It has been a wonderful 2016 for Enniskillen as they made a return to Ulster Rugby Championship One, and having got there, they have been making a big impression in the current season.
Under the guidance of Norman Richmond, Skins produced a strong finish to their league campaign last season as they went on to clinch promotion while they also reached the final of the Powerade Towns Cup.
Having been there or thereabouts throughout the season, Skins made a late surge for a promotion spot and victories over Academy, Coleraine and Carrickfergus saw them finish second in the table and put them through to a play-off against an Ards side who were bottom of Championship One.
An exhausting run of fixtures though seemed to catch up with Skins and they narrowly lost out 10-8 in the play-off. However, all was not lost and with Bangor sealing promotion to senior rugby, Skins were promoted to Championship One were they would join local sides Clogher Valley and Omagh.
Clogher Valley once again more than held their own in Championship One with Davy Black and Glen Kyle’s side securing a top four finish in the league.
Both Skins and Clogher enjoyed good runs in the Towns’ Cup with Skins beating Rainey OB, Lurgan and Ballynahinch en route to the semi-finals while Clogher knocked out Randalstown, Armagh and Portadown to book their place in the last four.
The semi-final draw pitted the two sides together but following a titanic tussle at the The Cran it was Skins who were to progress, James Ferguson scoring the only try of the game to seal a narrow 8-6 win and set up a final encounter Bangor.
It was Bangor who got off to a flying start to the final at Kingspan Stadium as they raced into a 19-0 lead at the break while ten minutes into the second half Skins trailed 26-3.
However, they then set about a brilliant comeback and tries from James Ferguson (2) and Mattie Maguire had them right back in contention. In the final minutes though they could not get back inside the Bangor ‘22 as the game finished 31-25.
Willie Gibson took over the reigns from Richmond for the new season but they have continued on their upward curve, claiming an early season win over Clogher Valley and are currently sitting second in Championship One, one point behind the league leaders.
It has been a tougher season to date for Clogher who have undergone something of a rebuilding programme but as 2016 draws to a close they are starting to find their feet again and are moving in the right direction as we move into 2017.
There was further final heartbreak for Skins when their 2nd XV were beaten in the Forster Cup final by Malone.
In their last outing under the name Portora in the Schools’ Cup there was an early exit from the competition for the Enniskillen school, who will now compete under the name of Enniskillen Royal Grammar following the amalgamation with the Collegiate. A late converted try for Regents House sent Portora to a 14-13 Schools’ Cup defeat although they bounced back in the Schools’ Bowl with victories over Antrim Grammar and Armagh seeing them through to the final. And the last year as Portora was to finish on a high as a dominant display took them to a 20-7 win over Grosvenor.
In Rugby League, Jordan Hylton has been making his mark and his performances for the Irish Universities side earned him a call up to the Ireland senior side, the young Enniskillen man going on to gain his first cap.
Girls rugby is also in a healthy state. Enniskillen Ladies won the Ulster Ladies Division One title, securing the crown with victory away to Cavan, while they also reached the final of the Rosie Stewart Shield were they went down to City of Derry.
Enniskillen’s Gemma McCutcheon has been named as captain of the Ulster Ladies side for the current season with Kathryn Dane and Shirelle Wilson also included in the squad. 
Indeed, Dane was named as Ulster Ladies Player of the Year last season and also was called up to the full Ireland squad for training.
Five local girls were also included in the Ulster U18 squad that won the Inter-Provincial title while Claire Boles, Ellie Ingram and Ellie Rix were called up to the Irish U18 squad.
And there was more Ulster Schools’ success for the Collegiate as they claimed the title for the seventh time in eight years while the school also reached the All Ireland U18 final before suffering an agonising extra time defeat to Sacred Heart, Tullamore.