gaelick » rugby

Pride of Ireland

HAL — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

And so it’s St Paddy’s weekend. To some a chance to get drink more Guinness than is probably healthy for an Irish wolfhound, for other it’s the time to don their dancing shoes and gig a reel (or whatever you do) and for bankers it’s the time to dust off their shillelaghs and check on their pots of gold. However, this year we have a very special reason to celebrate the rocking of the sham. Ladies, I give you the 2013 Six Nations Champions:

Together standing tall

Our ladies of grace won the title last weekend but have the chance to do the impossible – the grand slam – this weekend. Ok, ok, I’ll back up a bit here for the non-rugger lovers.

The Six Nations is, like the men’s game, a league of six teams, each playing the other. So that’s five matches. You get points for winning a match (plus possible bonus points, but that’s for tmi), and team with the most points at the end of the tournament wins.

Ireland were just so completely awesome in every way, and won every match so far. In doing so they’ve won the whole thing with a game to spare. Amaze-balls!

But wait, my story gets better. Should Ireland beat Italy tomorrow (and oh yes they should), they will have won every game. All five. This hardly ever happens and is called the Grand Slam.

Slam bam, thank you ma’am

The men did it a couple of years ago and there was much dancing in the streets…..manly dancing obviously…there were posters in papers, swathes of space given to them and signed shirts are going for a fortune. This year, the women have done something they’ve never done before; they actually got on the front of the paper, with an article on page 4 of the sports section. I won’t get started on the blatant discrimination of women in sport, that’s for another day*.

Now, let us celebrate with these special women who have won quite literally against all odds.

If you want to watch Ireland play (and beat) Italy, would you believe that it’s actually on the telly? I know! Put me in a scrum and maul me over! It’ll be on Sunday at 2pm. Also, if you are one of those Tweeps, be sure to follow #scrumqueens as they’ll keep you on top of things.

*OK, you know, it isn’t. It’s for today and every day. RTE are a pack of conservative, misogynists. We all – men, women and children – want to see Irish people do well. The women have to (potentially) win the Grand Slam to get a look in, when the Under 20s who had no chance of winning anything were on.

I was in my local on Friday night and they show everything on the numerous tellies; if it’s on they’ll pop it up for you. So I’m chatting to the wife and throwing my eye over to the Under-20s Irish team in their Six Nations campaign (which they had lost at that stage). The barman kindly drops our drinks down and rolls his eyes at the telly. So I tell him he should be following the women. And you know what? He was! He had them on Twitter and him and the ould lads at the bar were stuck into it, updating me and the wife with the scores.

Now I ask you, what reason in the world are they not on the tellybox more than once in a lifetime?

Diary of a rugby virgin

HAL — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 12:00:24 +0000

Heather gets her ruck on

Thirty fit women tackling, tumbling and rolling in slippery mud wearing tight shorts and sports bras, all while chasing after one egg-shaped ball. Sounds like the lesbian wet dream we all have but never admit to? If you haven’t then go and watch 50 Cent’s candy shopvideo and it may spark some interest in the muddy women combo (it’s chocolate they pour on themselves in this vid but you get the jist).

Anyway, I’m bitterly sorry to disappoint you but this steamy and sexy depiction couldn’t be further from the truth. Unfortunately my wet dream turned into a nightmare when I decided to chase some balls and dive head-first into the mud bath for myself. Here’s your one opportunity to laugh at my expense of chasing balls for the first time ever.

How you doing, me ould mucker?

Do I look like a hooker?

Equipped with dusty old boots from my tomboy years, tighty style under shorts compliments of the missus, and socks which never stayed up and exposed my pasty chicken legs, I took to the field with a belly of nerves and apprehension. I was bat shit crazy joining an already established club made up of current and ex international rugby stars, but I stuck in the gum shield (clearly the most attractive part of it at all) and hoped for the best. Everyone looked the part at training except for me. I couldn’t help feeling like I was in primary school again; if you didn’t have stuff that was a known label, you were either poor or totally uncool.

My main objective of the night was blend in and not be noticed as the newbie. I failed, miserably. The minute the drills commenced I found myself ambling around watching from a distance bemused, without the faintest breeze of what was going on. As far as I was concerned the ball had to go backwards, and everything else was double Dutch. Everyone already knew the basics so I was pretty screwed. I might as well have dressed up in a giant greenhorn costume and danced with the ball really. After half an hour I wasn’t as terrified and I gained a slight notion of what we were actually doing. What threw me though was the frequent use of words like “ruck, rockey ball and maul” and I wasn’t aware of any maul other than the teenage disco type so I was intrigued.

Image from oldbelvedere.ie

Low and hard

Towards the end of the session I was battered and bruised and even my armpits ached. After multiple tackling and defensive drills I was obviously thrilled when the coach announced that we were playing a “little” full contact game with each other. Chances to put the learning into practice yes, but also an opportunity for the veterans on the team to spot the fresh meat and smash me. I was given concise and simple advice; “if you get the ball then run, and if you plan on tackling get low”. At this point I couldn’t force my 5ft10 self to get any lower, and if I did there was a likely possibility of me not getting back up.

Reluctantly I slotted into a team and tried not look as vulnerable as possible although there was clearly a whop of fear. For the most part I managed to stick to the advice but I rarely got the ball – so happy days! Shortly the whole thing was over and I was still walking, miraculously.

By the end of the second training session I felt much more comfortable, as we split into first and second teams which was ever so slightly less terrifying.

One attribute I noticed about the team was the great sense of camaraderie and togetherness. That’s probably the ponsiest way to describe the elements of team spirit but the Old Belvedere girls did go out of their way to welcome me into the close knit family. My initial outlook on the whole women’s rugby topic was the stereotype that many people have; loads of aggressive women beating the living daylights out of each other. How I was wrong. The skill, communication and teamwork involved in getting that ball over the line is astounding and to do it well is a challenge in itself.

Game changing sub

It is by far the most addictive game and there’s nothing like throwing yourself into a tackling bag to relieve any stress, anger or frustration which we all at some point feel. Note: always rope the other half into going with you, it does wonderful things for the relationship and you’ll find yourself overcoming arguments fairly lively at training! Winning games is the best feeling of all, (not saying it’s the most important thing) especially when you get subbed on and are passionate to make a difference on the pitch. The social side is what sets it apart from any other sport as nights out and events are always encouraged and the general “bants” happen all the time regardless.

Image from findrugbynow.com

Four weeks in and I feel indestructible, aided by shoulder pads which give the intimidating triangular appearance and make you feel like Schwarzenegger’s offspring. Three matches later and I no longer consider myself to be the newbie, even if I’m still clueless to most of the rules. Someday I may even score a try, who knows. Someday I may also break limbs or smash my face open, both are equally exciting!

Join up

And on that note, there are definitely a few of you reading this who are rugby stars lurking in the shadows. Perhaps you don’t know it yet but if the idea of grabbing girls inappropriately in a situation where it’s totally okay gets you going then rugby is for you. If you can’t afford to or don’t necessarily fancy jumping from bridges or aeroplanes to get an adrenaline fix, running lengths of a pitch with a big ball in your hand being chased by women ten times bigger than you will tick that box.

Finally, the newest women’s team to emerge in Dublin are the Emerald Warriors. They are always looking for new players to expand the team, beginners or experienced, so get in touch.

Disclaimer: Never put yourself forward for the position of prop or second row, wearing a scrum cap makes you look like a sweaty egg.

Exclusive: Women’s rugby “the next big thing” in sport

click here — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:15:00 +0000

A meeting of The Rugby Business Network took place last night in Lansdowne RFC. The aim of the meeting was to bring business professionals together – through the medium of rugby, you might say.

Organised by Philip Mullins and Trevor Keane, and hosted by rugby greats Shane Byrne and Jim Glennon – with a surprise appearance from Joe Schmidt, Head Coach with Leinster – the night included a discussion of women’s rugby and the opportunities for the sport.

Image: The Rugby Business Network

Currently without a sponsor for either the 15-a-side squad (which will next line out in the Six Nations) or for the 7-a-side squad (which will compete at the Sevens Rugby World Cup in Moscow next year in what will be the first stop on the road to Rio 2016), the subject of women’s rugby generated a lot of discussion – and huge support.

