Ballina Rugby Football Club are very happy to announce the appointment of both Ivan Heffernan and Michael Honan to the management team of our First XV. They will work with Head Coach David Newman as the reigning Connacht Junior League and Cawley Cup champions prepare for the upcoming season.
Both men are steeped in the Ballina sporting community and had distinguished playing careers with BRFC while also serving our club very well off the pitch. Both took a step back in recent years but have now returned to assist the club develop into the future.

Ivan hit the headlines in the mid 1970s when he played in goal for the Mayo senior football team and also captained the side in the Connacht Championship. He has two Sigerson Cup medals to his name, proudly won in the colours of UCD and the Stephenites man enjoyed a distinguished GAA career.
He then turned his attention to rugby and won a number of Connacht Junior League titles with the club. He had the great honour of captaining Ballina RFC to the double of Connacht Junior Cup and Connacht Junior League in 1985.
He subsequently got involved in the Youth structure of the club before becoming Director of Rugby for the 1st and 2nd XVs. He developed the team to win a Cawley Cup in 2011 and brought some very fine young players through the ranks to line out with the senior side.
In recent years he took a well-earned break from the game and enjoyed watching his son, David, make the breakthrough with Connacht and become an Irish senior international.
Now, we're proud to announce that Ivan is back involved again with our 1st XV and he will be an enormous breath of fresh air and bring a wealth of experience to our fine squad.

Michael Honan has played at every level of the club from Minis right through to our senior squad. He was a talented sportsman from a young age and won a number of Cuman na mBunscol football titles with The Quay NS under the tutelage of Hugh Lynn. He went on to wear the Green and Red of Ballina Stephenites while also becoming an integral part of Ballina RFC where he played senior rugby for almost a decade.
Michael brought great enthusiasm and fun to the dressingroom at every level and was an integral part of the BRFC side that won the Connacht U16 Cup in 1990 under the guidance of his youthful coach Alan Rowe.
In more recent years, when he retired from playing senior rugby, Michael became a highly-accomplished and respected referee throughout Connacht and beyond.
Due to work and family commitments, Michael left rugby behind for a few years but jumped at the chance to become involved again when approached recently. He has only been back in Heffernan Park a few short weeks but already, Michael has brought his own unique sense of enthusiasm to the club and both he an Ivan will be great additions to the management team with Head Coach David Newman.