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16-04-2012 Bonus points proved crucial as Bann promoted
Bann coach Daniel Soper was elated when the promotion was finally confirmed. "The boys have worked hard throughout the season," he said amid the on-pitch celebrations. "Ok the last three games didn't work out as we'd planned, but even in defeat we kept on picking up bonus points and those proved crucial in the end.
"There are a lot of young guys in the squad and they'll continue to improve so we have no worries about being competitive in Division 2A. That defeat in last season's promotion play-off hurt a lot, but the guys responded in the right way, working hard to improve their skill and fitness levels and they fully deserve this promotion."
02-04-2012 Frustrating defeat sets up tense finale
For the second successive week Banbridge failed to register the win that would have sealed promotion to Division 2A of the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League.
It was another frustrating day for Bann coach Daniel Soper. "The refereeing of the set scrum made it difficult for us," he reflected. "But that was only one of a number of factors that saw us lose the game. Our ball retention was poor and we've work to do at our rucking.
26-03-2012 Barnhall deny Bann in promotion race
When Banbridge sailed into a 17-3 lead after just 15 minutes of play, the home supporters must have been looking forward to a bonus point win and, depending on results elsewhere, a night of celebrating promotion.
20-03-2012 Bann maintain winning form ahead of Barnhall visit
Banbridge followed up their two-point win over Belfast Harlequins with a fifth Ulster League success, despatching Malone deservedly on a three-two try count.
12-03-2012 McAllister kicks late winner at Deramore
A Clark McAllister penalty two minutes from full time gave Banbridge their fourth win this season in the Ulster Senior League, as well as registering Bann's first ever win against Belfast Harlequins at Senior level.
06-03-2012 Bann prevail in see-saw struggle
Bann took another big step towards securing promotion with a hard-fought bonus point victory in Clifden on Saturday. And with a last minute try giving Cashel victory against third placed Barnhall, the Rifle Park side are now nine points clear of the chasing pack, with three matches remaining.
26-02-2012 Below par Bann ship seven to 'Gannon
Banbridge's Ulster League form continued in stark contrast to their showing in the All-Ireland League as they shipped seven tries to a Dungannon side that looks set to clinch the provincial title.
The home side had all the early pressure and Simon McKinstry's 5th minute try, converted by Brendan Ward, was no more than they deserved.
22-02-2012 Bann shut out Sligo to maintain winning form
Banbridge's drive for promotion was given further momentum by Saturday's fourth successive bonus point win, with Sligo becoming the latest side to fall victim to the Rifle Park outfit.
06-02-2012 Bann stay second with 5-try win in Sutton
A third successive bonus point win for Banbridge consolidated their second place position in Division 2A of the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League.
30-01-2012 Bann up to second with win in Nenagh
Banbridge defied the ground conditions to pick up an unlikely bonus point win at Nenagh, a result which for the first time this season hoisted them into a promotion place in Division 2B of the All-Ireland League.
23-01-2012 Bann score seven past Wesley
Banbridge won the last of three mid-season friendlies in emphatic style, running in seven unconverted tries at Donnybrook in their final outing before the All-Ireland League programme resumes.
05-01-2012 Returning players show promise in Shaw's Bridge win
After the excitement of Banbridge's Senior Cup final game against Ballymena nearly three weeks earlier, this Ulster League match at Shaw's Bridge was always going to be a low-key affair. Both teams fielded well short of full strength but it was Banbridge who showed up the better in the early stages, with their attacks demonstrating the greater cohesion and bite.
15-12-2011 Bann defeated in Senior Cup Final
Banbridge left Ravenhill with their heads high following their defeat in last Wednesday's First Trust Senior Cup final. Feelings of intense pride were mixed with bitter disappointment as they reflected on a performance that will have impressed the considerable crowd who came along to see if the underdogs were capable of causing an upset.
12-12-2011 Rampant Bann climb to third with nine-try victory
An injury-ravaged, possession-starved Ards side was no match for a rampant Bann outfit, whose nine-try win hoisted them into third place in Division 2B of the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League.
05-12-2011 Bann dominant in Hatrick Park win
Rainey's unbeaten record in Division 2B of the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League was terminated decisively on their own patch last Saturday by a Banbridge team with their thoughts still on a promotion spot.
