

Join us on Saturday 8th August for a fun-filled day of American Flag Football games, as we host American Football Ireland in association with Donaghadee Community Development Association.

As we’ll have x11 teams visiting and a busy bar, we’re looking for volunteers so if you can lend any support in parking assistance, catering or admin, please reach out! ❤️💚

Do you want to be an integral part of the DRFC Community? We are currently welcoming expressions of interest in the role of Honorary Secretary.

The role will include correspondence with local stakeholders, administration and taking meeting minutes - but it’s much more than that!

For only an estimated 2-hours per week during the playing season, you can help to make a real impact for our Club and community.

Interested in finding out more? Just drop us a message, or email [email protected] ❤️💚

Thank You, Ards and North Down Borough Council!

We would like to extend our thanks to the Ards and North Down Borough Council Sports Forum Grant Scheme for supporting our club through funding towards the purchase of new training equipment.

The grant has enabled us to invest in equipment that will enhance the quality of our coaching sessions, improve player development, and provide a more enjoyable training experience for all our members. The new equipment is already making a positive impact, helping us deliver engaging and effective sessions at our Summer Camp.

Community support such as this is invaluable in helping local sports clubs grow, develop, and provide opportunities for people of all ages to participate in sport and physical activity.

Thank you to Ards and North Down Borough Council for your investment in grassroots sport and for helping our club create a positive sporting environment for our members.