In a club rich with Leinster Senior Cup triumphs, league titles, and international representation, the Bateman Cup remains the one major national honour that has yet to make its way into the Castle Avenue cabinet. And so, each season it reappears, the Cup becomes something more than silverware – it becomes a challenge, a motivation, and a reminder of the chapters still to be written.
2025: A New Opportunity at Castle Avenue
Now, the story cycles back again.
This Saturday, Clontarf welcomes Ballynahinch to Castle Avenue for the 2025 Bateman Cup Final – a chance to finally claim a trophy woven deep into the fabric of Irish rugby history. The Cup’s origins, its memorial significance, its provincial pride, and its national stature all converge once more on Clontarf’s doorstep.
It is an opportunity shaped by the past but entirely in the hands of the present.
The club’s relationship with the Bateman Cup is unfinished. And at 4pm on Saturday, the next chapter begins.