The men’s and women’s All Ireland Rugby League Grand Finals will be settled tomorrow (Saturday) in a double header at Dubarry Park in Athlone. 

In the women’s, defending champions Dublin City Exiles will face fierce rivals and perennial challengers Galway Tribes.

Since the introduction of the women’s championship, the Exiles have reigned supreme and fought off challenges from the Tribes and Banbridge Broncos, however, this season the gap has closed between the top two involved, with both picking up victories at home.

In the men’s, Galway Tribes will be looking to rebound from the disappointment of last year’s Grand Final loss to Banbridge Broncos when they take on the four time All Ireland champions Longhorns. 

For the Tribes it is a chance to claim their third title which will draw them level with the Dublin City Exiles, while Longhorns will have their eyes set on a fifth crown, drawing them closer to Treaty City Titans who hold eight titles. 

The Longhorns’ route to the final has seen them lose just one game in the regular season, to the Broncos, leaving them top of the table heading into the playoffs. Facing their arch rivals, Dublin City Exiles in the semi-finals they earned their spot in the decider with a hard fought 26-20 victory, while the Tribes overcame Banbridge 30-0 in theirs. 

Jim Reynolds, chair of Rugby League Ireland, commented: “All Ireland Grand Finals day is upon us and with the promise of two very exciting games in prospect. As seems to be with most Irish sports this year, we see Dublin based teams against their Galway based rivals in both women’s and men’s - East Coast versus West Coast! We look forward to a great day of competition, catching up with friends, and celebrating the best of our domestic game.”

All Ireland Grand Finals

Women’s
Dublin City Exiles -v- Galway Tribes (kick off 1pm) 

Men’s
Longhorns RL -v- Galway Tribes (kick off 3pm)