
Dan Goggin and Eilís Cahill take home top player honours at Energia AIL awards
In the women's game, UL Bohemian's Eilís Cahill earned the Division 1 Player of the Year title. A consistent performer all season, Cahill sealed her impact with a last-minute winning try in the final—her 19th try of the campaign.
The awards were voted on by media members who regularly cover the AIL.
Speaking at the ceremony, Gary Ryan, Managing Director of the title sponsors, said:
'On behalf of everyone at Energia, a massive congratulations to all of the Energia AIL Award winners for 2025. Your achievements both individually and collectively are a true reflection of the dedication and effort you've shown throughout the season. We're already looking ahead with excitement to the Energia AIL 2025/26 season and can't wait to see you back on the pitch.'
This year's Energia 'Possibilities' Award was presented to Lansdowne FC. After a challenging start to the season, the club rallied to win the Energia All-Ireland Bateman Cup, a victory that sparked a strong run into the Division 1A semi-finals.
Community contributions were also celebrated, with Young Munster's Cathal Quaid receiving the 2025 Community Hero Award. Quaid, who serves as U8s minis coach, assistant secretary, and a key figure in establishing a new U21s pathway, was recognised for his long-standing dedication to the club.
The Community Hero Award, nominated by club members and league supporters, honours volunteers who have gone above and beyond in supporting their clubs both on and off the pitch.
Reflecting on the awards, IRFU President Declan Madden stated:
'The 2024/25 season was a memorable one at club level, coming, as it did, for the IRFU's 150th anniversary. Club rugby plays a hugely important role in the fabric of rugby in Ireland and on behalf of the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), I would like to congratulate the winners across all the divisions of the Energia All Ireland League for their efforts over the course of the season.
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"I would also like to thank Energia for their unwavering support of Irish rugby at all levels. Their commitment continues to play a vital role in raising the profile of the Club game right across the island of Ireland'.
Energia AIL Player Awards
Women's Division 1 Player of the Year 2024/25: Eilís Cahill, UL Bohemian
Men's Division 1A Player of the Year 2024/25: Dan Goggin, St Mary's College
Men's Division 1B Player of the Year 2024/25: Kevin O'Flaherty, Nenagh Ormond
Men's Division 2A Player of the Year 2024/25: Bevan Prinsloo, Instonians
Men's Division 2B Player of the Year 2024/25: Jamie Kavanagh, Wanderers
Men's Division 2C Player of the Year 2024/25: JB Du Toit, Midleton
Energia AIL Coach of the Year Awards
Men's Division Coach of the Year 2024/25: Quenton O'Neale, Old Belvedere
Women's Division Coach of the Year 2024/25: Jason Moreton, Wicklow
Energia AIL Community Hero Award
Cathal Quaid, Young Munster
Energia AIL Referee of the Season
Dan Carson
Energia AIL Possibilities Award
Lansdowne FC
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Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
How will the Lions tour impact Ireland's rugby philosophy?
As Andy Farrell and his Irish coaches return to their day jobs with the IRFU , questions inevitably turn to what they might have learned with the Lions . Cynical views of the Irish-dominated tour focus on Farrell using the opportunity to both mine information and develop players in a way that benefits Ireland . Such a narrative is disrespectful, discounting as it does the importance of the Lions as a standalone entity. Still, there is no doubt that, in a number of areas, there is plenty of intellectual property returning to Irish shores. How Farrell and co have gone about their business, and what they learned from Australia's attempts to counteract them, offer an intriguing window into how his rugby philosophy, and with it Ireland's fortunes, might develop from here. Here are some of the main statistical takeaways from the tour. READ MORE S tyle s w i n f i ght s Much has been made in recent months of a shift in Ireland's style of play. The days of intricate phase-play attack, with carry after carry being used to break down a defence, aren't gone. But they are numbered. Ireland used to dominate attacking volume numbers; more carries, more passes than the opposition. That is no longer the case. The blueprint of successful knockout rugby has been adopted. South Africa won two World Cups offering minuscule attacking output, kicking plenty and relying on their defence. While not copying them to the nth degree, Leinster have tried a similar ploy in order to end their knockout hoodoo. It worked (to a point) as the United Rugby Championship crown was secured. Ireland are back at the World Cup. How will they fare? Listen | 23:53 What, then, of the Lions? There's no way Ireland would shift their attacking gameplan without Farrell's input, even if he wasn't around during the Six Nations as Simon Easterby held the fort. Sure enough, the Lions adopted a similar mantra. In all three Tests down under, Farrell's side were happy playing with less of the ball - Australia averaged 131 carries per game, the Lions 99. The tourists also had a lower kick-to-pass ratio, meaning they kicked more often than the Wallabies. When attacking volume diminishes in bigger games, it can