Please be advised that the 2nd XV fixture against Gloucester, scheduled to take place this Saturday (23 August) at Sunbury, has been cancelled. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.



'RETURN OF THE CRAIC'

London Irish will kick off the new rugby season by throwing a massive party at the Madejski Stadium for their first home game against Gloucester on Sunday, 21st September (KO 3pm).

The Exiles' players and supporters are eagerly anticipating the return of rugby to the Madejski Stadium after the summer break. In addition to the big match a full afternoon of family entertainment is guaranteed on the 21st when the Craic returns to the Madejski! A live open air concert will start at 12noon and continue after the match. The stars of the stage will be Le Chéile and riverway, with a special guest appearance by Fame Academy's Malachi. 

Guinness are bringing along extra trailers to keep the grown ups happy, while a bouncy castle and face painters will entertain the kids! The Dunlop Academy of Irish Dance will be performing during the afternoon and Digger the Irish Wolfhound will be trying to get back on form as he trains for the Mascot Grand National!

Pat Coyne, Commercial Director of London Irish, comments: "We're celebrating the start of our fourth season at the Madejski with a traditional London Irish party! We're trying to smash last season's attendance records and are planning a huge game (both on and off the pitch) against Gloucester. The atmosphere should be fantastic on the 21st and I'm sure our established fans and lots of new ones will come down to support the team and enjoy the Craic!"

For Ticket Information click here.



CAN YOU HELP LONDON IRISH???

We are looking for supporters who can display posters at their rugby club, pub or place of work. The posters are A3 in size (as seen above) and will be produced for each game. Additionally, we are also distributing our NEW Canterbury poster, which was revealed at the shirt launch.

Our database of helpers is growing but we are always looking to increase the distribution of London Irish posters to spead the word about the Exiles! If you can help then please contact David Law on 01932 750 102 or e-mail david.law@london-irish.com with your address.

AN INTERVIEW WITH .....

This week is the turn of Darren Edwards.  We are looking for your burning questions to ask the players, and next week Delon Armitage will be interviewed.  To see this week's interview and how you can ask questions visit the NEW look London Irish website.



ULSTER & LONDON IRISH BACK INTEGRATED EDUCATION

Ulster Rugby and Zurich Premiership side London Irish will clash in Belfast on Friday, 29 August for a special charity benefit match. The Integrated Education Fund (IEF) in Northern Ireland is set to receive a major cash boost from the match, following the Ulster Branch decision to donate the gate receipts and proceeds of a post-match corporate event to the charity.

Trevor Ringland and Hugo MacNeill, both Ireland and British Lions representatives, are putting their weight behind the game. Former Ulster winger and 34 times capped Ireland International, Trevor said "We must bring our children together at as early an age as possible, whether through an integrated or integrating education system. In Northern Ireland, educating children apart simply does not make sense."

37 times capped Hugo MacNeill said "I was struck by the recent study which showed that some children in Northern Ireland are expressing sectarian statements as early as the age of five or six. I have seen the great work that Co-operation Ireland, the Ireland Funds and other groups are doing to try and disentangle strains of prejudice between people of all ages, many of which are based on fear and ignorance. Bringing children together at an early age helps prevent these weeds of sectarianism and misunderstanding from growing in the first place."

The IEF, a charitable trust, provides a financial foundation for the development and growth of integrated education in Northern Ireland and to date has raised and allocated over £6million in grants to schools, parents groups and other organisations.

Tickets for the match are available from Ulster Rugby, Ravenhill Park, Belfast, priced at: £10.00 adult stand, £8.00 child stand, £8.00 adult ground, £4.00 child ground. Please call 02890 649141 to book.
 

THE BLARNEY

Over 5,000 people have currently subscribed to the Blarney; do you forward this to your mates? Or do you print it out and pass it around? Well, why not provide us with their e-mail address so that they can receive their own personal copy. E-mail Jon Salinger (jon.salinger@london-irish.com) with e-mail addresses. Let us try and spread the word of London Irish to a much greater audience.