Badminton

The Senior boys’ badminton team are coached by Mr. McHugh. They were entered into the Ulster Senior League and Cup, as well as the Champions of Champions Tournament. It was the Champions of Champions Tournament that our season started, with both Kelvin McNally & Nathan Clarke making the long journey to Lisburn Racket Club to compete on the 22nd October. Having being handed a very difficult draw in the first round, ad despite putting in a fantastic battling performance, the lads came up just short loosing 2-1 in games to the eventual winners.

The Senior side got their league campaign off with an away fixture to RBAI in Belfast on January 23rd. Despite a number of closely contested games, especially in both doubles matches, RBAI game away from the fixture with a 4-2 victory in games. The team made the long journey to Bangor in late February to play their second league fixture against Bangor Grammar School. Again despite some keenly contested matches , the Royal came out the wrong side of a 4-2 result. In the teams final league fixture, the Royal side faced a very strong Royal & Prior side from Raphoe, boasting one international and three other very strong players. In the need of three out of a possible six points in order to progress from their group, the Royal lads left everything out on the court. As was a common theme in the previous two matches, that little bit of luck on their side in some extremely close matches was absent, and Royal & Prior Raphoe ran out winners to end our participation on the competition for this year.

Following on from the group stages, the Senior Boys completed their season, and in doing so have completed one of their most successful seasons. Having beat Friends Grammar comprehensively in the semi final of the Ulster Schools Cup, the team also done brilliantly to qualify for the Division 1 League Finals, the RSC boys were pitted against the powerhouse of Ulster Schools Badminton, Royal Belfast Academical Institute (RBAI), in the Division 1 League semi-final. Having travelled to Belfast to play their opponents, the RSC lads put in a fantastic effort against their opponents and despite very little seperating the teams in both the doubles and singles matches, RSC just came out on the wrong side of a 4-2 defeat.

However only two days later the team had the perfect opportunity to gain some revenge, when they travelled to Lisburn Rackets Club to again play RBAI, this time in the Ulster Senior A Cup Final. This time round the RSC boys showed real heart and desire and produced their best performances of the year to seal a dramatic 3-3 draw and win the cup through countback on legs, 7-6. This victory is made all the more impressive considering the strength of the opposition who boast players who play both at International level and Provincial level. A huge congratulations go to the team on this fantastic and much deserved achievement.