Starting the conversation, and given the exciting summer of sport that has been, one of the questions asked during the evening was: What is the next big thing in sport?

In Jim Glennon’s view it’s women’s sevens rugby:

It mightn’t be the biggest thing [at the moment], but watch it over the next four years. The IRFU are throwing their full weight behind women’s sevens for Rio 2016, and it will be well worth watching.

One of the event sponsors, Rob Hartnett of SportforBusiness, who recently organised a discussion on women’s sport in Ireland, had this to say:

Women’s rugby is a sport which is completely taking off. [Sevens rugby] only got into the Olympics because the IOC said, “Yes you can have the men in there, but everything has to be parity, so we have to have women.”

And the Irish women’s team could yet become the first women’s team to actually qualify for an Olympics. Can you imagine that?

Hartnett added an anecdote to starkly highlight an issue that is at once a challenge and an opportunity for women’s rugby:

And yet, think back to the launch of the RBS Six Nations this year. Fiona Coghlan was pictured alongside Paul O’Connell either side of the Six Nations trophy.

Paul O’Connell had a huge, big “O2″ on his jersey. Fiona was the only one of the Six Nations captains to actually walk through in the photocall without a sponsor on the jersey.

He added:

We’ve seen how everything in the Olympics was so brilliant. Everything in the Olympics is about parity. So, women’s sport is the future.

Ireland v Italy (24 Feb 2012). Image: © Joan O’Connell

Later during Q&A, I asked Shane Byrne, from his experience going from amateur to professional rugby, whether he thinks there are any parallels to be seen in the development of the women’s game or any lessons to be learned from that?

Byrne responded by saying that Ireland’s women can take the same strides as the men in rugby: “Absolutely”.

The women’s game is very much an attitude-based thing. The attitudes the women have are exactly on par with the Brian O’Driscolls, with the Gordon D’Arcys, with the Paul O’Connells. With the women, the passion is there. They want to improve just as much.

He added:

The game complements their physicality, the levels that they’re at, and it’s developing at an equal rate, but [it's] different to the men’s game. There’s much more concentration on skills. And to me that’s what it’s all about.

Jim Glennon developed the point, sharing his views on the women’s game:

The reason why I think it has such potential for 2016 is that, first of all, it will be the first time that there has ever been a women’s sevens competition in the Olympics. And, for that reason, most of the big Olympic powers that we tend to think of haven’t got ’round to it yet. So it’s a relatively open playing field.

It will also attract a number of elite athletes from other Irish sports – I’m thinking particularly of sprinters who mightn’t just make the athletics side, but who may well have played Gaelic football or camogie in their youth, and would find the hand-eye co-ordination and ball-carrying relatively easy.

Glennon continued:

For sevens, you probably need a squad of about 14 or 15 [players]. It’s very manageable for smaller countries. And particularly for one of the traditional powers of the game. I just think it’s there to be captured.

Regardless of sponsorship, I think you’re going to have a very exciting few years watching how it goes from zero to, I would think, top ten at the Olympics in Rio is relatively easily done. And with a bit of luck and injury-free, you could even be talking podium.

So, the sporting talent is there, the support within rugby is there. Discussion is one thing, however; what companies and broadcasters will put their money where their mouth is and invest in the women’s game?

Former Welsh rugby international, Melita Williams, joked that as a Welsh blow-in she may have reason to be glad that the Ireland squad has no sponsor. She pointed out, however, that this was a business networking event and, to applause from the room, asked:

What are you all going to do about it?!

So – RTÉ, companies, venues – it’s over to you. There are just seven months until the World Cup. Let’s get this on TV screens, let’s get money, resources and support into the game. The countdown to Rio has begun!

Ireland v Scotland (9 Mar 2012). Image: © Joan O’Connell

Shane Byrne is currently Director of Arklow Waste Disposal
Jim Glennon is currently a Public Affairs Consultant with Edelman
Joe Schmidt is Head Coach with Leinster Rugby
Melita Williams is Director of Bespoke Belfast
Rob Hartnett is Director of SportforBusiness.com

Key dates coming up in the rugby calendar:

- 2013: Sevens World Cup, Moscow
- 2013: Six Nations
- 2014: Rugby World Cup, France
- 2016: Rio Olympics

The Rugby Business Network:

web / linkedin / twitter

Spotlight on women’s rugby at major event in Dublin tomorrow

click here — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Former Leinster, Ireland & Lions rugby player, Shane Byrne, will join rugby legend Jim Glennon tomorrow night in Dublin to host a Rugby Business Network (RBN) event to discuss opportunities for the sport and businesses.

The evening will include the topic of women’s rugby and how women’s rugby influences business.

Former Welsh International, Melita Williams, is travelling to the event from Belfast where she currently works as Director of Bespoke Belfast. During the evening, Williams will discuss how the game had an effect on her professional career.

Readers of Gaelick may recall earlier in the year that Shane Byrne was vocal in his support of Ireland’s women in the latest Six Nations, when news emerged of difficulties in travelling to the squad’s away fixture against France. It’s fantastic to see his continued support, and that of the RBN, for the women’s game.

With an impressive Six Nations 2012 campaign for Ireland, and recent qualification for the Seven’s World Cup in Moscow next year, now is an ideal time to debate the next steps for the women’s game.

So, what are the potential commercial opportunities or challenges for women’s rugby? And are there opportunities for the women’s game to go professional? If there are, should it?

How can terrestrial broadcasters such as RTÉ, BBC, Setanta Ireland be convinced that women’s rugby should receive comparable coverage to that given to the men’s game, be it at international or club level?

During the World Cup 2010 in England, Sky Sports broadcast each of the England fixtures, earning impressive viewing figures. This was echoed during this year’s Six Nations, when the IRFU streamed the Ireland v Scotland fixture live online, and it became the IRFU’s most watched live stream.

England flanker, Ambassador for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and all-round rugby legend, Maggie Alphonsi MBE was a guest speaker at the RBN’s London event recently, fresh from her royal honours.

Speaking earlier in the year, she said of her hopes for the sport:

I’d like rugby to be seen as a genderless sport, for the women’s game to be treated the same as the men’s. It should be appreciated for the athletes and people involved.

Alphonsi has also shared her views on professionalism and the women’s game:

The game is becoming more and more professional and the athletes within the women’s game are being presented with different challenges. Who would have thought five years ago that women would be playing on the greatest of stages around the world and people would be taking notice and more female rugby players being recognised and rewarded for their efforts?

With professionalism comes more commitment though and with more commitment there is less flexibility and ones choices become limited. The challenges that now face women rugby players are when do they start planning for their careers? Do they start planning early into their sporting career or do they leave it until they have finished their sporting career and retirement is upon them?

The night’s sponsors are SportforBusiness.com and Teamer.net. SportforBusiness.com recently hosted a round table meeting to discuss women in sport in Ireland, and the possibilities for generating greater commercial support and awareness.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow night’s event, Shane Byrne said:

The Rugby Business Network is a great event for interaction and knowledge sharing with business professionals on all levels to take the rugby teamwork ethos and club camaraderie into a corporate setting.

The RBN is a not for profit venture hosted on business networking online platform Linked In. The Network aims to connect business people with a passion for rugby and aims to become the world’s number one facilitator of business networking. Members of the RBN host networking events all over the world which are free to attend.

Due to the popular demand for the event and tickets being sold out, the RBN hopes to provide another chance for new members to utilise the Network and attend a further Dublin event.

The Network is not just about the game or a career within the game off the field, but is for any professional on any landscape who enjoys rugby.

Key dates coming up in the rugby calendar:

- 2013: Sevens World Cup, Moscow
- 2013: Six Nations
- 2014: Rugby World Cup, France
- 2016: Rio Olympics

The Rugby Business Network:

web / linkedin / twitter

Rugby: Ireland go through to World Cup 2013!

click here — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 14:30:06 +0000

Ireland’s 7s squad booked their place yesterday in the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013, nicking the final available spot with a win over the Ukraine.

The team was at the FIRA/AER European Championship tournament, which also served as the Qualifiers for the World Cup taking place in Russia next year.

