Cork Open Summer 2026 is done and dusted, and what an incredible day it was at Neptune Stadium on 14 June. To every competitor who stepped on the mat, every coach who prepared their athletes, and every supporter who came out to cheer them on — thank you. That is what the Grappling Series is all about.
Professional Photos Are Live
Our photographers did a brilliant job capturing the day. The full album is up now on Facebook, go and have a look and tag yourselves!
€200 Ground Game Vouchers: Absolute Division Winners
The absolute divisions produced some of the most exciting matches of the day. Every one of these athletes put their hand up to compete open weight and delivered. Here are the winners who took home a €200 Ground Game voucher.
Male Absolute Gi / Blue Belt / Juvenile: Augie Rollefson from BJJ Cork took the juvenile blue belt absolute in impressive fashion.
Male Absolute Gi / Blue Belt / Adult: Ahroon Santhosh from Dragon Jiu Jitsu was dominant throughout the adult blue belt absolute and thoroughly deserved the win.
Male Absolute Gi / Purple Belt / Master: Andrew Hunt from Samson Martial Arts showed excellent composure and experience in the masters purple belt absolute.
Male Absolute Gi / Brown/Black / Adult: Gustavo Santos from Samson Martial Arts put on a strong performance to take the brown and black adult absolute.
Female Absolute Gi / Blue/Purple / Adult: Gia Galiauskaite from Dragon Jiu Jitsu had a brilliant day in the female blue and purple adult absolute. A very well-earned win.
€200 Ground Game Voucher: Biggest White Belt Division
We always want to make sure our white belts are part of the prize action too. The biggest white belt gi division on the day was the Male Gi / White Belt / Master 1 (30+) / -76kg, which had some brilliant competition throughout.
Rafael Cunha from Barão Jiu Jitsu Cork came out on top and took home a well-earned €200 Ground Game voucher. A great performance in a competitive division.
Team Trophies
Best Overall Team
AONTACH JJ took the Best Overall Team trophy with 212 points, 38 wins, and 21 gold medals. Incredible consistency from that squad across the whole day. Studio Galera came in second with 200 points, and Dragon Jiu Jitsu rounded out the top three with 182 points. All three teams put on a tremendous showing.
Best Kids Team
The kids were a highlight of the day, and Studio Galera took the Best Kids Team trophy with 154 points, 27 wins, and 14 gold medals. Dragon Jiu Jitsu came in second, and AONTACH JJ in third. Brilliant to see the standard continuing to rise in the younger age groups.
Thanks to Our Sponsors
None of this happens without the support of some brilliant sponsors, and we want to give them a huge thank you.
Ground Game provided the €200 vouchers for our absolute and white belt division winners. They have been with us from the very beginning and their commitment to supporting the Irish grappling community is second to none. Check out their full range of gear at groundgame.ie.
West Cork Coffee has been with us since the start. If you haven't tried their coffee yet, you are missing out.
PC Maestro continue to be a fantastic supporter of the series, and we are very grateful to have them on board.
See You at the Next One
That is another Grappling Series event in the books. Keep an eye on your inbox and our social media for details on what is coming next.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
Got questions or feedback? We would love to hear from you at info@grappling-series.com.
Thank you again to everyone who made 14 June such a special day. See you on the mats!
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