Feast of festive rugby fun on Boxing Day

Manx Bowl decider on 9 Jan

With just one fixture remaining in the Trophy & Bowl competitions, Isle of Man rugby will take a welcome for the Christmas period with the next competitive fixture scheduled for 9 Jan between Vagabonds Hornets and Ramsey B, which will finally resolve the destination of the Manx Bowl. There is however a feast of festive fun for rugby minded people and this all begins on Boxing Day. 

Castletown
Castletown's annual Christmas game is the Chris Scott Memorial. It will be played at Poulsom Park on Boxing Day kicking off at 12pm. There’ll be charity collection buckets doing the rounds and everyone is welcome regardless of playing background.
 
Port Erin
Just down the road a little from Castletown is Nomad’s Field of Dreams at Ballakilley. Their annual Christmas game is an Over 30 v Under 30 format and this kicks off at 1pm. At 12:30pm there’s also a touch rugby format game on the adjacent pitch. The main event is restricted to over 17s. There’ll be refreshments afterwards at The Station Hotel. If you’re not interested in the rugby, you can still turn up and have a skeet at what they’ve done with the field.
 
Ballafletcher
Vagabonds will be hosting the annual Paul Cleland Memorial at their Ballafletcher Ground. As always, they’ll be taking on a Farmers Team. Afterwards there’ll be the usual fund and frolics in the clubhouse with the incomparable Jim Nicholson raising funds for charity. This year the money will be split between Dodie Weir’s Motor Neurone Disease appeal and the Hyperbaric Chamber.
 
From Boxing Day we swiftly move on to 30 December where a combined Ramsey/Vagabonds Under 15 side take on Southern Nomads Under 15. Kick-off is scheduled for 6pm.
 
Ramsey
Finally, on 2 January at the Mooragh Park it’s the annual Front Row Challenge. This year, Jim Nicholson’s team of Front Row forwards will take on Vagabonds Ladies with kick off scheduled for 2pm. The game will be non-contact and anyone turning up will get a game. Refreshments and fund-raising will be afterwards at The Plough Hotel in Parliament Street. The funds raised will be added to the Farmers Boxing Day collection and split the same way.
 
Fixtures
26th December
Castletown Presidents XV v Captains XV @ Poulsom Park kick-off 12pm
Nomads Under 30 v Nomads Over 30 @ Ballakilley ko 1pm
Vagabonds v Farmers @ Ballafletcher ko 2pm
 
30 December

Ramsey/Vagabonds U15 v Southern Nomads U15 @ Ballafletcher ko 6pm
 
2 January

Jim Nicholson All Stars v Vagabonds Ladies @ Mooragh Park ko 2pm