City of Derry Head Coach to reflect on position after AIL disappointment

Defeat to Sunday’s Well in the Promotion Play-off semi-final capped a miserable finale for Derry as injuries and unavailability of players took its toll.

McMaster had only originally agreed to remain in the Judges Road hotseat after the club’s close season attempts to land South African Phil Pretorius were thwarted by visa restrictions.

“(Chairman of Rugby) Moss Dineen will make an announcement,” explained the Derry coach, “I came in this year when Phil Pretorius couldn’t get a work permit and said I would help them out this season. That will have to be reflected on.

“It was on the understanding that I was coming back in for one year. I have done that now and the Chairman will have an announcement to make about that in due course.”

McMaster’s team enjoyed a superb first half to the season with 11 wins from their first 12 games as Derry stormed to the top of AIL Division 2B and looked on course for the title. However, injuries to key players and a totally decimated front row left McMaster’s options severely restricted as a run of five successive defeats cost Derry automatic promotion.

Despite the disappointment, the hierarchy will be hoping to persuade McMaster to remain as Head Coach but the time constraints of his job as a Drumahoe Prim School principal means a move to Technical Director remains a possibility should the club identify a suitable candidate to replace him as Head Coach.