be argued that efficiency then becomes rugby's most important stat. In the first two Tests, the Lions and Australia had virtually the same figure for points per 22 entry. In the final Test, which Australia won, they were comfortably more efficient, notching 2.7 points per entry vs 1.5. In big games, the side that attacks less, kicks more but is more efficient with the opportunities they do get tends to win. The third Test, which Australia won while being both more efficient and dominant in terms of attacking volume, is difficult to analyse. This is because the Lions had already won the series, while the lightning delay also played a part in Sydney. None of the above dispels the modern trend pioneered by the Springboks which is now seeping into Irish rugby. Expect Farrell, after using a similar pragmatic game plan with the best players in the home nations, to double down with Ireland. Australia were relived to have Will Skelton back for the second Test, even if in-game statistics point to them doing all right without him. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho B i g b o pper s Simple narratives are sometimes dispelled by the data. Occasionally, they are backed up by the numbers. As the Test series progressed, analysis focused on the impact of Will Skelton and Rob Valetini in Test number two, and later Taniela Tupou in the final game. Once Australia got back their power athletes, they presented a greater threat. In some ways, the numbers don't really back this up. Skelton carried for 12 metres in the 47 minutes of rugby his body allowed in Test one, and then 16 the week after. In Tupou's lone Test, he made 19 metres. These are decent figures for positions which require carrying through heavy traffic. Yet in isolation, they were hardly game-changing impacts. Valetini for his part was more impressive with 28 metres in the 40 minutes he lasted. Tadhg Beirne was the only forward in the second Test who made more (34) and he was fit enough to last the full 80. However, looking at the individual output risks losing the overall impact. In the first Test - without Skelton, Valetini or Tupou - Australia had a dominant carry rate of 18 per cent. This rose to 28 per cent the following week. In the first Test, they had 273 post-contact metres. Seven days later in Melbourne, despite having fewer carries, they made 352 metres after contact. The impact of Australia's big boppers opened up space for the whole team to improve. Quelle surprise, it pays to have a handful of supreme power athletes to call upon. The Lions had a few of their own, with the likes of Ellis Genge and Joe McCarthy standing out. But Farrell didn't have as many game-changing behemoths to call upon. [ Dan Sheehan's father Barry reflects on Lions tour: 'What more could you want for your child?' Opens in new window ] [ Australian rugby could be off life-support thanks to Wallabies' Test win over Lions Opens in new window ] A lesson for Farrell and his backroom team going forward - not that they needed it - is the importance of a big bopper. In an Irish context, while McCarthy combines with Caelan Doris to fulfil some of this role, another larger, dynamic body wouldn't go amiss. Joe's younger brother, Paddy, has been earmarked as a powerful prop and was capped by Ireland A in February. One man who could come in from outside the current group is Munster lock Edwin Edogbo. Prior to tearing his Achilles over a year ago, he was putting up similar collision-dominance numbers to his positional rival Joe McCarthy. Now that he appears to be returning to fitness, he could be a name to watch out for in the new season. Mack Hansen did not feature in the Tests but reminded Andy Farrell of just how effective he is during the Lions' tour matches in Australia. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho Return o f the Mack Of all the Ireland players first called into the Lions squad by Farrell, Mack Hansen may have been the most relieved. While many weren't surprised that the Connacht wing made the cut due to the respect he has earned from the Ireland and Lions coach, some questioned if he had the requisite game time to build up form. Injuries have been a problem in the last 18 months. A dislocated shoulder meant he missed the 2024 Six Nations. This year, he played in three of Ireland's five championship matches, while his last Connacht appearance of the campaign came in April. If there were questions on Hansen's form and fitness heading into the tour, he resolutely answered them once he reached Australia. A narrative emerged that, had he not suffered another injury while on tour, he could have pushed Tommy Freeman for the Test 14 jersey. The numbers back up this assertion as Hansen ranks highly in a number of attacking categories. Of all the players capped by the Lions on this tour, he ranked fifth for defenders beaten (12), first for line breaks (eight), fifth for metres made (234), joint first for try assists (three) and fourth for line-break assists (four). That he only clocked 277 minutes on tour, ranked 23rd in the Lions squad, shows his impact in an injury-limited window. Caveats may apply given Hansen only appeared against tour opposition and not in the Test matches. Nevertheless, with Tommy O'Brien turning into a selection threat given his form on the right wing for Leinster and Ireland while on tour of Georgia and Portugal, Hansen appears to have timed his return to form nicely.


Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Dr John O'Driscoll becomes the 136th President of the IRFU
Dr John O'Driscoll has been elected the 136th President of the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) at their Annual Council meeting held on Friday. The former Ireland and British and Irish Lions flanker represented his country 26 times and made 19 appearances including six Test for the Lions between two tours. O'Driscoll's first cap for Ireland was in 1978 and toured South Africa in 1980 with the Lions and then New Zealand three years later. He helped Ireland to a first Triple Crown since 1949 as he played a key role in the 1982 Five Nations. O'Driscoll played for Stonyhurst School in Lancashire before playing club rugby with Liverpool St Helens and Manchester. O'Driscoll played for Connacht at provincial level making 13 appearances. He captained London Irish from 1979-1981 leading them to the John Player Cup final in 1980. He was named Irish Sportsman of the Year in 1980. After hanging up his boots, O'Driscoll remained deeply involved in rugby. He coached the Irish Exiles team that played in the Senior Interprovincial Championship from 1991-95 and went on to become President of the Irish Exiles from 2006-10. In 2001 O'Driscoll was a selector with the Lions. He went on to hold numerous administrative roles within the IRFU including representative to World Rugby and Rugby Europe from 2016-25. Away from rugby, O'Driscoll's career was in medicine where he was a Consultant Dermatologist, Clinical Director of Greater Manchester Dermatology and Regional Skin Cancer Network Chair. Speaking on his new role O'Driscoll said 'It is a great honour to be elected as the 136th President of the IRFU. "Irish Rugby has given so much to me since an early age — first as a supporter, then through a wonderful playing career with London Irish, Connacht and Ireland. In more recent years, I have been privileged to contribute to the administration of the game alongside people utterly dedicated to its success at every level. 'I look forward to visiting clubs across the country and meeting the volunteers who are the lifeblood of the sport. Their passion, commitment and depth of involvement are vital to Ireland. 'I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my wife Susan and our children Billy, Danny and Gemma for their constant support. I also want to congratulate Declan Madden on an outstanding year as President. The 150th anniversary was an enormous success, and Declan worked tirelessly to be present and supportive at every turn. 'Now, our attention turns to the upcoming Rugby World Cup. This is a moment to unite behind our women's players and we are extremely excited for what Scott Bemand and his squad can do together.' The IRFU Financial Statements for 2024/25 will be published in November with the IRFU reported to have budgeted for a small deficit for the financial period. Speaking on the season IRFU Chief Executive Kevin Potts said 'As we conclude our 150th year celebrations I am really pleased to report that rugby in Ireland is in a strong position, with the game thriving all across the country. "More people are playing, watching, and supporting the game than ever before. The 150th afforded us a fantastic opportunity to showcase the depth of our community, the strength of our teams, and the pride of people across the island of Ireland. 'Our Men's National Team continue to be one of the best in the world, currently sitting at third in the world rankings. Our players, coaches, and support teams continue to set world-class standards on and off the pitch, and we remain the envy of many rugby nations. Our Women's National Team continue to build momentum and we are all eagerly awaiting the kick off for the 2025 Rugby World Cup in the weeks ahead. 'Financial sustainability is one of the biggest challenges facing the game. We continue to investigate new sources of revenue to support our ambitious targets for the game, but we are equally mindful of the need to constantly review our cost base. While our cost base is currently outstripping our revenues, we are fortunate to have a strong balance sheet including Cash advances for ten-year tickets and our long-term property and stadia investments. This enables the Union to protect the long-term future of the game and absorb any unexpected shocks such as Covid. We have had to make some difficult decisions in the past 12 months and one such decision was the discontinuation of the Men's Sevens programme. We have to continue to invest in a financially sustainable manner, which, in turn, will allow us to deliver on our strategic priorities. 'There have been some highs and some lows, but we finish this year in a position of strength, ready for the next chapter. We will continue to work with our fellow Unions, our Provinces and all the stakeholders in our game, on the challenges that face us.'


Irish Times
5 days ago
- Irish Times
Ireland kicking coach Gareth Steenson keeps focus on Women's World Cup role
Irish women's kicking coach and former Exeter outhalf Gareth Steenson was non-committal when asked about his role and that of Johnny Sexton following this summer's women's World Cup in England. In April the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) announced that Sexton would take up a full-time position with the Union from Friday, August 1st. The IRFU statement explained that as part of his expanded coaching role he would work with the various men's and women's national age-grade teams up to senior level. The former Irish captain has been involved with the Ireland men's squad in a part-time coaching capacity since the 2024 Autumn Nations Series before stepping into an assistant coaching role. READ MORE He was also part of Andy Farrell's backroom team on the Lions tour to Australia, which ended in a 2-1 series win last weekend. 'I know my role, so my role has been in with the girls,' said Steenson. 'I've been here now a year. How that looks going forward ... I've been working with these girls for the last year or so, so yeah, we'll see when Johnny comes back. Lions kicking coach Johnny Sexton works with Owen Farrell and Finn Russell during a training session at the Adelaide Oval. Photograph:'So, my future is now I'm going to the World Cup, so post that ... it will be a matter of seeing where we are post World Cup really. It's something I've been part of ... I've been fortunate. When I moved back home a year ago it was very lucky to come in and work with the pathway work, with the Sevens, right across that kicking regime.' An Irish under-21 player, Steenson did not get opportunities with his home province Ulster, in part because Ireland international David Humphreys was the starting outhalf at the time. He left Ireland to play for the Rotherham Titans and joined Cornish Pirates before moving to Exeter. Steenson won the golden boot in the 2016 Premiership awards and helped Exeter reach the 2016 Premiership Rugby final. The following year he started the final and scored two conversions and three penalties, including the winning points, as Exeter defeated Wasps for the 2016-17 English Premiership title. 'I've been very fortunate to almost be part of the growth piece as well, so it's been really exciting,' said Steenson. 'I've loved it. All the focus has been really getting to this World Cup. Now we know that we are on the brink of it, it's very exciting.' Ireland face Canada in Belfast on Saturday in the final preparation match before their tournament begins against Japan on August 24th in Franklin's Garden.