An Riocht Social Sevens

Already this year, there have been entries confirmed from six of the nine Ulster counties and once again there will be several All Ireland medallists on show. The event is run along similar lines to the highly successful An Riocht juvenile tournaments which attract teams from all four provinces and overseas throughout the summer. Teams are placed in groups of five over eight shortened pitches at Dunavil and each is guaranteed a minimum four group games plus at least one knock-out game. The action gets underway from 2pm with the final games scheduled for 7pm. Teas and sandwiches, burgers and soup will be on sale all day. Entry to the An Riocht Social Sevens is £50 per panel of 10 players which includes hot supper and admission to evening entertainment with DJ McGiggs. Social Football is a relatively new activity and has replaced Masters Football in prolonging players’ involvement with the national game. The one obvious difference is of course there is no lower age limit for social football. The Ulster Council GAA are promoting Social Gaelic Football tournaments as part of a drive to engage those club members who don’t feature for club senior or reserve teams in competitive leagues. More than likely this group consists of over 35s but basically anyone who wants to play for a bit of fun and enjoyment and wants to keep fit can participate. Two major rules govern the playing of social football: only incidental contact is permitted (basically no shouldering so the risk of injury is reduced) and players are restricted to two touches (solo and bounce). The main focus of the game is taking part and no one is really too bothered about the results of the games. The feedback from the players taking part is that they like the opportunity to meet up with past team mates and opponents, in this environment, on a frequent basis. Social GAA can be a great opportunity for past players to keep active and involved in Gaelic Games at a friendly, social level and frequent events are run throughout the year. It is also an effective way for past players to become reacquainted with their clubs and as a result some have actually got involved in coaching underage teams through Social GAA. The term ‘past player’ can cover a huge spectrum from those players who fell away after U16 or Minor to those who played competitively into their forties. For more information or to play in this tournament please contact An Riocht by telephone on 028 4176 3681 or by email at kingdom@anriocht.com as soon as possible.]]>