UCD face Three Rock Rovers this weekend in a major test of just where the students are in their quest for Leinster and Irish honours.

The Belfield side have built up a fine sports science unit in the university and a scholarship system that, given their position of ending in the top four last season, seems to be moving in the right direction.

The students have three current international players in Shane O’Donoghue, Kirk Shimmons and Peter Brown from Banbridge.

Brown is the first player from the North to be taken on an Elite Athlete Scholarship. Just over half the team are on the scholarships and have access to nutritionists, personal trainers and physiotherapy on top of the gym and training facilities on site.

Ideal set up
It's an ideal set up for an ambitious team, who are likely to be sorely tested this weekend.

Rovers, are unbeaten after two matches and have scored nine goals with UCD not far behind on four goals in their first match last weekend.

Elsewhere it has been pointed out that what the Leinster Branch had hoped would not be happening is happening.

That is, that players on senior team squads are doubling up in that they are subbing and playing for the senior team and then racing off to prop up their second team, or vice versa.

Proximity of grounds
It's probably inevitable given the proximity of grounds around Sandymount and Blackrock and Monkstown in that if there is half an hour between the end of the first team's match and the beginning of the second team's match, players can make the trip.

Maybe it's not a bad thing in that it may make the Senior Division two league more competitive and give it greater depth. The point however, that's not the way the Branch had intended it to work out.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday – Leinster Senior League – Division One: Rathgar v Corinthians, The High School, 1.0; Fingal v Monkstown, ALSAA Complex, 1.0; Glenanne v Pembroke Wanderers, Glenanne Park, 1.0; Three Rock Rovers v UCD, Grange Road Ratharnham, 1.0; Railway Union I v YMCA I, Park Avenue, 1.0.
Division Two: YMCA II v Avoca I, Claremont Road, 12.30; Kilkenny I v Three Rock Rovers II, Kilkenny College, 1.0; Weston I v Clontarf I, Griffeen Park Lucan, 1.0; Suttonians I v Dublin University I, Sutton Park, 1.0; Pembroke Wanderers II v Monkstown II, Serpentine Avenue, 1.0.