Navan RFC Launches "Centenary Season" with Historic Gathering

On Saturday afternoon, Navan Rugby Football Club marked the beginning of its "Centenary Season" with a special event at Balreask Old. Club Presidents and Captains, both past and present, gathered to celebrate 100 years of the club’s participation in organized Rugby Union Football. The event was attended by a host of invited guests, including Cllr Alan Lawes, Deputy Mayor of the Navan Municipal District, members of Meath County Council, and Jim Doddy, Senior Vice President of Wanderers FC, whose team faced Navan in the Leinster Senior League fixture that afternoon.

Navan RFC Club President Scott Ennis opened the event with a warm welcome to all attendees, including former Club Presidents, Captains, Women’s Captains, and Chairpersons. He gave special recognition to notable figures such as Tom Kelly and Robert Dier, club captains from the late 1960s and early 1970s, Jim Nugent and Paddy Tehan, Club Presidents from the mid-1970s and early 1980s, and Elizabeth "Liz" Oakes, Navan RFC's first Women's Captain in 2001/2002.

Ennis recounted the club’s origins, beginning in 1925, when it initially shared the Meath County Showgrounds with other local sports clubs. He highlighted key milestones, including the club’s survival through challenging periods around World War II, the acquisition of the Balreask Old grounds in the early 1960s, the formation of the youth section in the 1970s, and the development of women’s rugby at the turn of the century. He also noted the introduction of the Inclusive/Mixed Ability Rugby team in 2017 as a significant achievement.

Looking ahead, Ennis discussed the club’s plans to further enhance its facilities. Navan RFC is set to open a new gymnasium in a few weeks, located beside the existing clubhouse, to meet the strength and conditioning needs of its growing player base. Additionally, the club is working on pitch development, with plans to level the Oakleigh mini pitches and install improved drainage. The possibility of installing an artificial pitch is also being considered to ensure year-round playability, regardless of weather conditions.

To commemorate the centenary, Navan RFC has planned a series of special events throughout the season:

Navan RFC's centenary season is set to be a memorable one, celebrating the rich history and bright future of the club with a series of events that bring together its community, past and present.