Rugby All-Ireland League 2005/06 - Division One fixturesThe IRFU yesterday announced the AIB League fixtures for next season. The club competition will open across all three divisions on October 15th and will run through until April 29th, 2006. The divisional semi-final play-offs will take place on Saturday, May 6th - with all three finals taking place a week later on Saturday, May 13th, 2006.
In Division One, last year's AIB League champions, Shannon, will face an away trip to former champions and newly promoted St Mary's College for their first match, while last year's runners-up, Belfast Harlequins, will be at home to Garryowen, the side they defeated in the semi-final in May.
Clontarf, the other semi-finalists from last year, take on the Trinity students in Castle Avenue.
Ballymena, so often at the leading edge of the competition, travel to Dublin to face Lansdowne for their first match and then stay on the road as their second match takes them to Buccaneers the following week.
UCD face Carlow, who struggled last year, but survived. The Oakpark side's hopes for the coming season are that they find a more comfortable passage through the winter.
In the transfer market, Metro Racing, formerly the highly regarded Racing Club de France, have come in for two young Irish players. The Paris-based club have lured Mick Carroll (23) and Dave Hewitt (25) to the French capital in the hope of getting the club into the French Top 16 next year.
Having won the last of their French Championships in 1990, Metro Racing have been struggling to make an impact since the game turned professional. Both Irish players have represented Ireland at underage level and have been full-time professionals with Connacht.
"It is a great opportunity. It's a very progressive club with a proud history and Dave and I are really looking forward to the challenge," said backrow Carroll.
"Dave and I had a wonderful time in Connacht and this is an opportunity for us to develop our game."
Carroll, a former Irish Schools and under-21 player, was a member of the IRFU Academy and played schools and club rugby with Blackrock College.
He joined Connacht two seasons ago along with Dave Hewitt, an outhalf who lined out for Clontarf before being signed by Connacht two seasons ago.
Last season Hewitt featured with Leinster on a development contract on a number of occasions in the Celtic League.
However, he was not been registered to play for the province in the Heineken European Cup.
October
Saturday - 15th: Ballymena v Lansdowne; Belfast Harlequins v Garryowen; Clontarf v Dublin University; Dungannon v Buccaneers; Galwegians v Blackrock College; St Mary's College v Shannon; UCD v Co Carlow; Cork Constitution v UL Bohemian.
Saturday - 22nd: Blackrock College v Dublin University; Buccaneers v Ballymena; Clontarf v UL Bohemian; Cork Constitution v Dungannon; Co Carlow v Belfast Harlequins; Garryowen v St Mary's College; Shannon v Galwegians.
Sunday - 23rd: Lansdowne v UCD:
Saturday - 29th: Ballymena v Cork Constitution; Belfast Harlequins v UCD; Dublin University v Shannon; Dungannon v Clontarf; Galwegians v Garryowen; Buccaneers v Lansdowne; St Mary's College v Co Carlow; UL Bohemian v Blackrock College.
November
Saturday - 5th: Belfast Harlequins v Lansdowne; Blackrock College v Dungannon; Clontarf v Ballymena; Cork Constitution v Buccaneers; Co Carlow v Galwegians; Garryowen v Dublin University; Shannon v UL Bohemian; UCD v St Mary's College.
December
Saturday - 3rd: Ballymena v Blackrock College; Buccaneers v Clontarf; Dublin University v Co Carlow; Dungannon v Shannon; UCD v Galwegians; Lansdowne v Cork Constitution; St Mary's College v Belfast Harlequins; UL Bohemian v Garryowen.
Saturday - 10th: Belfast Harlequins v Galwegians; Blackrock College v Buccaneers; Clontarf v Cork Constitution; Co Carlow v UL Bohemian; Garryowen v Dungannon; Shannon v Ballymena; St Mary's College v Lansdowne; UCD v Dublin University.
January
Saturday - 7th: Ballymena v Garryowen; Buccaneers v Shannon; Cork Constitution v Blackrock College; Dublin University v Belfast Harlequins; Dungannon v Co Carlow; Galwegians v St Mary's College; Lansdowne v Clontarf; UL Bohemian v UCD.
Saturday - 14th: Belfast Harlequins v UL Bohemian; Blackrock College v Clontarf; Co Carlow v Ballymena; Galwegians v Lansdowne; Garryowen v Buccaneers; Shannon v Cork Constitution; St Mary's College v Dublin University; UCD v Dungannon.
Saturday - 21st: Ballymena v UCD; Buccaneers v Co Carlow; Clontarf v Shannon; Cork Constitution v Garryowen; Dublin University v Galwegians; Dungannon v Belfast Harlequins; Lansdowne v Blackrock College; UL Bohemian v St Mary's College.
Saturday - 28th: Belfast Harlequins v Ballymena; Co Carlow v Cork Constitution; Dublin University v Lansdowne; Galwegians v UL Bohemian; Garryowen v Clontarf; Shannon v Blackrock College; St Mary's College v Dungannon; UCD v Buccaneers.
February
Saturday - 18th: Ballymena v St Mary's College; Blackrock College v Garryowen; Buccaneers v Belfast Harlequins; Clontarf v Co Carlow; Cork Constitution v UCD; Dungannon v Galwegians; Lansdowne v Shannon; UL Bohemian v Dublin University.
March
Saturday - 4th: Belfast Harlequins v Cork Constitution; Co Carlow v Blackrock College; Dublin University v Dungannon; Galwegians v Ballymena; Garryowen v Shannon; St Mary's College v Buccaneers; UCD v Clontarf; UL Bohemian v Lansdowne.
Saturday - 25th: Dublin University v Ballymena; Blackrock College v UCD; Buccaneers v Galwegians; Clontarf v Belfast Harlequins; Cork Constitution v St Mary's College; Dungannon v UL Bohemian; Lansdowne v Garryowen; Shannon v Co Carlow.
April
Saturday - 15th: Belfast Harlequins v Blackrock College; Garryowen v Co Carlow; Dublin University v Buccaneers; Lansdowne v Dungannon; Galwegians v Cork Constitution; St Mary's College v Clontarf; UCD v Shannon; UL Bohemian v Ballymena.
Saturday - 29th: Ballymena v Dungannon; Blackrock College v St Mary's College; Buccaneers v UL Bohemian; Clontarf v Galwegians; Cork Constitution v Dublin University; Garryowen v UCD; Co Carlow v Lansdowne; Shannon v Belfast Harlequins.
May
Saturday - 6th: Semi-finals.
Saturday - 13th: Final.
