The Dublin Rebels have publically announced a prestigious International Challenge game against U.S. opposition to take place in Dublin next month. NCAA college football team, the Centre College Colonels, will visit Dublin in late May and play the Rebels at Seapoint Rugby Club on Saturday 31st May.
The Colonels, who hail from Kentucy, posted a 7-3 record in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) last season. They are coached by Andy Frye, and have an impressive 15-6 record over the past two seasons. Four members of the team were 1st team All-Conference in the SAA. Ex-Colonels player, Jordan Gay was with the Carolina Panthers of the NFL in 2013 and recently signed with the New York Giants.
The Rebels have been one of the elite teams in the IAFL over the past decade. They were Shamrock Bowl finalists in 2013 and have won the Championship six times since 2003. Led by veteran quarterback Andy Dennehy and featuring RB Simon Mackey and TE Paul Grogan, they are an unbeaten 2-0 in the SBC this season. The Rebels have very recently signed an agreement with Seapoint Rugby Club in Killiney for use of the facilities and this game will be used to publicise the Rebels permanent new home.
A spokesman for the IAFA said, “The Rebels should be applauded for attracting this high profile game to Ireland. The victory by the IAFL U20 selection in last years Gathering Challenge has shown that Irish teams can compete with equivalent North American teams. Also, the success of The Gathering Bowl has clearly shown that domestic football can stage this type of event to a much higher standard than some of the external organisations who previously operated in this space. There is a lot of local interest in this type of fixture and we hope that this will be the first of many such events to take place in Ireland over the coming years.”
The event, which is supported by HSS Hire and Harrys on the Green, will kick-off at 3pm on the 31st May and admission is free of charge.