Ireland’s qualification is a huge achievement for this talented squad, led by captain Claire Molloy, and the management team headed by coach Jon Skurr and manager Gemma Crowley. Molloy spoke briefly after Ireland’s World Cup qualification was confirmed:

While Ireland has for years had a 15-a-side team in women’s rugby, the seven-a-side squad is a mere 11 weeks old. During that time they have learned and improved incredibly. Unlike the team’s last competition in Amsterdam where they dominated completely, Ireland faced a greater challenge over the weekend, with hugely experienced teams testing the players to the fullest. This was reflected in the scorelines, with losses to the Netherlands and Russia.

The coming year will give the side time to refine their abilities and skills ahead of the World Cup. The team is undoubtedly paving the way for more opportunities for women to participate in rugby as a whole, and in particular the sevens format which is the rugby we’ll see in the Olympics for the first time in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Ireland will be one of 16 teams competing at the 2013 Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens, with the event taking place between 28th and 30th June at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

Speaking ahead of the Qualifiers on Friday, the Women’s Development Manager of the International Rubgy Board, Susan Carty, said:

There is no doubt that Women’s Rugby is going from strength to strength. With more than one million girls and women playing the Game and our international competitions attracting major exposure, Women’s Rugby really is making a name for itself as an inclusive, competitive and attractive sport to play and watch.

Ireland scored 12 tries in their three pool games on Saturday with Alison Miller and Ashling Hutchings scoring two apiece, while Molloy, Joy Neville, Lynne Cantwell, Jennifer Murphy, Sophie Spence, Jeannette Feighery, Niamh Kavanagh and Amy Davis also crossed over the line. Full player rankings and team info can be found here and in the tables below.

Results, match reports and links to video highlights are as follows:

30th June 2012 (Pool fixtures)

Italy 5-17 Ireland (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oBR8ighj-8

)
Netherlands 14-12 Ireland (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-Gl6kQUIPU

)
Switzerland 0-43 Ireland (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_5mattQG_8

)

(Ireland ranked second in their Pool on seven points, after the Netherlands and ahead of Italy and then the Ukraine.)

1st July 2012

Russia 27-0 Ireland (Quarter-finals – Cup & plate)
Ukraine 0-17 Ireland (Semi-finals – Plate; Ireland’s World Cup qualification hinged on this game)
Ireland 7-31 Netherlands (Finals – Plate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7KXIhPcvAg

the highlights!)

Rugby: Now the real work begins to get to the World Cup

click here — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:30:24 +0000

Sophie Spence fends off a Welsh tackle during the Six Nations 2012

There was heartbreak for Ireland’s football squad last week, when the team crashed out of the Euro 2013 qualifying stages.

Things look a lot better for the national 7s rugby side, however, who have been almost unbeatable since the seven-a-side team was formed just a few short months ago.

To get to this weekend’s World Cup qualifiers in Moscow, Ireland had to make it through the recent European Championship fixtures in Ghent. And make it through they did, racking up 242 points in six matches over two days, without conceding a single point. (I think the technical term for that is, “Pooing all over the opposition”.)

Now the real work begins, however. Ireland are placed in a pool with the Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland. According to ScrumQueens, Ireland and the Netherlands are favourites to top the pool, but Italy could cause some upset. Ireland’s toughest battle looks set to be when they face the Netherlands.

To get to the World Cup, which is exactly 365 days away, Ireland must rank among the top five teams in the tournament.

While most of us in Dublin will be making final preparations for the Pride parade on Saturday morning, the squad will be opening their campaign morning with a game against Italy who are ranked sixth going into the European Championship. Ireland’s second game of the day will see them face the Netherlands, who are the third-ranked team in the event, and the final game of the day later that evening will see Ireland face off against Switzerland.

After these pool stages, Ireland has been paired with Pool D (France, Russia, Wales and Moldova) to battle it out for the Cup/Bowl/Plate.

Speaking before the tournament, head coach John Skurr said:

We are really looking forward to going to Moscow and stepping our game up to the next level. We began our Sevens journey only 11 weeks ago and the commitment that the ladies have shown has been instrumental in noticeable improvements in our skill levels.

We go into this tournament having come off the back of winning the first qualifying tournament in Belgium without conceding a point. However, we have no doubt that there are a lot of top quality teams both from a traditional and non-traditional rugby culture who will be competing in Moscow.

He added:

All of the players are excited about getting the opportunity to play in the tournament and are looking forward to bringing the Irish spirit to Moscow.

Captain Claire Molloy believes that Ireland can reach the top five in the weekend’s tournament and make it to next year’s World Cup, saying:

At the start of the programme, we set out our goals which included qualifying for the WRWC in 2013. It is not going to be an easy goal to achieve as there are some top class rugby teams competing [this weekend] in Moscow.

However, I believe that the quality of players that we have along with the progression that we have made over the last number of months will help us to be successful in qualifying.

Ireland’s pool fixtures:

Saturday, 30th June

11:06am – Italy v Ireland
1:50pm – Netherlands v Ireland
4:34pm – Switzerland v Ireland

Ireland squad:

Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Connacht)
Amy Davis (Blackrock/Leinster)
Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Ashling Hutchings (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Claire Keohane (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht) (capt)
Jeannette Feighery (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Jennifer Murphy (Richmond/Exiles)
Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Lynne Cantwell (Richmond/Exiles)
Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Sophie Spence (Sharks/ Exiles)

More:

Rugby: World Cup bid begins this weekend!

click here — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:30:37 +0000

UPDATE (9th June 2012): Check the comments for results & match info!

New Zealand schmealand. It’s all about Belgium this weekend, when Ireland’s only international 7s squad travels to Ghent for the FIRA/AER European Championship 2012.

These are the pre-qualifiers for the 2013 World Cup in Moscow, and to proceed to the next stage of qualifiers, Ireland must be in the top two in their group. To do this, the team faces the Czech Republic, Belgium, Poland and Israel. ScrumQueens has a rundown of the nations lining out this weekend, giving an indication of what lies ahead for the side.

The squad has now been named, and features a rake of Munster players, a couple of Connacht players, a smidge of Exiles, as well as one player each from Leinster and Ulster. Connacht gets a bonus, with the naming of Galway’s Claire Molloy as captain – she of Heineken Boot-lifting fame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmCJBkEbSFo

Ireland’s Claire Molloy lifts the Heineken Boot trophy
at Amsterdam Sevens 2012

Speed and handling are of the essence in 7s rugby, and the team choices reflect that. Anyone who watched any of this year’s Six Nations fixtures will remember impressive bursts from Alison Miller and Niamh Kavanagh, among others. A couple of this named side picked up their first caps for Ireland earlier this year as part of the Ireland 15s squad in the Six Nations. Sophie Spence and Ashleigh Baxter both made a huge impact with their fast pace, awareness and several tries between them. They and their team mates are accompanied by cool heads of experienced players including Lynne Cantwell, Amy Davis, Jeannette Feighery.

Ireland have done exceptionally well since the announcement and formation of the 7s squad in April, picking up trophies at each tournament, most recently at the Rugby Rocks event in London. This weekend will be the team’s first major competition, however, and will be one of the two most inexperienced sides there.

Speaking ahead of the weekend’s competition, Molloy said:

It is a massive honour firstly to be asked to captain the team. I didn’t expect it at all. There are other girls in the squad with more fifteens experience and caps.

I think I am probably the link between the them and the new girls that have come into the Sevens squad.

We performed well in losing to Spain, who have a dedicated Sevens programme in place and against Canada who are regulars on the circuit. Apart from that we have won all our games including an important one against Scotland.

This weekend is a bit of an unknown for us though as the Czech Republic and Poland are much higher up the rankings and they are not short of experience.

Head coach Jon Skurr said:

I am extremely pleased with the progress of the squad to date.

Whilst we have only had a short time working together, the players have shown massive commitment and a very strong work ethic which has been instrumental in our success thus far.

In Belgium, we will be very much going into the unknown in terms of the teams we are up against but I am confident that we can do the job required and progress to the next level.

Unfortunately, it’s looking unlikely that the matches will be broadcast or streamed live, although confirmation is yet to come through. In the meantime, you can follow what’s happening on Twitter, via the #EC7s and #wrugby hashtags and on a certain someone’s handy women’s rugby list. Prepare those nails for biting!

