Member Profile - Noel Devlin

This weeks members profile is Noel Devlin. The Devlin family are a huge part of the club and Noel is currently involved with the Senior Mens teams, underage teams as well as being the Club CCRO for the schools in Kilkenny and he also finds time to organise the teenage discos which are such a huge source of funding for our club and have allowed us to develop our facilities to what they are today. That is a huge workload for the club and it is no surprise then that Noel won last seasons Enda Cantwell 'Club Member of the Year' award at our Dinner Dance and Awards night. A big thank you to Noel for all you do for our club.

When and how did you join Kilkenny Rugby Football Club?

Initially I started playing when I was 14 with the late and great Tom Halpin being my 1st coach. After that it was with my son Ben who started playing at the age of 4 & I got drafted into coaching and have been ever present since then 24 yrs later coaching various teams and involved in the club.

What is your proudest moment of being a member of Kilkenny RFC?

Personally my proudest moment was when my two sons Ben and Ned were playing together for the first team. Also when Ben won the Provincial Towns Cup in 2022 with Kilkenny RFC 1sts.

I also get a great sense of achievement seeing players I have coached that have come through our Mini / Youth Pathway going on to play senior rugby for Kilkenny. Being awarded the Enda Cantwell ‘Club member of the year’ award last year was also a very proud moment for myself.

I’m really enjoying the buzz within the club at the moment with the players, we have a great Committee behind the scenes doing the unseen work and a huge number of volunteers within the club at the moment, all working to make this club a club for future generations.

What are your ambitions for Kilkenny Rugby for this season?

For the club going forward I as the Club Community Rugby Officer (CCRO) would like to see more people playing Rugby and being involved in a great club environment at Kilkenny RFC. I want to see our Minis and Youths teams develop, grow, and evolve with the club and for our Senior Women & Mens teams to gain promotion and continue to strive to improve.

I also run the club teenage discos which I set up in 2012 and I hope we continue to see this thrive and we continue to get the great support we get from our club volunteers and from the parents and guardians of the kids who go to the discos. It is an absolute critical fundraiser for the club and it allows us the offer the great facilities that we have.