The back row will lead Wallace out at Kingspan Stadium on Monday afternoon to face Royal School Armagh and Rodgers admits that playing Gaelic football has helped hone his skills on the rugby pitch, having previously won an All-Ireland title. “I have been playing Gaelic football at Dromara GAC since I was about 10 years old and it has been a big part helping me through rugby and keeping me fit during the summer,” said Rodgers. “It helps with everything. "Your spatial awareness, your fitness, your overall speed and your ball skills as well. “I played with Down Minors last season and won an All-Ireland medal, it was a great game, a great day and a great season for us. “I’d say I will have to make the choice this summer, I was putting it off as long as I can so it is coming to the stage where I’ll have to make a decision.” Rodgers is steeped in a rugby family. “My Dad played rugby, my Mum is from New Zealand so her Dad and all her brothers played rugby,” he said. “I remember when I was in P2 my Dad took me to my first-ever mini-rugby session at Ballynahinch. "My Dad played there back in the 1990s and early 2000s. “I was always destined to be a back row, my Dad was a big row, I love tackling and playing there.” Playing in the back row, Rodgers’ favourite Ulster player is Nick Williams. “I loved the big tackles and offloads he did they would get you off your seat, I haven’t quite got his skillset or his size, he was brilliant to watch,” said Rodgers. Rodgers has the opportunity to become the first Wallace captain to lift the trophy outright after the 2020 cup was shared with Royal School Armagh when the final was cancelled due to Covid. “All the boys have been dreaming about it since we came to senior rugby, it would mean the world to us,” said Rodgers. “All the teachers are talking about it and all the wee kids are talking about it and getting their faces painted, so it is brilliant. “I remember 2020 was a brilliant team and five or six of those boys now represent Ulster, I remember them all season winning matches easily...it was a great year for that team.” The Lisburn school have beaten RBAI and BRA on the way to this year’s final. “Putting out RBAI, who were the reigning champions, was a great match,” said Rodgers. “BRA’s forwards brought a lot of heat and a lot of firepower in that second half. “I thought our backline was brilliant that day.” Rodgers feels the final will be won up front. “It will be a great match, we played them earlier in the season and that was a tough match and we’ll expect nothing less in the final. “I think it will be a battle of the packs and whoever can come out on top of that will have a massive say in the match. “We have a strong backrow, Sam Warwick at No8 and big Ben Moore at six. “Derek Suffern (coach) has been there 15 years, he knows what he is doing and he has a wealth of knowledge. “We have been to Kingspan Stadium the last three years now in semi-finals and a lot of the boys have been part of that so, hopefully, we should be used to it by now.” That Wallace team in 2020 contained the likes of Scott Wilson, Charlie Irvine, Reuben Crothers, Nathan Doak and Ben Carson – but coach Suffern is looking forward instead of looking back. “It was disappointing for those guys individually (in 2020), it is a testament to them how good they were back then,” said Suffern. “There are three, four, five of them on full-time contracts. "Charlie Irvine was in that group the year below and those guys have gone on to do good things with Ulster. "So we are really pleased with that. “Maybe some of the guys in this group can go on and do the same thing, there are quite a few of the guys that have played representative stuff. “This group is on its own journey, five years ago doesn’t mean anything to these guys they may have been potentially in the crowd. “It is a totally new group on a new journey trying to achieve their own goals.” WALLACE HIGH SCHOOL: Rio McDonagh, James Gould, Ollie Fitzsimmons, Rhys Ewing, Michael McCavery, Ben Moore, Jon Rodgers, Sam Warwick, Alex Stevenson, Quinn Armstrong, Joshua Booth, Harry Daniel, Luke Dillon, Daniel Wilson, Josh Geddis, Odhran Cole, Daniel Macklin-Copeland, James Furphy, Charlie Thompson, Charlie Harper, James Curran, Corey Dawson-Stirling, Elliot Harris.