IRELAND SEVENS SQUAD

Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Lynne Cantwell (Richmond/Exiles)
Amy Davis (Blackrock/Leinster)
Jeannette Feighery (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Ashling Hutchings (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Claire Keohane (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Connacht)
Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht) (capt)
Jennifer Murphy (Richmond/Exiles)
Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Laura O’Mahony (Tralee/Munster)
Sophie Spence (Sharks/ Exiles)

Ireland Fixtures (All times are Irish time)

Saturday, 9th June:

10:00 Ireland v Czech Republic
13:00 Belgium v Ireland
15:00 Poland v Ireland

Sunday, 10th June:

10:40 Israel v Ireland

Meeting will discuss challenges & opportunities facing women in sport

click here — Mon, 28 May 2012 11:30:55 +0000

A meeting will take place in Dublin later this week to consider the challenges and opportunities facing women in sport in Ireland.

Members of Sport for Business will gather this Thursday, 31st May, at Jury’s Croke Park. There, representatives from sports governing bodies, existing partners of women’s sport, athletes and others will look at why only one per cent of commercial investment in sport goes towards games played by women.

The meeting will explore issues including:

What are the perceptions of women’s sport that prevent greater commercial sponsorship?
Are there particular sectors which could gain great marketing mileage for a relatively modest investment?
How extensive is media coverage of women’s sport and can it be improved?
What can we learn from the role model for women’s sport that is Katie Taylor?
What has worked well for companies that have been involved in supporting Women’s sport?

“We have just enjoyed another weekend of fabulous achievement by Irish women on the world’s sporting stages,” said Sport for Business CEO, Rob Hartnett, “Aileen Morrison, Sycericka McMahon and Natalya Coyle have performed wonders yet still we find it difficult to raise funding from the business world for sports that are seen as minority.”

“There have been some advances in recent times with Katie Taylor leading the way, but we want to develop a growing awareness among business leaders that women’s sport can deliver great partnerships at a much lower cost than what are seen as the premium teams and events.”

“We want to use this potential golden era for women’s sport to place it on a more secure footing when it comes to attracting investment and delivering loyalty to brands and partners.”

Among those represented at the meeting will be top flight athletes, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the International Rugby Board, The Irish Hockey Association, The Irish Sports Council and Beaut.ie.

“Bicycling has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world”

— Susan B. Anthony, suffragist, 1896

Since the start of the year, Irish women have gained several sporting achievements – including in rugby, track & field, and boxing – while at least 26 athletes have qualified for the London Olympics and Ireland’s football squad continues their Euro 2013 qualifying fixtures.

Last month, in a documentary for the BBC, Gaby Logan explored the shocking and pervasive sexism at all levels in English football. Meanwhile, in February, an international conference met place in Los Angeles to discuss women in sport. At the close of that event, participants called on sports leaders to take a more proactive role in advancing the cause of women in and through sport. The conference approved the “Los Angeles Declaration” which focused on:

The need to bring more women into management and leadership roles
The need to increase collaboration and partnerships, especially with UN organisations, to promote gender equality.

Sport for Business is a community of business and sporting leaders looking to build bridges between the two for the benefit of both.

A review of points arising from the meeting will be available at www.sportforbusiness.com on Thursday evening.

If you’re interested in attending Thursday’s event please contact Rob Hartnett rob@sportforbusiness.com.

What? Sport for Business presents Women in Sport: Round Table Discussion
When? Thursday 31st May (referendum day!) at 9:00am-10:30am
Where? Jury’s Croke Park (opposite stadium)
How much? Sport for Business members can attend for free. €30 for non-members.

Also:

Niamh Griffin: Inspiring Sports Women
Women Talk Sports
Irish Sports Council: Women in sport web / facebook
UN: Women, gender equality and sport [pdf]

Rugby: Ireland impress, with eyes on World Cup and 2016 Olympics

click here — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:30:33 +0000

Update (25th May 2012 at 3:55pm): The squad for this weekend’s Rugby Rocks tournament has now been announced.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmCJBkEbSFo

Ireland’s Claire Molloy lifts the Heineken Boot trophy
at Amsterdam Sevens 2012

Since the announcement of the Irish seven-a-side team structures in women’s rugby, players from the national squad have togged out for tournaments in Kinsale and Amsterdam. Next up in the hectic summer schedule will be the Rugby Rocks meeting in London, followed by a packed June month beginning with the Bournemouth Sevens competition, before the real work begins at World Cup Qualifiers taking place in Ghent and Moscow.

The Amsterdam Sevens took place last weekend, where the team (playing as Irish Lightning) had their first real taste of international competition as a sevens side. The results were revealing and indicated a steep but definite learning curve for the players.

In their pool, Pool B, they faced three teams on Saturday: Canada, Spain and France. They lost to the dominant Canadians, and to Spain who are an experienced team in the sevens format. The points scored, however, were racking up for the team. Ireland’s third meeting was against France, where they won comfortably.

Saturday’s fixtures:

Canada 15-5 Ireland

Scores: Amy Davis (try)

Spain 19-10 Ireland

Scores: Claire Molloy (try); Amy Davis (try)

France 12-19 Ireland

(No footage)

After Saturday’s games, the tournament rules said that the top 6 teams would play it out on Sunday for the final spots. Ireland came a respectable 7th overall on Saturday. The remainder of Saturday’s teams would play for the Heineken Boot – which Ireland won, winning three out of three games, including once again defeating France, this time by a slim margin in a game that remained scoreless until the second half. (Revenge for the Six Nations, perhaps?)

Team manager, Gemma Crowley, tweeted a photo of the team looking pleased as punch:

Roll on many more wins for the Irish Ladies lockerz.com/s/210477353

— Gemma Crowley (@gemmacrowley) May 20, 2012

Sunday’s fixtures:

Germany 12-17 Ireland

Scores: Lynne Cantwell (try); Alison Miller (try; con); Joy Neville (try)

Wales 26-0 Ireland

(No footage)

France 5-7 Ireland

Heineken Boot Cup Final (for 7th/8th place overall in the tournament)

Scores: Lynne Cantwell (try); Ashleigh Baxter (con)

Scrumqueens has a round-up of the Saturday and Sunday fixtures and results.

Ireland and sevens rugby

Recently, it was announced that rugby would be included as an Olympic sport, with the first such fixtures taking place during the Rio Games in 2016. The format for Olympic rugby will be seven-a-side, not fifteen-a-side.

So, the IRFU’s decision (whatever about the timing and bonkers busy schedule) to put together a women’s 7s team may not be all that surprising, especially after the unprecedented levels of support and publicity that the Ireland squad received during this year’s Six Nations.

The World Cup 2013 and Rio Olympics 2016

On the one hand, there’s the importance and prestige of the Olympics. Just look at the response to Katie Taylor’s recent qualificaiton for London 2012. The flurry of 7s tournaments taking place this spring and summer are therefore ideal testing grounds for new and experienced players to get used to – and be assessed for – this new format.

(Unfortunately for the men, they appear to have been omitted from 7s rugby. But, hey, they’re well looked after as it is, so they can fight that battle themselves!)

All of this frenetic 7s activity (and more) is to prepare an Irish 7s team for the 7s World Cup in Moscow next year. The real test will come in June where from the 8th to the 10th the side will have to finish first or second in the FIRA qualifying tournament in Ghent, Belgium, where Ireland is in Group B. If they get through that, the team will then need to finish in the top five European teams in Moscow at the the next round of qualifiers at the end of June.

Beyond 2016

On the other hand, the 7s format may achieve more than (hopefully) Olympic and World Cup glory. Before the announcement of the 7s structures and pathways, the Ireland players (as at 15s side) would not have trained or played together as a team until the next Six Nations championship, a full year later. This is what happened between the Six Nations 2011 and 2012.

With this new squad, however, there is greater opportunity for more players (the original 7s training camp had 65 players participating) to gain more experience and develop skills, and to play competitively as a team. In other words, the benefit will be to both the 7s and 15s squads, and increases the possibilities available to younger players coming up through schools and universities.

