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The first Suttonians sports personality of the year. Voting is now open.

December 22, 2025 625 Views

With so many personalities in SRFC we have made a short list of contenders, will it be,

Jim, Harry, John or Maurice? Lets introduce them to you:

A Remarkable 12 Months On the Pitch

What a remarkable 12 months it has been on the pitch. Let’s take a moment to look back at an outstanding year for Suttonians RFC.

In December 2024 (still technically within the last 365 days), our Extraordinary Eagles (2nd XV) captured the Jim Byrne Trophy in Donnybrook, defeating a very strong Bective side. The final score of 17–10 scarcely reflected how closely contested the match was. And who could forget, or indeed remember! the celebrations that followed!!
The Extraordinary Eagles with Jim Byrne

This success was followed in April by our Under 20s, who, combining with players from Coolmine and Malahide, secured the Harry Gale Trophy with a thrilling 34–32 victory over a formidable Wicklow side. It was wonderful to see this historic trophy return to the club, echoing successes from the 1970s and 1980s.
Harry Gale with the under 20's

In May our under 18.5’s who play together with players from Coolmine under the name The Raiders won the Metro Cup beating Clontarf (😀) 14-36 in Vernon Avenue.

The 18.5's with the Metro Cup

Also in May a crack team of athletes headed down to Kinsale to compete in the World famous Kinsale 7’s and they brought home more silverware ! The social team competition.
The Magnificent 7 with the Social Trophy

Moving on to November, we enjoyed a memorable double header as our Under 16s and Under 17s contested back to back finals at Malahide RFC. With two Suttonians teams in action, Malahide was awash with the Blue, White and Green so much so that even the referee was a former Suttonians player.

The Under 16s took to the field first against a combined Terenure and St Mary’s side. Following on from an excellent first half of the season, the Suttonians boys proved too strong, delivering an impressive 39–19 victory.
The under 16 squad

Next up were the Under 17s in the John Ward Cup, named in honour of a great friend of Suttonians who sadly died tragically far too young. His sons Jamie & Conor both played for SRFC. This time we faced a combined team drawn from no fewer than three clubs: De La Salle/Palmerston, Old Wesley and Wanderers collectively known as the DOWs. This was a much tighter contest, with Suttonians forced to chase the game and rely on a resolute defensive effort. Their perseverance paid off, as they emerged 22–13 winners.
The under 17's with the John Ward cup

That left one senior side still searching for silverware: the First XV. That changed just three weeks ago in Seapoint. The Leinster Branch decided the Spencer Cup Final would be determined by the aggregate score across the two league fixtures between the clubs. Following a commanding 21–20 victory at home in September, we carried a massive lead into the return fixture ! 🤞

With 75 minutes played, we trailed 13–10 on the day, leaving us two points behind on aggregate in the cup. Then, in the 79th minute, Mat Lenihan crossed the white wash for a match and cup wining try. We held our breath as the referee was unsighted and didn’t award it at first, then the assistant referee, surely one of the finest in Ireland, raised her flag, and the try was awarded. Leading 17–13 with less than a minute remaining, Seapoint launched a remarkable 45-phase assault from the restart. What followed was a heroic defensive stand from our men to secure the cup.

The First XV with the Maurice Spencer Cup

And as we head into the Christmas break, it is worth noting that our Men’s First XV sit proudly at the top of Leinster League Division 1A, with seven wins from eight games.

While our Ladies team were unfortunately unable to field a side this year and were withdrawn from the AIL, but all is not lost, the future looks bright. Our Under 18 girls, The Panthers, are flying high at the top of Group B with six wins from six games. #Go Panthers.

So, a number of old friends have returned to Sutton: Jim Byrne Harry Gale, John Ward and Maurice Spencer. It is particularly fitting that the Spencer Cup returns to Suttonians 60 years after the club presented it to the Leinster Branch, in honour of former captain Maurice Spencer, who tragically lost his life following injuries sustained playing for the club in 1930. Pictured below is the trophy resting on his grave in Howth following our recent victory a poignant and proud moment.



The Spencer Cup with the Spencer family

So here are the trophies we collected this year

Well 4 of them anyway, sadly only a photo remains of the Jim Byrne Trophy, see comment above!!

You can let go of it now Simon.

I’m sure you’ll agree it has been a tremendous 12 months. But, None of this success happens without the incredible support that underpins our club: the minis and youths who turn out every Sunday morning; the parents who bring them down; the coaches and managers who freely give their time and expertise. Our youth rugby, the boys and girls alike, who train through wind and rain, supported by dedicated parents, coaches, physios and managers who help develop the skills we see on the pitch each week.

Our senior sides, their coaches, the supporters and support teams, and the countless volunteers who keep the club running, from maintaining pitches to keeping the lights on and the bar open, You are the backbone of Suttonians RFC.


Finally, a heartfelt thank you to all our supporters, sponsors, parents, grandparents, boyfriends, girlfriends, volunteers, players, coaches, managers and physios, for your continued dedication to Suttonians RFC. Your time, energy and commitment are the lifeblood of the club and make everything we achieve possible.
Quite simply, without you, Suttonians could not exist.


Happy Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year to all of our members supporters and sponsors.

And don't forget to have your say in the future of SRFC 26/01/26 & 28/01/26