Wexford Eagles take aim at strong finish in plate final with Vipers

The pitch will be the same. The colours will be familiar. And when the pads crack and whistles blow at high noon in the National Sports Campus this Sunday, it won’t feel like a secondary final. It’ll feel like a reckoning…

The Wexford Eagles, reborn and rebuilt, face off against the Northwest Vipers in the Division 1 Plate Final, a rematch of grudges past and a chance to put a defiant full stop on a season defined by growth, grit, and a shift in what this club believes it can become.

Eyes Forward, Shoulders Back

Forget the playoff heartbreak. Forget the point deductions and hypotheticals. The Eagles aren’t carrying regrets into this game, they’re carrying momentum.

Under the guidance of Head Coach Ross McCooey, Wexford didn’t just notch wins this year. They rewrote their identity. In a league where consistency is rare and cultures can stagnate, the Eagles did something far harder than winning games, they changed mindsets.

“We were obviously disappointed to miss out on the playoffs, but that’s how it goes sometimes,” McCooey said. “However, overall, I’m thrilled with what the team has achieved this year in terms of culture change and system implementation. The guys have developed a great foundation for long-term club success, and I look forward to seeing what they can build on next year. Before that, though, we’re excited at the opportunity to finish the season with one more game and a chance to celebrate this year’s achievements.”

Leadership has been central to that change. Veterans like Trevor Smith, Paddy Bissett, Terry Carey, and Paddy de Brún have helped anchor a locker room where standards have risen and excuses have disappeared. The team’s captains have set the tone, but it’s the full squad that’s bought in, despite a roster that, by season’s end, has become more threadbare than anyone would prefer.

Injuries and availability have stretched the depth chart. But the team’s response hasn’t wavered. If anything, it’s strengthened the bond and sharpened the focus.

“This game is about pride,” Smith, a 2025 captain said. “We didn’t get the ending we deserved, so now we’re going to make sure we earn the one we can.”

Familiar Fangs

The Vipers know this Wexford team well and they’ll be desperate to finally get the better of them. Earlier this season, the Eagles dismantled the Derry-based side with a clinical display. And over the years, the pattern has been clear: Wexford wins, and often by wide margins.

But there’s one ghost still lurking.

The IAFL2 Bowl, back in Wexford’s inaugural season. The same pitch. A last-second Hail Mary. The Vipers’ only win over the Eagles. The kind of moment that writes itself into rivalry lore, and the kind the Eagles would very much like to bury for good.

This time, the Vipers arrive in Dublin with renewed end-of-season momentum and muscle. Their bruising run game, led by a powerful running backs, has given them a new dimension on offence. If they can establish the ground game early, they’ll believe they can keep the Eagles’ offence on the sidelines and control the clock.

A Season Reframed

From the outside, the Plate Final may seem like a consolation prize. But inside the Eagles camp, it’s anything but. This isn’t about salvaging a season, it’s about cementing one.

Wexford faced the toughest schedule in Division 1 this year. A brutal five-game opening run against the league’s elite. They took their knocks, but never lost their edge. They stayed the course, adapted, and finished strong.

They’ve done it with homegrown talent, hungry rookies, and a coaching staff that refused to let setbacks define them. They’ve built a team with an identity: relentless, selfless, and unshakably focused.

And now they’re one win away from closing this chapter on a high.

Sunday’s Stakes

For the Vipers, it’s a shot at revenge and the chance to spoil a season that’s been trending upwards in the South East.

For the Eagles, it’s not about making up for lost opportunities. It’s about showing what they’ve become. One more game. One more standard. One more day to prove that this team isn’t just back, it’s building something bigger.

Forget the detour. This isn’t about recovery. It’s about arrival.

The Wexford Eagles are here to finish what they started, and if they do, the noise from Dublin won’t just echo into the afternoon. It’ll echo into 2026.

(Images: Paul McIlwaine)

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