The effect, hopefully, will be to make Ireland a more competitive force against dominant sides such as England, New Zealand, USA and Canada, where the pool of players is far greater and the women’s game more developed.

GO, TEAM!

Check out our What’s On calendar for fixtures and dates!

Ireland Sevens schedule 2012:

26th-27th May: Camp (21 players) & Rugby Rocks

1st-3rd June: Bournemouth Sevens (12 players)

8th-10th June: FIRA Qualifiers, Ghent (12 players)

23rd June: Camp (14 players)

28th June-1st July: FIRA Qualifiers, Moscow (12 players)

Previously in the Ireland Sevens schedule 2012:

6th April: Interprovincial Competition/Screening (65 players)

13th-28th April: Weekend training camps (21 players)

4th-6th May: Kinsale Sevens (12 players)

12th-13th May: Camp (21 players)

18th-20th May: Amsterdam Sevens (12 players)

Rugby: Irish players are back, this time with a new format

click here — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:53:42 +0000

There’s been non-stop rugby news for the past number of weeks.

Since the out-of-the-blue announcement by the IRFU that Ireland will field a women’s sevens side, it has been all go for the players in training camps and tournaments – and the pace will continue through the summer. And in the space of just two days, the IRFU has spoiled us with no less than five videos to tell us all about what we can expect over the coming months – and hopefully years.

Tomorrow in Amsterdam, Ireland faces Canada, Spain and France in the Amsterdam Sevens tournament. This follows their recent win at the Kinsale Sevens competition.

After you’ve recovered from the excitement of watching Katie Taylor in the World Boxing Championships final (come on, Katie!), you can sit down to watch the live stream of Ireland’s rugby side take to the field. (Come on, Irish Lightning!) You can also follow the action on Twitter, using the #amsterdamsevens hashtag.

According to Scrumhalf Connection in the States, Ireland is in Pool B, and their fixtures tomorrow are as follows:

1:20pm Canada v Ireland
3:20pm Spain v Ireland
6:10pm France v Ireland

How they perform in the Saturday will determine their games and position on Sunday.

A note about 7s rugby

Unlike the 15-a-side rugby squads we may be familiar with from the likes of the Six Nations championship, the 7-a-side format of rugby is a faster game, and requires more fitness, skill and ball-handling ability. The games are also starkly different from the 80 minute slog endured by the 15s squads. Instead, the 7s teams play short games of two halves of seven minutes with a half-time break of one minute, and can be expected to play several games in one day.

Followers of the 15s squad who lined out for the recent Six Nations will notice a healthy mix of some experienced and new faces among the team named by coach John Skurr for this weekend’s games:

Ashleigh Baxter
Lynne Cantwell
Nikki Caughey
Amy Davis
Jeannette Feighery
Shannon Houston
Ashling Hutchings
Claire Keohane
Alison Miller
Claire Molloy
Joy Neville
Laura O’Mahony
Sophie Spence

Six Nations: England 26-3 Ireland

click here — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:57:24 +0000

View images from Ireland’s Six Nations fixtures

England v Ireland photos: © Myak Homberger/Papaya Photography.
All other photos © Joan O’Connell.

Saturday, St Patrick’s Day, saw Ireland face England away in their final fixture of the Six Nations Championship. Our man at Esher RFC, Myak Homberger of Papaya Photography, was snapping away on the sidelines, and has kindly shared his images of the game with us.

England were always the favourites, going into the game undefeated, and having conceded only 6 points and not a single try. Still, though, the final score flattered England somewhat, as Ireland fought hugely.

Before the half-time break, both teams were level at six points each, with two penalty kicks per team slotted between the posts. It was only in the last 20 minutes or so that Ireland’s form was undone, and England managed to earn two tries and conversions to secure their historic win – Triple Crown, Grand Slam and the Championship.

Ireland can be proud: of their performance on Saturday, and throughout the tournament.

The team has been disciplined, clinical and determined. They have maintained an expansive style of play, conceding very few points – six to the dominant England, and eight to France after That Infamous Journey. Several new caps joined the team and integrated with the greatest of ease, and making a significant impact and contribution: Ashleigh Baxter, Sophie Spence, Paula Fitzpatrick, Ruth O’Reilly, Siobhán Fleming, Nikki Caughey.

View a slideshow of images from Saturday’s game.
Photos: © Myak Homberger/Papaya Photography

Head coach Philip Doyle said:

We have brought in a lot of new caps that have done very well. Ashleigh Baxter was playing Division Two rugby back at Christmas and has been great at fullback this season and Jennifer Murphy is a fantastic talent for the future.

Captain Fiona Coghlan said:

The scoreline flattered them [England], but they were more physical than us and were able to bring on a strong replacements in the front-row. I’m happy with how we’ve looked to play all season and we’ve brought in a lot of new caps that have grown in confidence as the season progressed.

The next time we see Ireland play will be the Six Nations 2013, unless there are any plans by the IRFU to arrange further international fixtures. Here’s hoping!

More:

Images:

Match reports:

Six Nations: Bourke returns for Ireland’s Triple Crown bid

click here — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:00:37 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w72eOkj_XYI

Check that AC/DC.

This St Patrick’s Day, the Six Nations Triple Crown is up for grabs for Ireland for very the first time; if Ireland is victorious, and by a margin of 24 points or more, they could win the Six Nations Championship itself. Meanwhile, an unbeaten England will be clamouring for both the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam title.

The game against England will be streamed online by the RFU, and if you’re in Dublin 4 on Paddy’s Day, Kiely’s pub will be showing it on the big screen (roysh). Kick-off is at 2pm.

You can show your support to the team by following the gaggle of players who have recently joined Twitter (see the squad list, below) – and by following the #wrugby and #EngIrl hashtags.

Head coach, Philip Doyle, has reverted to form and brought back Gillian Bourke to the starting XV’s front row between Ailis Egan and captain, Fiona Coghlan, returning Paula Fitzpatrick to the Replacements.

As ever, England have been dominant in this year’s Championship, and they are the favourites on Saturday. Watch out for skipper and fly-half Katie McLean, and for scrum-half and former-winger Natasha Hunt, according to ScrumQueens.

Yet Ireland have conceded a mere ten points throughout the entire tournament, and lost only one game by a single point (after that now infamous débacle that was their journey to France). The side has also broken several records: the squad’s most-capped-ever player, Lynne Cantwell, has added a further five caps to the tally; the team has amassed the greatest ever number of points and tries in a tournament, among them the record-breaking win against Wales; in three home games, the team has scored 24 tries; right now, Ireland may be on the best points difference they’ve achieved in the Six Nations; the side is also currently second on the Championship table, another first for Ireland.

Following the stuttering start and That Trip To France, Ireland have been determined and clinical. They have consistently learned from their mistakes, and have been increasingly cohesive as a team. That’s no mean feat for a side with a raft of fresh faces and which has effectively had to learn to work together on-the-trot, given that the Six Nations fixtures have been Ireland’s only international test matches since the last Championship over twelve months ago.

So, let’s be optimistic: Ireland’s form against England in the Six Nations hasn’t covered the team in glory, but if Ireland can maintain their stamina, cohesion, mental discipline and clinical execution, they could cause an upset for the home side.

View a images from all of Ireland’s home games
in the Six Nations 2012 Championship.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s game, Doyle said:

We have been very lucky in this tournament, we haven’t had to make too many changes and the depth in the squad is very strong.

We are very realistic in our outlook and firmly believe we have closed the gap to put in a significant challenge on Saturday.

And skipper, Coghlan, called on her troops to continue their free-scoring ways:

The season has gone really well, we’re a little disappointed with the performance against Scotland but in fairness to them they put everything into it and they made our life hell at times.

To come away with a 20-0 win at the end of the day is a real positive and now we’re looking forward to the England game.

This is probably the most tries we have ever scored and currently we are on the best points difference we have ever been on.

The way we are trying to play is a heads up kind of rugby, we see what’s in front of us and people play in any position moving the ball around and it seems to be working for us.

We need to bring that against England next weekend which we know will be an enormous task.

Our fans have been great and hopefully a few of them will make the trip over to England next week when we go for the Triple Crown.

So watch out, England!

