Children's Talk: Ireland's Call

There's something happening in England at the minute, with lots of countries involved. Does anyone know what it is? It's the rugby world cup. I've brought along a rugby ball. So which team are you supporting? England? Wales? Scotland? Ireland?

Lots of support for Ireland - I've brought along my Ireland shirt to show who I'm supporting. Now does anyone know the song that they sing before they play their matches? It's Ireland's Call. Can anyone sing it?

Here's how the chorus goes:

Ireland, Ireland, together standing tall;
shoulder to shoulder we'll answer Ireland's call.

And here's the video of them singing is before the match against Canada:


There's a line in it that sounds a little bit strange. Shoulder to shoulder? When the cameraman pans along the team, their shoulders aren't all beside each other. Some are big and tall, others are lean and short. They're beside each other, but their shoulders aren't all at the same level. Now why is that?

It's because a rugby team needs different sorts of players. You need hefty, strong players to go into the scrum, to push forward and beat the other team's scrum. But if everyone was the same size as your front row, they might not be very good at playing in the backs. In the same way, you need small, fast runners to play at the back. But if everyone was like that, your scrum wouldn't be very strong.

Each position needs something different. Each player is different, but they all work together to make a good rugby team. It's the same in your school teams, whether it's hockey or netball or football - everyone works together with different roles. It's also the same as your body - you have eyes, ears, hands, toes, heart, lungs and lots more besides. They're all different, but they all work together to give you life.

In the Bible we see the same thing: 'Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.' (Romans 12:4-6)

You might be different to other people in your class or in church, but God has made you for a special job, something that only you can do, as you join with people who are different to make up the one team, the one body. We can be shoulder to shoulder as we answer God's call.

This Children's Talk was shared at a School Assembly in Maguiresbridge Primary School last week.

Wallace Busted by BRA

This year is not to be The Wallace High School's year for the Schools Cup, despite a brave show in today's semi final against Belfast Royal Academy. The game ended 16-12 in BRA's favour, with an exciting finish as they ran out worthy winners.

Playing into the sun in the first half at Ravenhill, Wallace gained a surprisingly large lead, with two tries and one conversion. Despite BRA looking the stronger side, they only managed one penalty to end up at halftime with Wallace leading by 12-3.

Those twelve points were all Wallace would score as the second half appeared to be mostly encamped in the Wallace half, their defence under siege for most of the time, and the BRA pressure paid off. BRA's strength was on show, whereas the Wallace players seemed to struggle with cramp later in the game. Another two penalties meant that it was 12-9 in the last five minutes, but BRA always
looked like scoring. The pressure paid off with a converted try with two minutes left on the clock. Wallace failed to regroup and push for the needed try in those last two minutes, and BRA gained their ticket to the final on St Patrick's Day with a solid performance. Their supporters, who had been silent all day finally came to life right at the end, but still they were fairly quiet.

All in all a good game of rugby, a fair performance by Wallace, but BRA deserved to win. All the best to them in the final against either Methody or Ballymena Academy.

Esperance

That word is the school motto of my old school. It was emblazoned on our blazers, just one word: hope.

Hope is high today. It's the Semi-Final of the Schools' Cup at Ravenhill later this afternoon. Wallace take on Belfast Royal Academy (BRA). Let's hope the lads from Lisburn can make it through to the St Patrick's Day final. Could this be our year?

Esperance!

Wallace still without the School's Cup

It is with great sadness that I report on the rugby game at Ravenhill this afternoon. The Schools Cup Final of 2007. Wallace out for their first win, and RBAI out for their 29th victory. It was a wild and stormy day, with some rain showers... and very cold on the terraces!

In the first half, Inst got a try in the 13th minute, and that was the scoring done. Wallace's defence holding them well. Sadly, not so much forward movement for Wallace.

In the second half, Wallace put together some good moves, but the passing failed them... and when they ran forward, they always ran into the brick wall of Inst's defence. There was simply no way through for Wallace, yet the valiantly kept trying. However, Inst piled on the pressure, getting a penalty, and towards the end converted a try to bring the 15-0 scoreline.

So, from a blustery Ravenhill, it was disappointment for Wallace High School, and victory (yet again) for the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.

Return home

I'm now back home again from my latest travelling - having got in shortly after midnight last night. There was some fierce winds on the motorway on the way up, but I got home all the same.

Yesterday I was travelling via the bus and then the plane... so I saw the first 60 minutes of the Ireland game and nothing after that. So imagine my puzzlement when I got to the security area at Edinburgh Airport, and the security guy starts a whole big chat about the rugby, and saying how disappointing it had been for us with the controversial late try... [I must point out that I was wearing my Ireland rugby shirt at the time... he wasn't just randomly talking to strangers]. I hadn't heard about the France game at all - other than they had won and took the Championship. So the guy had to explain the whole thing, and told me he didn't think it was a try at all!

The flight was quite rough, both in taking off, and in landing due to the heavy rain and winds about last night... so I was glad to be touching down at Dublin.

It being Mothering Sunday, we're heading out for dinner later on... yum yum!

Later on - if I remember - I'll write up the 26 Councils Challenge...

Schools Cup Final!

Just a quick posting because I had forgotten to blog about it a few days ago. I'm glad to hear that my old school, The Wallace High School are through to the (rugby) Schools Cup Final again! Having seen off Portora last week, they're now gearing up for a final appearance against RBAI (more commonly known as Belfast Inst) on Monday. The final, as always, will be played at Ravenhill, the home of Ulster Rugby, and I think starts at 3pm on Monday.

Let's hope they can do it this time - from what I can remember, they made it to the final the year before I started Wallace, but they lost; and then lost again in the Semi-Final in my last year at school. They were also in the final about four years ago (I was living in Newtownstewart that year), and lost that time too.

So come on Wallace, and win!!!

Esperance.