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Fitzpatrick Cup – Tournament Preview

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The Fitzpatrick Cup is upon us. Tomorrow is the day a new universities champion will be crowned for both the men’s and women’s divisions.

Heavy rainfall wreaked havoc on the UCC grounds earlier in the week but with sunshine and a balmy 6 degrees forecast for tomorrow we’ll be expecting fast-paced action from the get go.

The day kicks off at 11am with three pitches in action throughout the day. The men’s division will be played off amongst 8 teams in 2 Groups.  The top two teams in each Group will progress to the semi-finals while the bottom two in each will battle it out for the minor placings. The Groups are as follows:

Group A:

  1. UCC 1
  2. Oxford 2
  3. Irish Uni’s
  4. Cambridge

Group B:

  1. Oxford 1
  2. Maynooth
  3. UCC 2
  4. Mixed ARFLI

The women’s division will consist of 3 teams, UCC, Maynooth and Oxford, with the top two progressing straight into the Grand Final at 3:30pm.

The full tournament fixture along with the live streaming link can be found on the AFL Europe website (afleurope.org).

On the eve of the Fitzpatrick Cup we caught up with tournament organiser, UCC Head Coach and all-round good bloke, Eoin O’Sullivan, for a quick chat.

How’s the tournament preparation coming together?

“Everything is looking good at this stage, a few hiccups here and there along the way, but it’s coming together well. Pitches are ready, players and umpires en route, it’s shaping up to be a great day’s footy. Just hope we get the weather to match!”

How are the teams shaping up?

“Well, I suppose we have home advantage so we’d hope to be strong around the ground. Our difficulty has been picking 16, our second squad is as strong as the first! But looking through the lists, the Mixed Uni team are very strong in every line, and Oxford have recently beaten Birmingham too, and are travelling strong, so they’ll be a serious outfit. I know the Maynooth lads have put in serious prep, and have a few tidy players in their list. Also, I’ve played against one or 2 of the Cambridge boys, they don’t miss, and in short games like this, accuracy is vital. So, it’s wide open really.”

Any players to keep an eye on?

“Singling out players is always difficult, giving them a tag is added pressure. I never had it when I played, and sure was class, but nobody knew! I’m sure these boys will love the limelight though, so I’ll drop a few names. UCC have 3 Jacks, 2 Oisin’s, 2 James’, and 2 Kev’s, they’ll surely produce something between them. Maynooth have Darragh O Morain, he’s bound to play well someday. Mixed Uni’s have Hally. That’s all that needs to be said on that. Cambridge have Mossy Harrington up top, the closest thing there is to a Buddy Franklin in Europe. And Oxford have Geoff Pascoe, a man that knows all the rules, and will surely push them to the limit for their cause.”

Who’s going to come away from Fitzpatrick Cup in 2017?

“Ah c’mon, you can’t ask me that! Having 2 dogs in the fight, I’d like to think that UCC can make it an all Cork Grand Final. No doubt the other boys will be out to stop that, but our boys are boasting a mix of youth, experience, National Team players and hardy b*****ds in both squads!”

Oxford University Team Preview – Fitzpatrick Cup 2017

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In the lead up to the 2017 Fitzpatrick Cup to be held in Cork, Ireland on the 4th February we’ll be taking a look at each side attending the annual universities tournament. Next up in the previews is Oxford University.

Oxford will be a real contender in Cork. They’ve always be around the top at the Fitz and 2017 could be the year they go all the way.

What has happened since the last Fitzpatrick Cup?

Since last year’s competition in Birmingham, the Blues have had a successful year on the field, beating Cambridge in the Varsity Match. Facing tough matches against Birmingham and the West London Wildcats following last year’s cup, we fought the entire match against Cambridge to ensure a 58-52 victory with a game-winning smother of the Tab’s last shot at goal.

Fitzpatrick Cup history

We had a great tournament last year in Birmingham for the Fitzpatrick Cup, finishing third.  We brought a huge Oxford squad with mixed fresh faces and grizzled old timers.  We lost a close Semi final to the University of Cork.

Players to watch 

We’re looking forward to see which players step up and surprise our anxious competitors in the Cup.  Practices and early matches this season have shown us that we have new vocal leaders on the team.  Certainly, watch veterans like Irishman Tommy Griffin and the ubiquitous Geoff Pascoe.

So, who’s in charge?

Oliver Bartlett, a Brit in his 4th year at the club.

Interview with Daniel Tracey – Men’s Captain of the Oxford Blues

Aims for the tournament?

“We undoubtedly will enjoy playing the match in Cork, and get to know our fellow Irish lads.  However, we aim to improve on our third place finish in 2016.  We fought hard last year, and intend to bring the same intensity to the pitch.”

Which players have the X-factor?

“This year we have an incredibly deep bench, and everyone has contributed to make the season a strong one so far.  It’s hard to name individual players, but Tommy Griffin, Geoff Pascoe, Alex Coccia, and Ewan Selkirk have a the tendency to make quick and strong plays for the score.”

How have the preparations been going?

“We’ve got a lot of new players on the team, some new to the sport entirely, and others who have played before internationally.  Of course it is always a big job to build up the team but after three solid matches this autumn, we have many guys showing up and contributing.  We are fielding a very diverse team who are ready to build up even more.”

What are the main attributes of your team?

“We have solid 1 on 1 contests, and great team communication.  The attitude this year has been that everybody gives it a good go and tries hard.  We’ve got a few experienced players and many new players who are learning quickly.”

Mixed Universities Team Preview – Fitzpatrick Cup 2017

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In the lead up to the 2017 Fitzpatrick Cup to be held in Cork, Ireland on the 4th February we’ll be taking a look at each side attending the annual universities tournament. Next up in the previews is the mixed universities side.

Mixed Uni’s have been involved in each year of the Fitz and gives players without a full university squad the chance to strap on the boots at the tournament.

Fitzpatrick Cup history

The Mixed Uni’s team itself, have always been present since the competition started. Sometimes bolstered by extra players from competing universities, sometimes even their management!

However, this year with several of the UCC Bombers alumni completing further education across the countries universities as well as several of the players in the league itself in colleges without a team, a proper effort has been taken to enter a well organised strong team.

Players to watch?

Quite hard to single out one individual player as a key player to watch as there are numerous players on their day are well able to stand up and be counted. With numerous premiership winners and players with international experience in the squad we can’t pick just one standout.

So, who’s in charge?

The legendary IC winning captain, Cian Quigley, has offered his services for the day to assist and offer his wealth of knowledge.

Aims for the Tournament

There’s no point entering something if you’re not aiming on winning and I’m pretty sure all other teams will be coming to Cork with the same attitude. As well as that we want to give any new lads and lads with no football in college a chance to play.

Who has the X-factor?

Our sexy Buckfast sponsored jerseys are definitely going to go down a treat. John O’Heney himself will look the bomb in it (word has it he’s been flat in the gym all winter and has ordered a size small player fit jersey to impress the young women in Cork). Other than that, Dapper Dan (Former Player of the week), is known to possess the X-factor with his dance moves on the floors of Reardon’s on a Saturday night. Ladies beware!!!!

How is the preparation going?

Collectively we’ve nothing done, it’s hard due to us being a combination team but a lot of lads have been playing away in the ARFLI winter leagues as well as those training away with the Warriors squad. Other lads have been playing GAA/Rugby etc. over the winter.

What are the main attributes of your team?

Our sexy Jerseys, Dapper Dan’s Hand of God and Colin Lordan’s Booming Left Leg.
Mixed Unis photo