University College Dublin 1 and Dublin City University 2 have been crowned the first ever champions of the Student Sport Ireland / Tennis Ireland Team Tennis League, claiming the Division 1 and Division 2 titles respectively at Lansdowne Tennis Club on Tuesday, April 14th.
The competition — born out of growing appetite among students for collegiate tennis — sees teams compete across five rubbers: men’s and women’s singles and doubles, plus a mixed doubles match. League stages ran throughout the academic year, with Finals Day bringing the top four teams from each division together at the south Dublin venue.
Division 1: UCD 1 def. Trinity College Dublin, 3–1
UCD 1 secured the Division 1 title with a 3–1 victory over Trinity College Dublin in an exciting final. In the morning semi-finals, UCD 1 overcame UCD 2, while a Dublin derby saw Trinity College Dublin edge out DCU to book their place in the final.
The UCD squad: Rory Donohoe, James Brophy, Cameron Baguley, Orla O’Toole, Aisling O’Connor, Julianna Carton, Juliette O’Hanlon.
Division 2: DCU 2 def. University College Cork, 5–0
DCU 2 made a statement in Division 2, sweeping UCC 5–0 to claim the title in commanding fashion.
The DCU squad: Ailbhe MacAree, Muireann Ryle, Sophie Finn, David Gilca, Arran Coleman, Stefan Twomey, Laura Cottell.
Tennis Ireland Competitions and Officiating Manager Simon McFarland reflected on the significance of the occasion: “We are absolutely delighted to see the Inaugural University All Ireland League come to life, and I want to extend our sincere thanks to Student Sport Ireland for their vision and commitment in making this event a reality. Their dedication to growing university tennis across the island is truly commendable, and Tennis Ireland is proud to have been a part of this historic occasion. A special thank you goes out to Lansdowne Tennis Club for their hospitality in hosting the finals. We very much hope to see this competition grow in the years ahead, attracting more Universities and more tennis throughout the full University year.”
Tennis Ireland looks forward to building on this successful launch in the years ahead.
