WEST Cork’s three representatives – Bandon, Clonakilty and Skibbereen – in Munster Rugby Junior League Division 1 get their 2025/26 campaigns underway this weekend, and all three clubs are looking to improve on last season.

On Saturday evening Clonakilty visit last year’s undefeated Division 2 champions Old Christians. The following day, a high-profile West Cork derby should attract a crowd to Skibbereen where the hosts take on Bandon.

Ahead of another gruelling campaign, here’s how the region’s top three clubs are shaping up.

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BANDON RFC

Only undefeated champions Thomond and second-placed Kilfeacle and District finished ahead of Bandon in last season’s Division 1 standings.

Naturally, the highest ranked West Cork junior rugby club is eager to build on an encouraging 2025. Drawing from a young squad once again this term, Bandon RFC’s Dan Murphy believes lessons learned over the past 12 months will benefit his club.

‘I suppose we are in a period of transition again,’ Murphy noted.

‘We are building with a very, very young team. They are a year older now. Hopefully, they will have learned from last year and be ready to build on that.

‘If we could finish in the top four again, that would be a great achievement. Every team starts out, as a first objective, to avoid relegation and we will be no different.’

Bandon warmed up for this weekend’s Division 1 opener away to Skibbereen with a pre-season 29-5 County Cup semi-final win over their West Cork rivals, having accounted for Clonakilty, 10-8, in the previous round.

As for underage, Bandon’s 2025 U18.5 Pan Munster Cup success, Bandon Grammar’s Munster Schools’ Junior Cup triumph and Hamilton High’s U19 Mungret Cup final win bodes well for the club’s immediate and long-term future.

Relishing their West Cork derbies against both Clonakilty and Skibbereen, Dan Murphy believes all three regional sides benefit from facing one another at Division 1 level.

‘Nowadays, West Cork rugby is spoken very highly of throughout Munster,’ Murphy added.

‘We are proud of what we are doing here in Bandon. I have no doubt that Skibbereen, Clonakilty, Kinsale, Dunmanway and Bantry are the same and what they are doing within their clubs as well. That augurs well for the province.

‘Those games will be crackers, they always are and there is normally only a score between the teams. I would expect the same when we meet again this season.’

Verdict: Backed by a conveyor belt of emerging talent from their underage academy, there is no reason Régis Sonnes’ side cannot improve upon last season’s third place finish. Don’t rule out deeper cup runs either.

Management team: Régis Sonnes (head coach), Mike Straight, Santiago Gonzalez, Alan O’Connell (assistant coaches), Guillermo Castex (strength and conditioning coach), Timmy Crowley, Fintan O’Mahony, Jason Roberts and Dan Murphy.

Captain: Padraig Galvin.

Last season: Munster Division 1 (third), Munster Junior Clubs Challenge Cup (semi-finals), Munster Junior Cup (round three).

Bandon head coach Régis Sonnes is one of the best in the business.

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CLONAKILTY RFC

A disappointing 2024/25 season, to put it mildly, was saved when Thomond’s promotion from the junior ranks ensured second-from-bottom Clonakilty avoided relegation to Division 2.

Hope springs eternal at Shannonvale’s upgraded facilities however, as a youthful squad looks to bounce back. There is certainly enough raw material within Clon’s ranks to improve.

So, turning narrow defeats into victories will be essential if another brush with relegation is to be avoided.

‘Look, last year was a tough one and there is no getting away from that,’ Clon RFC’s Courtney Canning admitted.

‘Thomond winning out is what saved us in the end. We have a young squad and lost a lot of our games within a seven-point margin last year – that was a real learning curve for the lads.’

It will be more or less the same Clonakilty squad that takes to the field on Saturday evening for their Division 1 opener at Old Christians. But last season’s experiences, good and bad, should stand to Maurice Downey’s squad as a new campaign gets underway.

‘Our squad hasn’t changed much, but we’re a year older and a year wiser,’ Canning stated.

‘The big thing is that they are a fiercely honest group, and we are hoping to turn some of those close games from last year into wins this time around.

‘Look, this league is cutthroat. It’s a physical, physical league. Clonakilty sometimes struggles a little bit in that regard because we are so young. There’s a lot of learning in this division and the games come thick and fast.

‘Unfortunately, when momentum gets on the wrong side of you, it’s a hard thing to stop. We see ourselves going into a lot of this year’s games as underdogs. We’re a tight-knit group though and, look, we’ll be trying to use that to our advantage.’

Verdict: The only way is up at junior level for a West Cork club with a thriving underage set-up. Clon’s home form, where both Bandon and Skibb will visit Shannonvale, will be crucial.

Management team: Maurice Downey (head coach), Michael Peter O’Regan (forwards coach), Paul Dillon (attacking coach), Kieran Howlin (strength and conditioning coach), Courtney Canning (Head of Adult Men’s Rugby).

Captain: David Jennings.

Last season: Munster Division 1 (13th), Munster Junior Clubs Challenge Cup (quarter-finals), Munster Junior Cup (round three).

David Jennings will captain Clonakilty RFC this season. (Photo: Clonakilty RFC)

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SKIBBEREEN RFC

Continuing to improve the West Cork club’s structure will be as important as developing the next generation of Skibbereen adult players in the coming season, according to team manager PJ Dinan.

‘There are a lot of youngsters coming through and other fellas have committed a bit earlier, so things are going well enough so far anyway,’ Dinan commented.

‘For the first time in about 12 years, we are fielding a Skibbereen seconds team – we are building the club, slowly but surely.

‘We have already played two Munster County Cup games, beating Clonakilty in the first round before losing to Bandon. I know you can’t read too much into pre-season but we were pretty decent against Clon and fielded eight U20s against Bandon.

‘It is a very, very young Skibbereen squad but it was good to throw fellas in and give them an experience of what Junior Division 1 rugby is going to be like.’

Leading the charge for the 2025/26 season will be Skibbereen captain David Shannon, who was the joint-second-highest try scorer (12 tries) in last year’s Division 1 League. Talk about a tough start – the first visitors to Skibb will be West Cork rivals Bandon on the opening weekend.

‘Our first league match is at home to Bandon and that will double up with the Jimmy Kingston Cup as well. Everyone in the club is looking forward to it,’ PJ Dinan confirmed.

‘In terms of our season’s goals, we have already discussed them and, quite frankly, they are to win our home games.

‘After that, with a bit of luck, you never know what might happen. We are cognisant of the fact that this is a hugely competitive league. Everybody is looking to improve on last year. It’s so competitive, it’s very hard to kind of predict at the start of the season how it’s all going to go.

‘It is literally taking things one game at a time, setting out to win our home games, making Skibbereen a fortress where no one wants to play, and see where that takes us.’

Verdict: Similar to Clonakilty, Skibbereen must turn last season’s narrow losses into victories to secure a top-half finish.

Management team: Will Canavan (head coach), PJ Dinan (team manager), Brian Scott (forwards coach).

Captain: David Shannon.

Last season: Munster Division 1 (11th), Munster Junior Clubs Challenge Cup (round one), Munster Junior Cup (round three).