P.S. Now might be a good time to remind readers that the petition to the IRFU is still going (currently at 1247 signatures), and will be handed to the organisation at the end of the month.

It’s probably fair to say that the squad has by now earned the respect they deserve.

For now, though, some more visual goodies:

Philip Doyle speaks following Ireland’s recent win over Scotland.

Ireland captain Fiona Coghlan discusses the team’s latest victory,
and looks ahead to the game against England.

Lynne Cantwell discusses the team’s performance so far as well as
their determination to win the final Six Nations fixture on St Patrick’s Day against England.

(More images: Inpho.ie / Demotix / Scotland RFU)

And here’s footage from some of Ireland’s previous meetings in Six Nations 2012:

France v Ireland by FFR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqogLGndAas

Ireland v Italy

(More images: Inpho.ie / Demotix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-cW_bH3XfA

Ireland v Wales

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf2xa7IwW4U

Ireland v Wales

(More images: Inpho.ie / Sportsfile / Demotix)

Ireland starting XV and replacements v England:

15. Ashleigh Baxter
14. Niamh Kavanagh
13. Niamh Briggs
12. Grace Davitt
11. Alison Miller
10. Lynne Cantwell
9. Amy Davis
1. Fiona Coghlan (capt)
2. Gillian Bourke
3. Ailis Egan
4. Marie Louise Reilly
5. Sophie Spence
6. Laura Guest
7. Claire Molloy
8. Joy Neville

Replacements:

16. Paula Fitzpatrick
17. Ruth O’Reilly
18. Siobhan Fleming
19. Heather O’Brien
20. Larissa Muldoon
21. Shannon Houston
22. Jennifer Murphy

Ireland 2012 Six Nations fixtures:

† Ireland’s game against England will be streamed live online by the RFU.

Six Nations Table as it stands:

Six Nations: Ireland 20-0 Scotland

click here — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 12:16:43 +0000

Last night saw Ireland’s final Six Nations home game, and their penultimate fixture of the Championship overall.

We brought you live tweets from the game as it happened (until our phone conked out late in the second half. Again).

Scotland were going to be a tough side to face, a fact not reflected by the visiting side’s scoring or position on the tournament’s table. Nevertheless, Ireland secured their third consecutive victory in the Six Nations, and second sucessive win without conceding a point.

Next up, Ireland face England away, with both teams vying for the Triple Crown.

Let me make myself crystal clear here:

That’s Ireland v England. In the Six Nations. On Paddy’s Day. For the Triple Crown.

As with last night’s fixture the game will be live streamed by the host union. Get the popcorn ready.

View a slideshow of images from last night’s game.

The Ireland Women took their try-scoring tally to 19 in four Six Nations games as they accounted for Scotland at Ashbourne RFC. Alison Miller touched down in the closing stages, adding to first half tries from Sophie Spence and Ashleigh Baxter.

The wind-backed Scots were 12-0 behind at the break, with Niamh Briggs converting Spence’s close range score.

Winger Miller raced over in the left corner for her try, following Marie Louise Reilly’s block of an attempted Scottish clearance.

Paula Fitzpatrick, making her first Championship start, was right on the money with her first lineout throw and Ireland were quickly up to speed in attack.

A strong run from Niamh Kavanagh created space and with Scotland brought in close to their posts, lock Spence sprung over from close range for the opening try.

Briggs tagged on the conversion, and then combined well with her centre partner Grace Davitt as Ireland remained on the front foot.

The elusive Miller was denied by a forward pass as she sprinted up the right wing, with the Scots, winless in this campaign, struggling to get out of their own half.

Ireland almost added a second try with a powerful weaving run from Briggs, who was hauled down just short of the line. Louise Dalgliesh came in at the side of a ruck, but Briggs snatched at the resulting penalty and missed it.

Scotland hit back strongly and turned down a kickable penalty before Briggs produced a vital tackle on the advancing Stephanie Johnston, in front of the posts.

A strong scrum from the hosts earned a relieving penalty and out-half Lynne Cantwell then had to react smartly to close down Katy Green as she threatened out wide on the right.

But Ireland were much more clinical when attacking opportunities presented themselves at the other end. Slick passing across the back-line set up full-back Baxter for her second try in as many games.

Briggs’ conversion attempt from a tough position on the right fell short and with neither side impressing before the interval, Ireland took a 12-point lead into the second period.

Tricky centre Davitt was brought down just short of the Scottish line as Ireland threatened immediately on the resumption. The attack was set up by a strong charge on the right from prop Ailis Egan.

Briggs landed a subsequent penalty for a 15-0 scoreline and lively winger Kavanagh, already with three tries to her name in recent weeks, was left frustrated by two near misses.

She was called back for a foot in touch on the right after a brilliant counter attack was sparked by the fleet-footed Miller inside her own half.

Kavanagh was soon denied again in the same corner, this time by a forward pass. By that stage, Shannon Houston had made a welcome return to the Irish midfield.

Nonetheless, with Scotland lacking the firepower to get off the mark, this superior Ireland outfit fittingly had the final say with Miller’s 73rd-minute try.

Towering lock Reilly got her block in and Irish captain Fiona Coghlan reacted quickly to spot numbers on the left and start a string of passes which led to the winger dotting down.

Standout players included:

Try scorers, Sophie Spence, Ashleigh Baxter, Alison Miller; Niamh Briggs with excellent kicking; Niamh Kavanagh, Ashleigh Baxter and Claire Molloy who, like Miller, again made brilliant runs; playmaker Lynne Cantwell; Maz Reilly with important blocks; el capitan, Fiona Coghlan.

More:

Six Nations: Stop press! Doyle makes a change

click here — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:00:38 +0000

As Sam Cooke http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbO2_077ixs

it, “It’s been a long, a long time coming, But I know a change gonna come.”

And finally, that moment has arrived. Ireland coach, Philip Doyle, has made one change to the starting line-up for this Friday’s fixture against Scotland. Leinster’s Paula Fitzpatrick makes her first start of the Six Nations Championship in the front row between captain Fiona Coghlan and Ailis Egan, in place of Gillian Bourke.

The experienced Shannon Houston has also been recalled to the squad following injury as one of the reserve backs, at the expense of Ulster’s Nikki Caughey.

Ahead of the team’s last home game, Ireland are currently third in the Six Nations table following a narrow loss to France, and demolition of the Italians and Welsh. According to ScrumQueens, a key player for Scotland will be skipper Susie Brown, and the one to watch is flying winger Sarah Dixon.

Ireland Women’s head coach Philip Doyle said:

The win over Wales was fantastic and we enjoyed it, but next day the focus switched to Scotland.

We have put ourselves in a good position and the girls are playing some great rugby.

This week has been about fine-tuning things and again the commitment in training has been excellent.

A win against Scotland will be important (if not necessary) ahead of what is likely to be a difficult final game of the tournament away to England on St Patrick’s Day. As has already been mentioned, Ireland needs to hold its place in the Six Nations table this year and next to be in with a chance of qualifying for the World Cup in 2014.

View a slideshow of images from last Saturday’s Ireland v Wales replay.

Ireland starting XV and replacements v Scotland

(Ashbourne RFC, Co. Meath on 9th March, KO 7:30pm)

15. Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
14. Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster)
13. Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster)
12. Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster)
11. Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Highfield/Connacht)
10. Lynne Cantwell (Exile)
9. Amy Davis (Blackrock/Leinster)
1. Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster) (capt)
2. Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
3. Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
4. Sophie Spence (Exile)
5. Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
6. Laura Guest (Highfield/Munster)
7. Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht)
8. Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster)

Replacements:

16. Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster)
17. Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht)
18. Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster)
19. Heather O’Brien (Highfield/Munster)
20. Larissa Muldoon (Exile/UWIC/Ulster)
21. Shannon Houston (Blackrock/Leinster)
22. Jennifer Murphy (Exile)

Ireland 2012 Six Nations fixtures:

† Ireland’s game against England will be streamed live online by the RFU.

Six Nations Table as at 6th March 2012:

Six Nations: Ireland 36-0 Wales

click here — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 14:00:48 +0000

Ireland and Wales finally faced off at Ashbourne, and it was worth the wait.

