Argyle Academy to participate in 2025 SuperCupNI

Argyle will play in the SuperCupNI in July and August, returning with an under-14s and -15s mixed squad to compete in the Junior section of the prestigious competition in Northern Ireland.

The young Pilgrims have been drawn in Group D with Northern Irish side County Down, Republic of Ireland outfit St Patrick’s Athletic and West Ham United.

In last year’s competition, County Down and West Ham faced off in the final, with the Hammers coming away victorious on penalties. St Patrick’s also reached the last four of the event, losing to Down in one of the semi-final matches.

Five more of the 16 teams in the competition are based in Northern Ireland: Armagh, Tyrone, Antrim, Londonderry and Fermanagh.

English sides Crewe Alexandra, Blackburn Rovers, Charlton Athletic, and Tottenham Hotspur are split amongst the remaining three groups, with international sides Celtic, Bohemians and Chicago City SC completing the line-up.

Argyle have sent teams from various age groups to Northern Ireland for many years. Last season, the Greens’ under-13s side finished seventh in their age group, beating Cliftonville in the Globe Play-Off.

The trip, with its intense football schedule and residential setup, means budding Pilgrims can experience competitive tournament football in a new environment to take them out of their comfort zone.  

The SuperCupNI can call on an extraordinary list of superstars who have taken part in the tournament. Manchester United have been represented by the likes of Paul Scholes and Marcus Rashford, whilst World Cup winners Sergio Busquets and Mats Hummels represented Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively.

Argyle first-team player Adam Randell took part in the competition, as indeed did several members of the Argyle Academy coaching staff and Academy graduates.

Argyle’s coaching lead for the competition, Niall Cully, said: “We are really looking forward to another year at the SuperCupNI. These tournaments provide great experiences for our young players and given many of the squad will be competing for a second year in a row, they will know what the week away in Ireland is all about. 

“They will enjoy testing themselves against good opposition and be ready when the tournament starts.”

This year’s SuperCupNI will take place from 28 July to 1 August. Specific fixtures, dates and locations will be released in due course.