Bangor Grammar will travel to local rivals Regent House on Saturday morning for a Danske Bank Ulster Rugby Schools’ Cup derby showdown. The 10am kick-off at the Newtownards school is expected to attract a large crowd, as the two County Down schools fight it out for a place in the fourth round of the prestigious competition. Bangor Grammar’s head coach Rhys Botha expects Saturday’s match to be a special occasion. He said: “Regent House is just down the road, so all our boys know their boys, and their boys know our boys. “So, everyone is very excited. We played Regent at the start of the season, and it was a tense affair. A typical derby game. Thankfully we won, so that gives us a little bit of confidence going into Saturday, but there’s still some nerves in the camp as you’d expect. “It’s a great game for both schools and rugby in this area. I think everyone is looking forward to it.” Bangor Grammar comfortably defeated Regent House in both the 2019 and 2020 editions of the Schools’ Cup, but Regent House’s head of rugby Nick Gamble is expecting Saturday’s game to be a keenly contested affair. He said: “It’s a really exciting game. It always is when Newtownards play Bangor at any sport, and that’s no different in school rugby. There will be a competitive atmosphere on the pitch, with everyone determined to give it their all. “We’re expecting a big crowd, and the boys are really excited at the prospect of playing in front of that crowd. “Coach David Dougherty and the boys have worked incredibly hard in recent weeks. They were excellent in their second round victory over Carrickfergus Grammar in December, and I’m sure they will produce a big performance on Saturday.” Holywood school Suillivan Upper will enter the competition in the fourth round.