We brought you live tweets from the game as it happened (until our phone conked out late in the second half. Again).

As with the game against Italy, Ireland racked up six tries. Unlike the game against Italy, the opposition failed to make an impact near Ireland’s try line. Ireland’s revenge for last year’s narrow loss was sweet.

This was an important victory for Ireland after a stuttering start to this year’s tournament and an agonising loss to the French in Pau. As Ireland face Scotland on Friday and England on Paddy’s Day, the team may be eyeing the Triple Crown. Certainly, this win helps their cause on the road to the 2014 Rugby World Cup.

View a slideshow of images from yesterday’s game .

Ireland opened the scoring after five minutes when former captain Joy Neville touched the ball down after a driving maul. With the sun in her eyes, however, Briggs’ kick was off target.

Sophie Spence, one of Ireland’s new faces this year, made a fantastic run, fending off attempted tackles, to score her first international try under the posts. Briggs easily converted this time.

Next to be added to the score sheet was on-form Niamh Kavanagh, who made it across the line thanks to a brilliant break by Claire Molloy. Unfortunately the conversion fell just short, and the score at half time was 17-0, with lots of cursing & gnashing of teeth from Welsh huddle.

After the break, Miller made a trademark run to add a further five points and Briggs converted to make it 24-0 to the home side.

Another great run by Molloy brought Ireland right up to the Welsh line. With another great maul, Gillian Bourke crashed over. Briggs was unlucky not to convert when the ball hit the uprights.

Another of the new additions to the team, full-back Ashleigh Baxter rounded off the try-scoring marathon, with Briggs doing the needful to make the final tally 36-0.

A fine performance on the day of Ireland captain Fiona Coghlan’s birthday.

Going into the game Wales were without their captain, Rachel Taylor, who was suspended for four weeks. A Six Nations committee had earlier found that during their game against England at Twickenham last week, Taylor had “committed an act of foul play in contravention of Law 10.4(b) in that she recklessly made contact with her boot to the face of an opposition player”. Taylor will be free to play again from 26th March next.

Standout players included:

Try scorers Joy Neville, Sophie Spence, Niamh Kavanagh, Alison Miller, Gillian Bourke, Ashleigh Baxter; Claire Molloy, influential throughout the game.

More:

Six Nations: If it ain’t broke don’t fix it

click here — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:41:17 +0000

One month on, and Ireland’s replay against Wales finally rolls around, the original game which opened the 2012 Six Nations having been abandoned at half time due to a frozen pitch. (Perhaps we can take it as a good omen that tomorrow’s match takes place on the Ireland captain’s birthday.)

And, sticking with his guns, Ireland coach Philip Doyle has opted for the same starting XV and replacements to face the Welsh.

During those 40 minutes of play last month, both teams appeared fairly evenly matched, but the 10-3 scoreline at half time reflected Ireland’s edge. As Doyle told ScrumQueens, the 40 minutes were a valuable added warm-up for Ireland, too, since the team hasn’t played together prior to this year’s Six Nations since the tournament last year:

In some ways the Wales postponement has probably helped us as it turned out to be an additional 40 minutes of additional rugby under our belt, which isn’t going to be a bad thing.

View a slideshow of images from the abandoned Ireland v Wales game.

In this tournament, Ireland has performed well despite the stuttering start and unfortunate events en route to Pau: the team dominated over Italy in the last game, and came achingly close to a win over France. Tomorrow’s game will be crucial not only in the current competition, but also as part of Ireland’s qualification pathway for the World Cup in 2014.

Wales on the other hand is likely to be eager for a win, especially given the trouncing they received from England last Saturday.

A question mark hangs over the side’s captain, Rachel Taylor, however. Arising out of the fixture in Twickenham, a citing complaint against her was made by the Rugby Football Union for an alleged act of foul play.

The disciplinary hearing for Taylor will be held in Dublin tomorrow, before the game at Ashbourne.

The citing complaint will be heard by an independent Six Nations disciplinary committee. Should the disciplinary committee reject the citing complaint and/or impose no suspension on Ms Taylor, she will be free to play in the rescheduled match between Wales and Ireland tomorrow afternoon. Should the disciplinary committee uphold the citing complaint and impose a suspension, Ms Taylor will not be permitted to play in the match tomorrow.

Whatever the outcome, it’s not the ideal start to the day for the visiting side.

Ireland starting XV and replacements v Italy (RBS 6 Nations)

(Ashbourne RFC, Co. Meath on 2nd March, KO 14:30 GMT)
View a table of the men’s and women’s Ireland starting XVs here.

15. Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins – Ulster)
14. Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians – Munster)
13. Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians – Munster)
12. Grace Davitt (Cooke – Ulster)
11. Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Highfield – Connacht)
10. Lynne Cantwell (Exile)
9. Amy Davis (Blackrock – Leinster)
1. Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians – Leinster) Captain
2. Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians – Munster)
3. Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere – Leinster)
4. Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere – Leinster)
5. Sophie Spence (Exile)
6. Laura Guest (Highfield – Munster)
7. Claire Molloy (Bristol – Exile)
8. Joy Neville (UL Bohemians – Munster)

Replacements:

16. Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s – Leinster)
17. Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians – Connacht)
18. Siobhan Fleming (Tralee – Munster)
19. Heather O’Brien (Highfield – Munster)
20. Larissa Muldoon (Exile/UWIC – Ulster)
21. Nikki Caughey (Belfast Harlequins – Ulster)
22. Jennifer Murphy (Exile)

Ireland 2012 Six Nations fixtures:

† Ireland’s game against England will be streamed live online by the RFU.

Six Nations Table as at 2nd March 2012:

Six Nations: Ireland 40-10 Italy

click here — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 16:15:12 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqogLGndAas

Ireland finally got through 80 minutes of play at home, and in the process firmly put behind them the narrow loss away against France and the abandoned Wales home fixture.

We brought you live tweets from the game as it happened. The final scoreline amounted to a resounding victory for Ireland, although in fairness to the Italians, doesn’t reflect the ferocity with which they fought.

Approaching half time, Italy threatened with repeated attacks right up at the Irish try line. Their attacking form continued in the second half, with much of the play taking place deep in the Irish half.

The visitors’ unrelenting efforts were in vain, however, and Ireland who were always the favourites capitalised on every opportunity.

Some poor discipline from Ireland, a reflection perhaps of Italy’s determination, saw yellow cards for Ailis Egan and Claire Molloy either side of half-time.

View a slideshow of images from last night’s game.

Lock Marie Louise Reilly made a break in the fifth minute of play to score the first try of the night. Niamh Kavanagh followed up in the 14th minute to secure Ireland’s second try. In the 29th minute, veteran Joy Neville grabbed the third try after a poor Italian clearance. With all of these tries converted by the unerring Niamh Briggs, the score was 21-0 to Ireland after 30 minutes.

A try from Italy’s Cristina Molic made it 21-7 at half time. Michela Tondinelli’s surprise drop goal closed the gap further 15 minutes after the re-start.

It wasn’t enough for the Italians, however, as Ireland countered Italy’s attacking play.

Echoing her blistering run in the abandoned game against Wales, Alison Miller made a spectacular 50-metre run toward before being tapped and taken down by Italian hooker Sara Zanon just short of the visitors’ try line. Scrum half Amy Davis collected and recovered, however, and secured the try to make it 26-10 in the 62nd minute.

Kavanagh made her presence felt for a second time, with an impressive second try in the 72nd minute, but Briggs miss-kicked and for the first time in the tournament was unable to convert. Just before the final whistle, replacement and one of the new faces on the Ireland squad Jennifer Murphy added the final try in injury-time with a darting run in under the posts against a tiring Italian defence.

Standout players included:

Try scorers, Marie Louise Reilly, who opened the scoring for Ireland, Niamh Kavanagh, with tries plural, Amy Davis, whose reflexes meant her name being added to the score sheet, and Jennifer Murphy, another fresh face who has made their presence immediately felt; Alison Miller, true to form with a fantastic run in the second half; Niamh Briggs, with near-flawless kicking.

More:

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Six Nations: No change again for Ireland

click here — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:45:06 +0000

Philip Doyle has for the third time chosen an unchanged starting XV and replacements to face Italy this Friday night at Ashbourne.