28-11-2011 Boyne inflict blow to Bann's league hopes
The euphoria generated by Bann's Senior Cup semi-final win over Instonians the previous weekend was blown away in Drogheda on Saturday, not by the strong wind that blew down the Shamrock Lodge pitch, but by a mix of their own ineptitude and the efforts of a hard-working Boyne side showing all the energy, enthusiasm and spirit to be expected from a side newly-promoted to the senior ranks.
21-11-2011 Bann sweep aside Inst to reach first Senior Cup Final
Banbridge ruthlessly swept aside the challenge of Instonians to claim a place in the final of the First Trust Senior Cup for the first time in their history.
Last season the Belfast side had recorded a 39-8 win over Bann en-route to winning promotion out of the bottom tier of the All-Ireland League. But on Saturday the team they had left behind in the AIL competition hit them for six in the provincial cup, clocking up three tries in each half to rightly claim their place opposite Ballymena in the Ravenhill showpiece final.
15-11-2011 Bann narrowly edged out by Hinch
Ballynahinch travelled to Rifle Park boasting the best record of all twelve Ulster teams competing in the All-Ireland League. They duly recorded a win in this Ulster League game, and probably deserved to, but they were pressed right to the end by the improving home side.
08-11-2011 Ward hat-trick helps Bann to win over Naas
A hat-trick of tries from Brendan Ward set Banbridge on their way to a comprehensive win over Naas, a result which lifts them into third place in Division 2B of the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League.
01-11-2011 Banbridge up to fourth after bonus point win in Cork
An impressive first half display which saw them run in a bonus point-winning four tries earned Banbridge a third win in four All-Ireland League starts.
26-10-2011 Bann in Senior Cup Semis after win over Armagh
Banbridge earned their place in the semi-final of the Ulster Senior Cup by repeating their All-Ireland League win over neighbours Armagh.
18-10-2011 Pack power Bann to AIL victory over Armagh
Banbridge held out against a battling Armagh side to record their second win from three games in the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League.
10-10-2011 Misfiring Bann manage losing bonus point in Cashel
Newly promoted Cashel followed up their opening day success at Suttonians by turning over Banbridge in their first All-Ireland home game.
Bann had just missed out on promotion last season, but this was a pale shadow of the side that had run Old Crescent so close in the end-of-season promotion play-off.
04-10-2011 Pack power Bann to opening AIL win
Banbridge put their indifferent Ulster League form behind them to get their Ulster Bank League campaign off to a winning start.
But it was a far from vintage performance by the home side with a late interception try giving Navan a sniff of victory in the dying minutes. However Bann held firm to get the win warranted by a steamrolling forward display that had the Navan eight in increasing bother as the game progressed.
26-09-2011 Bann narrowly defeated ahead of start of AIL
Newly-promoted Armagh edged home in this Ulster League game, the last for both teams before the start of the All-Ireland League this Saturday. The match had an added interest, coming as it did just three weeks before the sides meet again at Rifle Park in the AIL, the result of which will be of greater importance to both clubs.
19-09-2011 Ten try Bann register first Ulster League win
Banbridge and Ards went into this Ulster League game both looking for their first win of the season. But it was clear from the opening exchanges why the North Down side had already shipped heavy defeats as Bann began to run up the points at the rate of close to one a minute.
05-09-2011 Late Queens scores deny Bann
Bann went down to the second defeat of their Ulster League campaign after running out of steam in the final quarter hour of their home game against Queen's.
Coach Daniel Soper was again forced to select from a squad severely hit by injury and unavailability, but the student ranks were similarly depleted. So it was to the credit of both sides that they put on an entertaining first half, the spectators being treated to a total of six tries with Bann finishing the half on the right side of a 25-22 scoreline.
30-08-2011 Bann lose league opener in Derry
On an afternoon at Judges Road when the rain was never far away, a greasy ball combined with early season player rustiness to make this an error-strewn and at times fractious start to the provincial senior league programme.
02-05-2011 Bitter disappointment for Bann
A drop goal two minutes from the end of normal time ended Bann's promotion dream at Old Crescent on Saturday.
