| The annual Guinness Ulster Rugby Awards Ceremony was held on Wednesday evening at the La Mon Hotel in Belfast where over 430 guests gathered to celebrate achievements and development of rugby at all levels.
The annual ceremony brings together the cream of the crop in Ulster from schools, youth, club and professional levels and the Awards recognise the role that they all play for the development of the game in the Province.
Ulster legend David Humphreys, who made his last appearance in an Ulster shirt against Cardiff last Friday night at Ravenhill, scooped the top accolade of Guinness Personality of the Year, marking his enormous commitment to Ulster Rugby in a career that has spanned sixteen years and rounding off his last season of professional rugby in style.
This was an excellent year for Armagh Rugby Club, in both Cup and League competitions, capped last Thursday when they were named 2008 Ulster Club of the Year at the Guinness Ulster Rugby Awards. While up against strong opposition in Portadown and Letterkenny, both of whom had won leagues and been runners up in Ravenhill finals, the successes through the Club left the judges with little choice in reality as Armagh’s Roll of Honour for the year makes impressive reading:
The 1st XV won the Powerade towns Cup, the Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup and the Past Players Cup and in a very competitive Kukri Qualifying league, finished in 3rd place.
The 2nd XV won the Magners Junior League (Section 3) and the Harden Cup, while the 3rd XV were winners of the Guinness Minor League South and semi-finalists in the Ravenhill Cup.
At Youth Level, the U18s won the Bell Lawrie Conference and contested the final of the U18 Cup while the U16s were runners up in their Bell Lawrie Conference League. In addition, the U20s reached the semi final of the Roland Barr Cup and the U18 s reached the same point in the Knutty Krust tournament.
Accepting the trophy, President Norman Morton thanked all who had contributed on and off the pitch for the club through the season and expressed the hope that Aragh would contend for the same award next season.
Congratulations are also due to two ex-Royal School Players who won awards on the night, Tommy Bowe who won Player of the Year, and member of the 1977 Schools Cup winning side Latimer Adair who was given a special merit award for his work at Youth level in Ballynahinch.
 
Armagh 1st XV Deservedly Celebrate Final Win Armagh 2nd XV Junior League III Winning Team
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