July 2026

Read our July Monthly Newsletter here or click ‘Download’ below

Welcome back to our Meet the: series! As we dive deeper into our monumental 150th Anniversary season, we are turning the spotlight on two faces who have traveled across the globe to make Castle Avenue their summer home.

Our overseas pros don’t just light up the First XI on Saturdays; they are the driving force behind our thriving youth sections during the week. Fresh off professional domestic seasons back home—Robyn with the Titans in South Africa and Sam with the Wellington Firebirds in New Zealand—they sat down to talk cricket, coaching, and their mutual obsession with a certain Irish culinary delicacy.

Grab a coffee, and get to know our 2026 overseas superstars.

First Impressions & The Castle Avenue Welcome

DP: “Robyn, Sam, welcome to the clubhouse hot seat! Leaving your home behind for summer in Dublin is a massive move. What were your very first impressions walking through the gates at Castle Avenue, and how has the welcome been?”

Sam: “The ground looked fantastic from day one, and the pitch looked like an absolute dream for batting. Everyone involved with the club has been brilliant. The lads have been incredibly welcoming and have helped me out with whatever I’ve needed—mostly Jack McGreal, who was on a relentless mission to find me a bike to get around on!”

Robyn: “This is actually my third season back, and honestly, there’s a reason I keep coming back. I just love the atmosphere around the place. The club is buzzing with youth and so much young potential. It’s a joy to step into an environment where people care so deeply about their cricket.”

Trading Franchise for Leinster Cricket

DP: “You both play at a seriously high level back home. Aside from adjusting to the unpredictable Irish weather, what are the biggest differences you’ve noticed in the style of cricket and pitch conditions here?”

Robyn: “Irish conditions are very different to what I’m used to in South Africa. With more rain about, the wickets can be a bit slower but also surprisingly bouncy, which has forced me to develop my back-foot game compared to the skiddier pitches back home. We also face a lot more spin and medium-pace here, whereas South Africa is packed with big, scary pace bowlers. Navigating all that spin has been brilliant for my game, and it’s experience I’ll definitely take back with me.”

Sam: “To be fair, the conditions are actually quite similar to back home, which made settling in a lot easier. The pitches here are excellent for batting, though I’ve had to adjust to some of the much smaller boundaries at some of the away clubs! The standard is great—it’s been really fun playing against top-tier cricketers, the kind of quality we all saw in the recent Ireland vs. India series.”

Shaping the Next Generation

DP: “A massive part of your role is working with our juniors. What do you enjoy most about coaching the Clontarf kids, and what’s the number one piece of advice you try to drum into them?”

Robyn: “I absolutely thrive on the energy the juniors bring to training—it completely lifts me up! My biggest piece of advice, especially at a young age, is to play fearlessly and just enjoy it. On the batting side, I want kids to focus on hitting out and finding their power game first; we can worry about tightening up the technique later. Cricket is a tough, unforgiving game, so if you aren’t having fun, you’re doing it wrong.”

Sam: “I love getting to know all the kids and watching them grow their skills week by week. The main thing I try to teach them is belief. If they concentrate and truly believe in themselves, they will succeed in this game.”

Life in Dublin & Culture Shock

DP: “Let’s talk life outside the boundary ropes. Have you managed to do much exploring, and have you experienced any major culture shock or classic Dublin slang?”

Sam: “Yeah, I’ve managed to get out a bit and sample the local food. On my very first night here, Jack, John, and Fionn took me straight down to San Sab and introduced me to a spice bag. I’ve been going back for them ever since!”

Robyn: “Dublin is a great city. My first year in Ireland was down in the Hills, which was beautiful but very countryside, so I much prefer being central here and being right near the coast. Back home, I’m completely landlocked in a city, so running at sea level means I can actually breathe! I’m well used to the Dublin slang now, I know all about ‘good craic,’ and I genuinely love a pint of Guinness. Oh, and Sam’s right—the kids here are utterly obsessed with spice bags, and I have to admit, I don’t mind one myself now either!”