It was a cruel way to lose out, but having taken a 6-15 lead into the break, the Rifle Park side's failure to add to their tally after the interval had left them vulnerable against an Old Crescent team that wouldn't give up.
25-04-2011 Bann make Gannon fight for Stevenson Park win
In any other season this end-of-term Ulster League game would have been of little consequence to a Banbridge side which had completed its All-Ireland League programme.
But with the promotion play-off just ten days away the Bann coaches and supporters were keen to see how their side measured up against a team from the higher Divisions.
18-04-2011 Late Thompson penalty secures win over Seapoint
Banbridge will travel to Limerick for their Ulster Bank League promotion play-off buoyed by a hard-earned success over Seapoint in the last league game of the season.
The South Dublin side travelled to Rifle Park looking for the win that would see them lift the Division Three title in their first season of senior rugby. And cheered on by the two bus-loads of supporters who had travelled north in expectation of a title-winning performance, they looked to be edging home as the game went into injury time.
11-04-2011 Bann guarantee promotion playoff with bonus point win
A second successive bonus point win in Saturday's postponed Ulster Bank League game guaranteed Banbridge a promotion play-off at the end of the month.
Bann went into the match knowing that they needed five points to put them beyond the reach of Rainey and Nenagh but their nervous supporters had to wait until five minutes from the end for the all-important fourth try.
07-04-2011 Bann keep in running with win at Naas
Banbridge picked up the bonus point win they needed at Naas to keep alive their hopes of promotion from Division Three of the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League.
Rainey also recorded a five pointer at home to Wanderers, but Bann know that another bonus-point win this Saturday, when they host Highfield, will guarantee them a play-off against the bottom team in Division Two.
23-03-2011 Bann lose Ulster League tie to Quins
Despite enjoying parity of possession in this Ulster League game, Banbridge succumbed on a 3-1 try count, with the greater pace and superior support play of visitors Belfast Harlequins earning them the points.
09-03-2011 Carson brace earns Bann third Ulster League win
Banbridge picked up their third Ulster League win of the season, scoring four tries against AIL Division Two side Malone in Belfast to secure the bonus point.
In well-nigh perfect conditions both teams took every opportunity to run the ball, but Bann always had the edge, with a solid display by the pack providing the foundation for a fully-deserved win.
01-03-2011 Bann's promotion hopes suffer severe setback
Banbridge's hopes of a top four finish in Division Three of the Ulster Bank League suffered a severe dent when they went down to an Instonians side obviously intent on showing that their tanking the previous week at Greystones was an aberration.
22-02-2011 Late Cromie score keeps Bann in the hunt
Banbridge produced another late, late show to snatch victory out of the grasp of visitors Nenagh in last weekends Ulster Bank League game.
A ferocious defensive display by the Tipperary side, together with the boot of out-half David Devaney, appeared to have the visitors on course for success as the game went into the dying minutes with them nursing an 11-14 lead.
14-02-2011 Bann cling onto fifth after six-try win
After a fitful first half, in which it was at times difficult to know which team had promotion ambitions and which was struggling near the bottom of Division Three, Banbridge came good in the second period to pick up a maximum haul of points from this Ulster Bank League game at Ards.
10-02-2011 Bann drop to fifth following defeat to Rainey
An intercept try 20 minutes from no-side settled this Ulster Bank All-Ireland League game played at Rifle Park on Saturday. It capped a fine individual display by Rainey full-back Mark O'Connor, the scorer of all his side's points.
31-01-2011 Thompson leads late fightback to deny Greystones
Banbridge are making a habit out of producing dramatic finales to their Ulster Bank All-Ireland League games this season.
Three tries in the final 15 minutes earned them a bonus-point win at Wanderers and in their last AIL outing at Rifle Park, Dale Carson's last-minute try secured a narrow win against Sunday's Well.
But the escape act they produced last Saturday bettered both of those as they recovered from a seemingly hopeless 9-25 deficit with 55 minutes played to edge the narrowest of wins against an impressive Greystones side.
17-01-2011 Pack power Bann to victory
Banbridge's rugby season resumed on Saturday after the freeze-enforced break with a trip to Navan for the re-arranged game.
