UK Student Archery Association

Four points decide IIVL thriller [01/May/11]

Dublin City University (DCU) snatched the Irish Inter Varsity League title from under the noses of the city rivals University College Dublin (UCD) with Limerick not too far behind in third. The Irish IVL is decided on aggregate across the six match season and DCU finished with the wafer thin winning margin of 4 points, or 0.03%, having been well off the pace at half way.

Quick reminder the Irish IVL legs scores are teams of 5, with up to a maximum of 1 compound. Compounds shoot a Vegas, recurves shoot a FITA and barebows shoot a Portsmouth. Beginner recurves shoot a Portsmouth until they break 400, when they move on to the FITA.

DCU, UCD and Limerick hit the ground running in the first leg at UCD back in November, all shooting low 2500s, but all within 20 points of one another. One week later, at DCU, home advantage did not tell as Limerick and UCD both shot 2580s with DCU back on 2526. In the third leg, at NUI Galway in Feburary, Limerick and UCD started to stretch out a lead, scoring 2525 as DCU slipped to 2415. At the half way mark, Limerick and UCD were making it a two horse race on 7617 and 7615, with DCU a full 150 points behind.

The last three legs of the IVL season were held over 4 weekends. The fourth leg saw a dramatic reversal of fortune for Limerick as they could only post 2294, as against 2471 from UCD and 2509 from DCU. This result suddenly left UCD on 10,086, over 100 clear of DCU's 9972 with Limerick on 9911. With a 114 point lead to defend and two legs left to defend it, UCD were not home and dry by any means, as DCU won the fifth leg by 63 from UCD, with Limerick in third. With one leg to go, UCD were on 12,555, with DCU, having won the last two legs decisively on 12,504. Limerick were hosting the last leg, but, on 12,341, needed a swing in excess of 200.

Limerick did in fact win the sixth and final leg of the season with 2509, but it wasn't enough to put more than token pressure on UCD and DCU. Limerick have now been medallists in eight of the ten Irish IVL seasons so far. Only a costly fourth leg at Galway-Mayo IT prevented them from adding to their only championship win, the very first IIVL back in 2001/02.

UCD (champions in 2008) needed to finish within 51 points of DCU (winner the last 2 seasons) and the result went right down to the wire. DCU notched 2472 but UCD could only manage 2417 as they fell agonisingly 4 points short. DCU picked up their third IVL championship, really hitting form in late season, having been 153 points adrift at the half way stage. For UCD, this is their fourth time as runners up. Final totals were DCU with 14,976, UCD with 14,972 and Limerick with 14,850.

A total of 14 institutions shot in the 2010/11 Irish IVL, with eight fielding full teams in every leg. NUI Galway were fourth for most of the season on 14,243 with Dublin IT (DIT) fifth on 13,376.

Individually, Peter Cummings (Ulster) narrowly beat David Kennefick (DIT) to top gent recurve, the pair well clear of their nearest challengers, as was top lady recurve Ines Rauch (UCD). Harry Lyster (DIT) was top compound. Full results can be seen on the Intervarsity pages of UCD site.

Past Irish IVL winners: Limerick (2002), Galway-Mayo IT (2003), Dublin IT (2004 - 2007 inc.), UC Dublin (2008), Dublin City (2009-2011 inc.).