Towns Cup returns with four Kildare clubs still involved
Athy's centre Darragh Farrell celebrates at the final whistle.
This coming Sunday, March 8th, is a huge day in the local rugby calendar as Round 2 of the prestigious Bank of Ireland Provincial Towns Cup gets underway all across the province.
Four Kildare clubs have made it safely through to the Last 16, with only one receiving a home draw while the other three will be on the road.
Reigning Towns Cup champions Athy were one of five teams awarded a bye in Round 1, while Navan coasted through the opening weekend with a 23-7 win over Edenderry.
Athy are staring down the barrel of relegation from the top tier of Leinster junior club rugby, and will see this competition as a chance to salvage their season.
Navan's first team play in the All-Ireland League, so it falls on their seconds to represent the club in the Towns Cup.
But Navan 2 will be slouches. The Meath club compete in the Leinster Metro League Premier 2, where they currently occupy top spot of Division 2 and come into this game off the back of a 12-point win away to Malahide.
Cill Dara had the perfect start to the 2026 Towns Cup, scoring seven tries on their way to a comprehensive 29-point win at home to Balbriggan.
Their hosts on the weekend, Dundalk, were in a similarly free-scoring mood when they touched down six times at home to Gorey to advance in the cup.
Cill Dara find themselves in fourth place in Division 2A of the Leinster League, suffering back-to-back defeats in their last two league outings.
Dundalk, meanwhile, are one rung above and currently top of Division 1B, making the Louth men significant favourites to move on to the quarter-finals.
Newbridge put five tries on the board on their way to a 31-15 win over Clondalkin first time out, while Portlaoise got the better of their Laois rivals Portarlington, squeaking through a 33-28 classic with a match-winning try at the death.
Newbridge will fancy their chances in Togher, coming into the game in third place in Division 2A, having won their last four games on the bounce.
Hosts Portlaoise will have their eye on an upset, however. They occupy second place one tier below Newbridge in Division 2B, but do so with a record of 12 wins and only one loss.
Six tries away to Ashbourne helped Naas through to Round 2, where they will play a Boyne side who were one of five teams to receive a bye in Round 1.
With Naas's first team playing AIL, the club are represent by their seconds in the prestigious Towns Cup. Naas 2 ply their trade in the Leinster Metro League Premier 2, where they currently occupy top spot of Division 1 with a remarkable record of 11 wins from 11.
Boyne, however, will go into the game as strong favourites, with the Drogheda club pulling up trees in Division 1A of the Leinster League and looking all but certain to clinch to title on the final weekend.