The Rifle Park side duly picked up the win expected against a team sitting second from bottom of Division Three. But the fluency and control which had been increasingly evident in their last two outings against Wanderers and Sunday's Well was, perhaps understandably, missing.
22-11-2010 Positives taken out of defeat
With All-Ireland League rugby taking a back seat on Saturday, Banbridge once again travelled to face Ballynahinch, this time in the Ulster League. With the Senior Cup drubbing five weeks previously fresh in the players minds, the game offered Bann an opportunity to restore pride and the possibility of over-turning a Ballynahinch side that is yet to be defeated in league competition this season.
15-11-2010 Late flurry earns Bann bonus point win
A late flurry of tries earned Banbridge the bonus point which elevated them to a top four position in Division Three of the All-Ireland League for the first time this season.
01-11-2010 Robins 26 points set up win
Twenty six points courtesy of Banbridge out-half Robin Thompson saw the Co Down side pick up the second win of their AIL campaign at a sunlit Rifle Park last Saturday. With Suttonians matching the home sides tally of three tries, the points difference between the sides was down to the faultless kicking of the Bann No 10. But those bare facts would suggest that Bann were fortunate winners, a conclusion which would be at odds with the opinion of most spectators at the game.
26-10-2010 Gutsy Bann push table toppers Derry
Another bonus point win for City of Derry reinforced their position as front-runners in Division Three of the All-Ireland League.
There was no denying the home side's right to their success, but for close on an hour Banbridge had threatened to stop the Derry bandwagon in its tracks.
18-10-2010 Unhappy return for Soper
Four years ago when Banbridge last met Ballynahinch in the quarter final stages of the Ulster Senior Cup, the Rifle Park men had prevailed, winning out with a seven point margin. Fast forward five seasons and the difference this time between the two sides could not have been starker with Ballynahinch winning with a significantly greater tally and no reply.
11-10-2010 Full point haul for Bann
Banbridge had this All-Ireland League game all wrapped up after half an hours play, thanks to four tries, three of them courtesy of skipper Simon McKinstry.
04-10-2010 Disappointment in Barnhall
It wasnt the start to the season that Banbridge had been hoping for and working towards. And there was no disguising the disappointment among players, coaches and supporters as they made their way northwards after Saturdays opening day defeat at Barnhall.
27-09-2010 Heartening display against Ballymena
Banbridges last outing before the start of the All-Ireland League campaign may have ended in defeat to a moderate Ballymena side. But coach Daniel Soper will have taken heart from many aspects of his sides display.
20-09-2010 Bann suffer defeat at Ards
Having begun something of a winning run, Bann travelled to Hamilton Park on Saturday with high hopes of securing a fourth consecutive victory. However they were to return home empty-handed following an ultimately frustrating 30-21 Ulster League defeat to Ards.
17-09-2010 Midweek win sees Bann move fifth
Bann's bonus point win under the Rifle Park floodlights on Wednesday evening lifted them into fifth place in the Ulster Senior League. But it was a very mixed performance against a Rainey side struggling for early-season form
13-09-2010 Bann knock holders out of cup
Senior Cup holders Queens made an early exit from this seasons competition when for the second successive week they failed to overcome the challenge of an improving Banbridge side.
06-09-2010 Improved performance against Students
The last time Banbridge faced Queen's, the two sides were vying for a place in the All-Ireland League Division Three Final, and a thrilling contest in the Spring sunshine yielded eight tries in total, with the students ultimately triumphant
30-08-2010 Derry defeat points to work ahead
It was hardly the start that new coach Daniel Soper had hoped for, seeing his Banbridge side ship 50 points in the opening Ulster League game of the season. But at least the Kiwi now knows the task ahead of him as he plans for the All-Ireland League programme later in the season.
10-05-2010 Season ends with 18-try spectacle
The last Saturday of the Ulster League season saw Instonians and Banbridge provide a feast of tries at Shaw's Bridge, with the home side coming out on top by a 10-8 margin.
With Instonians' front row resources severely depleted through injury and unavailability, they had already conceded the league points to the visitors before the action began. But if the scrums were uncontested from the outset, the other exchanges appeared to have lost none of the edge that is traditional between the sides.