The 150th Anniversary & Season Goals

DP: “It’s our milestone 150th year as a club. Looking at the squads, what are you most excited about achieving before the curtain falls on the 2026 season?”

Robyn: “Being part of the club for its 150th year is an incredible honor. The anniversary ball a few days ago was a perfect example of what makes this place special—seeing the legends of the past mixing with the youth of today to share memories. On the pitch, the Women’s 1st XI is targeting a top-two finish, a spot we’ve really made our own over the last few years. I’m also heavily invested in seeing our 2nds maintain their unbeaten run, and ensuring the 3rds give our young players their first positive taste of senior women’s cricket.”

Sam: “While our season hasn’t completely gone to plan just yet, the goal remains clear: we need to keep pushing hard for wins as a team and make sure we secure our spot in the top six.”

The Great Skill Robbery

DP: “Final quick-fire question: If you could borrow one cricketing attribute from anyone else in the club changing room, what would it be and who are you taking it from?”

Robyn: “That’s a tough one because the women’s section is packed with talent. But since I’ve been dismissed a couple of times playing the sweep lately, I’m stealing Lucy Barry’s sweep shot. She is incredibly powerful and can manipulate the ball anywhere behind or in front of square with it.”

Sam: “Easy. Gormos’ bowling.”

Lot’s happening throughout the month of June as part of the club’s 150th Anniversary celebrations.

Here’s to 150 More – our Commemorative Video

Mens’ First XI Player Caps

It was an honour to welcome many of our former Men’s First XI players to the club during the home match against Rush, with our Club President Connor D’Arcy presenting each of them with a unique commemorative cap, each with their player number going back to our first league match in 1920.

150th Anniversary Gala Ball

The week of prep began on Wednesday when the Marquee was erected on the pitch outside the front of the clubhouse. Thanks to the team of volunteers who came down to the club during the week to help scrub, clean and polish to prepare the club ahead of the big day.

With the equipment in place, the final touches were put in place on Friday morning with another group of volunteers getting stuck in with decorations – balloons, photo montages etc. Our event partner South William Clinic were also on site to leave a gift ‘for everyone in the audience’ which were much appreciated by all guests. Thanks to everyone that supported throughout the week – you did an amazing job!

We were ready to welcome over 300 guests for a pre-dinner drinks reception, kindly sponsored by Teeling Whiskey. The weather was delightful, and the terrace outside the marquee was packed full of guests enjoying the evening heat. From current to past players and members, people that have long supported the club, new members, coaches, volunteers, opposition club members, local businesses, sponsors and partners, and the CEO and Chair of Cricket Ireland, it was truly fantastic to see so many people with ties to the club in one place. It was especially delightful to welcome Rod Hokin, former Overseas Pro and Youth coach, and his family, back to Castle Avenue having made the long trip from Sydney, Australia.

As guests settled at their tables in the beautifully decorated marquee, we hosted a fireside chat with Paul Ryan MC’ing our panel of Angus Dunlop, Susan Bray and Bill Coghlan. Their stories and memories about the club, the people and the matches at Castle Avenue were appreciated by everyone in the room.

Following dinner (Kinara), it was time for everyone (well almost everyone) to put on their dancing shoes and hit the dance floor for the stellar performance from DJ and Sax who kept the party going into the early hours of Saturday morning (some much earlier [or perhaps later] than others) to round off what can only be described as an amazing event to truly celebrate our 150th Anniversary.

There are too many people to thank for making the occasion such a special one, but we can’t forget the following: The CCC150 Committee, Ciaran McNally, Sally French & Arita McGreal decorating the venue, all those who helped with the massive tidy up operation, everyone who organised a table & everyone who donated a raffle prize. And finally to Frankie Lawless for taking some fantastic photos throughout the evening 📷

Not forgetting the younger members of the club, the following evening we hosted a Youth Disco for our U9-13s Boys & Girls, with face-painting, a magician, of course DJ Phil plus plenty of sweets and refreshments to keep them entertained.