Rangers FC Academy Participate in SuperCupNI 2024
By Umair Mirxa
Rangers FC announced today on their official website the club will once more participate in SuperCupNI for the 2024 edition.
Our Under-17s team will compete in the ‘Boys Premier’ section, a twenty-team open tournament which kicks off on 22nd July. An Under-15s team will take part in the ‘Boys Junior’ section, a sixteen-team open tournament.
What is the SuperCupNI?
The Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament was founded in 1983 by Jim Weir, Victor Leonard, George Logan and Bertie Peacock.
Its first edition was won by Motherwell’s Under-16 side, and the competition has since gone from strength to strength, gaining in prestige over the decades. The ‘Junior’ section was added in 1985, and an Under-14 team from Rangers FC became its first champions.
Today, the SuperCupNI is comprised of five competitions: Boys Premier, Boys Junior, Boys Minor, Girls Premier, and Girls Junior.
Rangers in SuperCupNI 2024
The Light Blues’ Under-17s have been drawn in ‘Boys Premier’ Group E with Hamilton Academicals, Otago, and Tyrone—against whom they won 2-0 earlier today [22nd July].
The best four out of the five groups will advance to the semi-finals of SuperCupNI while the remaining group winner and three of the best-placed group runners-up will enter SCNI Globe. The other two runners-up and two best-placed teams to finish third in their groups head to SCNI Vase. The three remaining third-placed teams and the best fourth-placed team will compete for the SCNI Bowl, and the other four fourth-placed teams will participate in the semi-finals for the SCNI Salver.
Our Under-15s have been drawn in ‘Boys Junior’ Group A with FC America, St. Patrick’s Athletic, and Fermanagh—against whom they lost 1-2 in their first match.
Since there are only four groups in the ‘Junior’ competition, rules for progress to the semi-finals are simpler here: the winners of each group compete for the SuperCupNI, second-placed teams for the SCNI Globe, third-placed for SCNI Vase, and the fourth-placed teams will contest the SCNI Bowl.