Having made an impact in the abandoned game against Wales, and (despite the débacle of reaching the venue) fighting fiercely in a narrow loss to the French, Doyle has opted for a strong and reliable side once again.

The starting XV includes this tournament’s try-scorers Alison Miller and Claire Molloy, unflappable kicker Niamh Briggs, winger/centre manqué Lynne Cantwell who remains at the fly-half position, and Six Nations débutantes Sophie Spence and Ashleigh Baxter.

As with the men’s visiting side, the Italy women are increasingly a force to be reckoned with.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s game, Doyle said:

Following a very good performance against France in Pau last time out, all girls played extremely well and we did not see the need to make changes.

Italy are a formidable opposition, we are under no illusions about the strength of this side. We have trained well and look forward to playing back in front of a home side

ScrumQueens warns that the one to watch among the opposition is Flavia Severin:

The Treviso lock has a great eye for a try and is a dogged defender. She is consistently a key pack performer for Italy and with 26 caps has the experience needed.

For those with a ticket to the game, a bus has been arranged which will take supporters from Old Belvedere to Ashbourne RFC and back. Details of costs and what’s included in the deal are available here.

Check with Ashbourne RFC to find out whether there are any remaining tickets available to the game. Admission is €20 per car, or €10 per adult and €5 per child.

Whether or not you can make it to any of the fixtures, the Six Nations Fantasy Rugby League continues apace. Check the website for details. Half the proceeds goes to the winner, and half goes to fundraising for St Mary’s Women’s rugby team.

In other news, since last weeks’ petition to the IRFU was set up calling for equal treatment for the Ireland women’s team, the number of signatures is steadily approaching 1,100. Sign and share if you have yet to do so!

Ireland starting XV and replacements v Italy (RBS 6 Nations)

(Ashbourne RFC, Co. Meath on 24th February, KO 19:30 GMT)
View a table of the men’s and women’s Ireland starting XVs here.

Replacements:

Ireland 2012 Six Nations fixtures:

† Ireland’s game against England will be streamed live online by the RFU.

Six Nations Table as at 22 Feb 2012:

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Six Nations: France 8-7 Ireland

click here — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:32:48 +0000

UPDATE (14th Feb at 11:40am)

Gavin Cummiskey in today’s Irish Times reports:

Ireland eventually lost 8-7 in Pau on Saturday afternoon, a remarkable achievement considering it followed the Irish players having had just three hours’ sleep following four hours glued to a bus seat and an overnight train journey.

The IRFU saw the potential for this messy scenario as far back as October when the French Federation announced the venue.

Read on for the fairly shocking account of events as described by head coach, Philip Doyle.

We’re also hearing reports that the team arrived in Pau at 7am, rather than at 3am as originally stated in this article. Neither of the times are as yet confirmed.

END

In what was Ireland’s first full game of the Six Nations tournament this year, the team faced heartbreak losing to France by just one point. (But then, after 27 hours of travelling in planes, trains and automobiles before arriving at your destination at 3am on match day, perhaps that’s not so bad a scoreline.)

In front of a crowd of 9,000 (lets say 8,995 French fans and the remainder Irish) and in freezing conditions, France dominated in the first half and secured a try (missed conversion) and penalty, to make it France 8-0 Ireland at the half time break. The second half, however, saw Ireland make a huge fight back.

Most of the below exclamations came after the 70 minute mark. France had their tighthead prop, Cristelle Chobet, was sin binned at the 68th minute; while Ireland brought on replacements Paula Fitzpatrick, Heather O’Brien and Larissa Muldoon to take over from Ailis Egan (3), Sophie Spence (5) and Ashleigh Baxter (15).

Ireland capitalised, with a try from Galwegian Claire Molloy and a conversion by Niamh Briggs. Sadly it wasn’t enough, and after a final scrum and a massive effort, the full time whistle blew and the score remained France 8-7 Ireland.

This game – the only senior France v Ireland match to take place over the weekend – sounded like an absolute cracker. It was a terrible waste not to have it broadcast in English (whether on radio or TV).

I listened to the game which was broadcast by Sud Radio, live and direct from the Stade du Hameau in the Pyrenees town of Pau.

Well, when I say “listened”, what I mean is that I struggled to re-live my aural exam for the Leaving Cert, attempting to decipher the barrage of southern-accented French and the cross-talk of three over-excited French rugby pundits.

The easiest things to understand were:

“Oh la la!” “Pfffffff!” “Fwsshhhhhh!” “Mon dieu, mon dieu!” “Bonne défence des irlandaise!” “La défence irlandaise, c’est enorme!” “Quelle match!” “Un jeu incroyable!”

The next easiest things to understand (and these actually were difficult enough) were the attempts at pronouncing Irish players’ names.

Briggs (simple enough, you’d think) became “Brrrrreeegs!” Gillian was pronounced with a hard “G”, and Bourke was pronounced “Boooooorrrk-uh!” Amy Davis became “Ah-meeeee Dah-veeeeeece!” And I swear Joy Neville became “Joyeux Noelle”. Caughey sounded like an attack of emphysema. I don’t think there was any attempt to pronounce the captain’s surname, Coghlan.

Still, though, for all the shortcomings of listening to rugby commentary en français, it was the only thing on offer. As the game progressed my ear became more attuned, and I could hear presenter Pierre Guillet repeatedly tell the listeners how this was the only broadcast of the women’s Six Nations game.

Bravo! And at the same time for shame..

After the game, Ireland captain Fiona Coghlan said of the fixture:

We had most of the possession but we fell asleep for 20 minutes and that’s when they capitalised and scored their try. Then it was just too little, too late really.

There was a huge home support but after half-time it was all us. In fairness, credit to France and their defence but it was all us.

We had a few bad decisions and a few unforced errors but hats off to the girls for the way they came back.

We were trying to force a penalty at the end. We thought we had one under the posts but the referee played on. We tried to keep the ball in hand to try and get either a score or a penalty out of it but unfortunately it didn’t go our way.

This morning, Ireland legend Shane Byrne spoke on TV3′s Ireland AM (skip to 5:40) about the pre-game conditions faced by Ireland’s women:

The ladies lost by one point, right down in the south of France. And just to [be] very critical of the IRFU, they had 27 hours travel. They arrived down there [in Pau] at 3 o’clock in the morning [on] the day of the game.

Absolute disgrace.

You know, these are all part – they’re representing the country. They’re putting on the green jersey for us. And they’re amateur, they do it for the joy of it. And to be treated like that, absolutely terrible.

They flew into Paris and got the cattle train down to the south of France, when there was umpteen options to fly down south.

You know, I just think it’s a disgrace, in this day and age. We’ve heard long ago when the women’s game was set together that that’s the way they were treated, but nowadays it shouldn’t happen.

It has to change.

You have to wonder how exactly the IRFU are implementing the IRB’s Women’s Development Plan, as promised.

I hope they écoutez bien.

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Important information regarding France

click here — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:45:31 +0000

Zut alors! It’s all about France v Ireland this weekend in the women’s and men’s rugby.

So, in the spirit of helpfulness and usefulness – and in case you missed our updates on Facebook and Twitter (from your abode under a rock) – here’s all you will need to know if you’re taking the horse to France for the rugby (or at any time really, let’s be honest):

Key French phrases: Part 1 (How to fake French)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edYHlnhxyOI

Où est le centre Georges Pompidou?

Tomorrow’s women’s game against France takes place in Pau. Or as French northerners call it: T’Pau. I think someone should inform Carol Decker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSh6SQd8UrI

Key French phrases: Part 2 (Lessons from Bubble – at the 6 minute mark)

This is the one. No, this, this is the one..

And here’s one possible way to pass the time when you’re not at the game. (Or when you’re at the game, who’s to say?):

Écoutez bien! I weel say zees only wance.

Finally, then, you can put all that you have learned into practice! If you have men’s rugby-overload and you’re dying to find out how Ireland’s women fare when they face off against France, Monsieur Pierre Guillet and amis will be broadcasting live on Sud Radio from Hameau Stadium in Pau.

The game starts at the now earlier time of 2:30pm.