The Launch of The British & Irish Lions Women, London, England 16/1/2024
Former players Shaunagh Brown, Megan Gaffney, Elinor Snowsill and Niamh Briggs at the launch of The British & Irish Lions Women
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Billy Stickland
Bernard Shortt
History in the making,
With the announcement of the historic Women’s British & Irish Lions tour to current world champions New Zealand recently should IRFU take this opportunity coming up to sit down with each province and actually put a proper roadmap for Irish women’s rugby taking advantage of the announcement of the tour. Developing a proper Women’s Academy and actually concentrate on improving the women’s game across country. I personally feel that the IRFU only care about the national set up.. they’re removing more and more players from the club game, It’s difficult to say what they want from the provinces.
Like many clubs, our own is a combined Women’s team with St. Mary’s up the road to actually give young girls in the area who want to play rugby the opportunity, the accessibility, coaching and facilities to be able to learn to play the game that we all don’t know and fell in love with.
For me, personally speaking, my love of the game started watching my dad playing with the Navy against the Army in Haulbowline, Co. Cork in a yearly game to quote perhaps the greatest WWE announcer of all timer Jim Ross in a Slobber-Knocker and I was watching a program on TV the other night at where Andrew Flintoff goes to a non-traditional cricket playing area and starts cricket team and made me wonder why couldn’t we do that for young girls in the Dublin 10 and Dublin 12 area. We actually have the biggest catchment area and I wonder are we doing at the Disservice to kids in the area not taking advantage of all the free the free publicity for women’s rugby,
All four provincial teams were involved the weekend, playing some fantastic rugby, under the usual radars. Leinster were very impressive in their win against Ulster to secure a place in the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship final against the old enemy Munster, who just scrapped through against Connacht who I have to say very unlucky, they played some of their best rugby in that second half, and on another day could have pipped Munster at the end with a last minute gasp try but it wasn’t enough to beat those laochra bean in the red jerseys, the big take home from them will be that they will need to be switched on for the full 80 minutes against Leinster. It finished Connacht Rugby 24 Munster Rugby 29,
Leinster did the basics very well against Ulster in what was fair to say it was raining like cats and dogs causing quite a few handling errors and penalties in the second half finishing up Ulster Rugby , Leinster Rugby.
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Tom Maher
So it’s set, Munster take on Leinster in The Kingspan, Belfast on Saturday the (DATE) at 0415 (1615)
We are lucky down the road we have Liberty Saints and on the other side up the road we have St. Mary rugby club and I can’t help but think the future of women’s rugby has to be in the schools and clubs around the country, who’s volunteers work tirelessly week in week out promoting the game we fell in love with. This isn’t going to be easy, obviously but if we can help a kid from the area stand up and sing Ireland’s call it actually makes me emotional thinking about how that would probably be any our clubs greatest ever achievements. So get out there, get involved #GiveItATry don’t worry if you have experience or not there will be other people in the same boat as yourself who had to start somewhere, there will always be coaches there too show you the ropes,