RUFC Club Newsletter - April 2025
- Newsletter
- Apr 30
- 7 min read
From Blackpool to Westport, and from cup finals to league playoffs, this month is packed with big moments and brilliant stories from across Raheny United. With silverware in sight and loads happening on and off the pitch, April has been a cracking month.
U10s in Blackpool
Over the Easter weekend, our U10s enjoyed an unforgettable trip to Blackpool, with two Raheny teams competing in the Blackpool Cup against top class academies from across Europe.
On Day 1, each Raheny team was placed into a group alongside three other teams. Both sides performed brilliantly, advancing into the quarter-finals for the next day's knockout stages. The momentum continued as both teams battled their way into their respective semi-finals, where their journeys both ended after two hard-fought matches. Both teams came away feeling really proud and satisfied that they'd done brilliantly.
It wasn’t just about the football, there was plenty of fun off the pitch too, with the 20 boys (and 20 dads!) making the most of everything Blackpool had to offer. Blackpool provided no shortage of entertainment off the pitch 🎢 . Even if the accommodation could charitably be described as “character-building” 😳 😅 all in all, a brilliant weekend was had by all!
Silent Sidelines - a great success
Last month the Silent Sidelines initiative took centre stage across the DDSL, promoting a positive match-day experience by encouraging parents and supporters to stay silent and let the players think, play, and enjoy their game themselves. Our Raheny 11.4 team played their part brilliantly. Pictured are the players and proud parents, celebrating a great performance on the pitch, and even better behaviour off it! 🤫 A big thank you to everyone who supported Silent Sidelines.
👉 Silent Sidelines should be the norm, not the exception.
As a reminder to all parents and spectators. For every game:
🚫 No sideline instructions!
🚫 No shouting!
🚫 No negativity!
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🔇 Let the players play.
⚖️ Let the refs ref.
🎯 Let the coaches coach. G'wan Raheny!
📣 Want to see your team featured?
We love sharing all the amazing updates from across the club. But we can only do that with your help! Every story in the newsletter or on socials comes directly from a coach submission. If you’d like your team to be included, or have anything to share at all, please ask your coach to get in touch:
✉️ For the newsletter: coach should email info@rahenyunited.ie
📸 For social media: coach should contact Laura directly.
We rely entirely on what’s sent in, so if something’s missing, it just means we didn’t hear about it. Thanks for helping us keep the whole club connected and celebrated. 🖤 🤍 ⚽
U19 LSL league wrap up
The U19 LSL Premier team wrapped up their season earlier this month with a brilliant 5–2 win over Finglas United; a fitting reward for the huge effort and commitment shown by the lads all year. A big thank you to the coaching team of Shay, Paul, and Noel for their hard work, and a special mention to Helen for her legendary live scoring updates on WhatsApp throughout the season!
Save the date: Mini Leagues 2025
It’s the highlight of every year at our club, the RUFC Mini Leagues are back! Make sure to save the dates: this year’s action will take place from 18–29 June.
Always a brilliant week of football, fun, and memories, we can’t wait to see everyone there. More information and registration to follow soon. We recently spoke to Damien Duff for his thoughts...
RUFC goes into the west
Two of our U12 teams, 12.1 and 12.5, hit the road recently for an epic Dublin v Mayo double-header in Westport! It was a fantastic weekend of football and fun, with both teams and their parents given a warm welcome by our brilliant Westport hosts. The lads did us proud on the pitch too, with fantastic performances from both Raheny sides. A brilliant trip full of memories, goals, and great hospitality!
12.1’s epic journey to the cup final
What a game! Our 12.1 team battled their way through to the final of the Evening Herald Cup after an absolute thriller against St Kevin’s on pitch 16.
Ryan Leech put Raheny ahead with a fantastic header in the first half, but St Kevin’s fought back and equalised in the dying moments, forcing the match into extra time. With no winner after 20 intense minutes, it came down to a nerve-wracking penalty shootout.
As the light faded on pitch 16, a huge crowd was treated to an epic shootout. Even the goalkeepers got in on the action! Raheny managed to secure their spot in the final which takes place vs Mount Merrion. All support is welcome to cheer on the lads at their final in the AUL.
Rookies Roundup
The monthly update from our amazing rookies academy!
Our teams are starting to come out of the Academy set up and we're excited to announce that our 2018 groups are already playing games in preparation for the upcoming DDSL season. They will officially enter U8 leagues in September and it's fantastic to see them getting valuable match experience already. We're all looking forward to an exciting season ahead!
3B LSL men on the brink of glory!
