Joe Schmidt confirmed for Ballina RFC event in Dublin

BALLINA Rugby Club has announced that Joe Schmidt will be the guest speaker at their Eve of Pro14 Final Lunch in Landsdowne Road on May 25.

The fundraising event, which will take place in the Wanderers RFC clubhouse at the Aviva Stadium, is a major new departure for the progressive club.

The prestigious nature of the event has been emphasised by the announcement of the Grand Slam-winning coach as guest speaker and signals yet another success for Ballina RFC.

Club president William O'Connor made the announcement at Heffernan Park and stated that the event will be one to savour.

“We're absolutely delighted that Joe will be with us on May 25,” he stated. “It promises to be another great day in the history of Ballina Rugby Club and having the best coach in the game as our guest shows how exciting an event this truly will be.

“We’re making great progress on all fronts, with more than 400 playing members in the club right now and a very successful team behind the scenes. We’re working hard to provide top-class facilities for all our players, members and the local community, and now we’ve taken this extra step by announcing plans for our lunch in Dublin.”

These sentiments were echoed by club chairman Alan Rowe. He said: “This is a major undertaking for the club. It takes a lot of hard work to make it a success and we've been blown away by the support we've got so far from near and far. Having Joe speak at it puts the icing on the cake and just shows what we can achieve.”

Tickets for the event are strictly limited and all companies, clubs and individuals are asked to contact the club immediately if interested in attending.