Our 3B LSL team is on fire! After a solid 1-0 win over Knockmitten recently, they’ve secured a spot in the last 8 of the Joe Tynan Cup. This coming Saturday, they face off against Liffeybank, and a victory will keep their hopes alive for the title. Then, on May 3rd, they’ll take on Beggsboro, currently in second place, with a huge opportunity to push for the league crown. Promotion is already in the bag, but with two more wins, they could be celebrating the league title as well! Let’s show our full support as they head into this crucial stretch!
U13 Girls blitz – a huge success!
A big shout-out to all the parents and kids who supported the Under 13 Girls (Reds) Fundraising Blitz on Monday, 21st April. Boys and girls, ranging from 7 to 13 years old, came together for a fantastic day of fun and fundraising. It was a great success, and the girls are incredibly grateful for everyone’s support. The money raised will go towards their trip to an all-girls tournament in Holland at the start of June. A huge thank you to everyone involved!
14.1 closing-in on silverware
Our brilliant 14.1 girls have finished level at the top of the table with Malahide United, setting up a high-stakes league decider playoff. It’s a massive moment for the team, who’ve shown incredible determination and teamwork all season long. We’re behind them every step of the way. Best of luck, girls! Let’s bring it home! 💪⚽
11.1 in division 1 cup final
The U11.1 team is set for a big day out next weekend as they compete in the Div 1 Cup Final at the AUL. After impressive victories over Newbridge, Peamount, St Joseph's, and Killester Donnycarney, the team has earned their place in the final and is eager to give it their all. The players have worked incredibly hard to reach this point and are looking forward to the challenge. They’d love to see plenty of support on the day!
We're expecting a big crowd to support the lads in the final vs Knocklyon United. Kick off on Sunday 4th May is 10:00am in the AUL complex.
Raheny on the march!
Cup fever has truly hit this May! It’s not just our U11s and U12s, our U16s and U17s have also powered their way into major cup finals. The U16s will face Lakelands FC in the Billy Behan Cup Final on Sunday, 4th May, while the U17s take on Stella Maris FC in the Schuster Cup Final this Friday, 2nd May.
That’s four Raheny teams in cup finals, and counting! What an incredible achievement and a huge credit to the players, coaches, and parents who put so much into making this club what it is. Seasons like this are built on hard work, commitment, and the incredible spirit that runs through our club!
"Behind the Boots"
We are buzzing to launch our new "Behind the Boots" initiative at Raheny United in May 2025! Each month in our newsletter, we'll shine a light on one player and one coach or volunteer.
Why? The Raheny United Community is full of amazing people, some just starting out and some with years of experience. Behind the Boots is an opportunity to share our stories and in turn:
Inspire younger players
Learn from each other
Celebrate the mix of generations, knowledge and passion that makes our club great!
What's involved? You'll answer a few short and easy questions and we'll do the rest.
We want to hear more about the people of our club and look forward to getting to know you!
Interested in taking part or nominating someone? Email us on info@rahenyunited.ie
Annual mini academy for Naí Scoil Íde
We look forward to once again hosting our Mini Academy for local school, Naí Scoil Íde. Following the huge success of last year, the Mini Academy has now become an annual fixture in our community outreach. This year's Mini Academy will take place on Tuesday, 6th May, from 9am to 1pm at St. Anne’s Astro. Our brilliant coaches will lead action-packed sessions where the kids can enjoy learning new skills and playing the game.
RUFC in Raheny's first St Patrick's Day Parade☘️🇮🇪☘️
On 16th March, our club took part in the very first Raheny St. Patrick's day parade. Our U8 to U11 teams represented the club with pride, marching through Raheny, alongside other local clubs and businesses from around the community. We were thrilled to play our part. The celebrations continued afterwards at the clubhouse with an afternoon of craic and music. It was certainly a day to remember and we're already looking forward to next year!
Dog's Aid hosts first quiz at the clubhouse 🐾
In April, Dog's Aid hosted it's first Pub Quiz at the Raheny United clubhouse. Dogs Aid is a non-profit organisation that provides shelter and care for dogs in need across the community. The event saw local animal lovers come together for an evening of fun and fundraising and was a great success! We are beyond proud to support initiatives like this that make a positive impact! 🐶
Live music at the clubhouse 🎶
Following a busy day at the AUL cup finals this Sunday, the hugely talented Brian Whittington performs live at the clubhouse from 7pm - 10pm. Join us this bank holiday Sunday for what promises to be a great night!
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
A huge thank you to our team sponsors.
A special thank you to JA Financial for sponsoring our over 35s team.
We'd also like to extend a special thanks to Raheny Dental Centre for their sponsorship of the U 13.2 girl's team.
And another huge thanks to Nissan Ireland for sponsoring our u10 boys kit for their recent trip to the Blackpool Cup.
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Our club is growing bigger and bigger - we need volunteers more than ever! If you want to support or volunteer with Raheny United in any capacity, get in touch. Your town, your club. Get involved!
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