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RTÉ News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Ben Martin named as new Leinster Women head coach
Ben Martin will take over as head coach of the Leinster Women's senior team ahead of this summer's Vodafone Interprovincial Championship, replacing the outgoing Tania Rosser. Martin represented his native Australia on the Sevens circuit during his playing career. He served as a player-coach at Kanturk in the AIL before taking over UL Bohemians Women, where he won the AIL title and picked up the 2019 Women's Coach of the Year award. He guided Blackrock College RFC's Women's team to two AIL finals, lifting the trophy in the 2022/23 campaign. Most recently, he served on Neill Alcorn's coaching ticket in the Celtic Challenge as the Wolfhounds won nine of their ten games to claim the crown. "It's an exciting time, obviously, with a Women's World Cup on the horizon," said Martin, who has Michelle Claffey and Charlie Doel as backs and forwards coaches, respectively. "There's a chance to potentially unearth some diamonds that haven't been found yet within the pathways of women's rugby. "I'm excited. It's a big challenge. There's a nice history with what's happened, especially in the recent history, with Leinster being back-to-back champions, so that puts a little bit of pressure on us." Leinster begin the defence of their Interprovincial crown against Ulster at Energia Park on 10 August. Women's Interprovincial Championship Fixtures: Round 1: Sunday, 10 August Leinster v Ulster at Energia Park (kick-off 2.30pm) Munster v Connacht at Virgin Media Park (4.15pm) Round 2: Saturday, 16 August Leinster v Munster at Energia Park (2.30pm) Connacht v Ulster at Dexcom Stadium (4.15pm) Round 3: Saturday, 23 August Connacht v Leinster at Dexcom Stadium (2.30pm) Ulster v Munster at Kingspan Stadium (4.15pm) Finals Day: Saturday, 30 August Games will be played at Energia Park.
Edinburgh Reporter
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Caitlin at the double for upwardly mobile Cougars
Caitlin Hadley was a double winner when Corstorphine Cougars held their annual awards. The second row picked up prizes as both 'young player of the year' and 'most improved player. Other notable winners were Tanya Griffith (players player of the year) and Lua Sundqvist (2nd XV player of the year). Head coach Eric Jones summed up the team's performances this season, saying: 'I am immensely proud of our journey through the Arnold Clark Premiership season. This year has been a testament to our growth, resilience, and the unwavering commitment of everyone involved with the club. 'We began with a clear objective: to build upon the foundations laid in previous years and to challenge for the Premiership title. Our squad, bolstered by the experience of former Scotland captain Lisa Martin, brought a new level of tactical acumen to our game . 'Throughout, our performances were marked by a blend of strategic kicking, robust defence, and cohesive teamwork. Lisa Martin's precision from the tee was instrumental, contributing significantly to our points tally and often providing the edge in closely contested matches. 'Several of our players received national recognition, reflecting the strength of our development pathways. Alex Stewart's performances earned her a call-up to the Scotland squad again and Adelle Ferrie was also capped. 'Our contribution to the Edinburgh Rugby women's squad and Glasgow Warriors squad for the 2024/25 Celtic Challenge was significant agai 'Off the field, the club has embarked on ambitious development plans, including the renovation of our facilities at Union Park. With support from Scottish Rugby's Growth and Participation Fund, we're enhancing our infrastructure to better support our players and the wider community . 'As we reflect on this season, it's clear that the Corstorphine Cougars are on an upward trajectory. The dedication of our players and the commitment of our coaching staff have all contributed to a memorable year. We're excited for what the future holds with a number of young players coming to Union Park.' Like this: Like Related
The 42
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'It's frustrating for us because we're finding there's a lack of communication'
UL BOHEMIAN HEAD Coach Fiona Hayes has expressed her frustration at how Ireland's Six Nations clash with Scotland over the weekend impacted her team who were competing in the women's AIL final against Railway Union. The Limerick-based side were forced to line out in their decider at the Aviva Stadium without key players Aoife Corey and Jane Clohessy, who were both called up to make their debuts with the international squad for the final game of the Six Nations championship on Saturday. Corey started at full-back in the 26-19 defeat while Clohessy came on in the first half. On Sunday, UL Bohs were crowned AIL champions for the second year in a row after an 82nd-minute try from Éilís Cahill. Their AIL final opponents Railway Union were also impacted by the fixture clash, as Claire Boles was included in the Ireland squad for the trip to Edinburgh. While Hayes was delighted to see her players make their international bows, she is disappointed over how their selection on the Irish squad was handled. 'It's frustrating for us because we're finding there's a lack of communication around players that are being brought in. Aoife Corey was never on the [Ireland] panel in the first place and they brought her in. We had no clue that they were being included in the matchday squad. They had been available up to that, and that's fine, I understand that they [Ireland] want to keep the team in house as well. 'If it was pushed out or there was anyway around it, maybe the girls would have had a a chance to play both, especially Jane. She came on early in the game with the HIA and Dorothy [Wall] got injured but if Jane had played three minutes [instead], she would have been able to play in the AIL final.' Advertisement Hayes also mentioned UL Bohs player Beth Buttimer who was a travelling reserve with the Ireland squad, and says that they received 'no communication' from the IRFU regarding her availability for the AIL final. Elaborating on how the decision to call up Clohessy and Corey was communicated to UL Bohs, Hayes adds: 'It would have been great for the club to get a heads up or any contact. We sent Aoife in for media duty for the cup on Tuesday so she didn't have an idea. So, then she finds out when everyone else finds out. That can be a little bit frustrating. But I do understand that it is international rugby and that's their focus. 'You have the core contracted players that might never play [AIL] and I understand that. But there are an awful lot of fringe players that would have played AIL. For them to be able to play in that final that they worked so hard all year round to be part of, would have been unbelievable for them.' Following an inquiry from The42, the IRFU released a statement on the matter, saying that a season plan for the 2024/2025 AIL season was communicated to clubs last June. Celtic Challenge weeks and women's Six Nations fixtures were highlighted in the plan along with the date of the final. The statement continues by saying that 'clubs were aware from June of last year that they would be impacted if players were called on for international duty. 'For the finals last year, the IRFU ran a double header for the first time ever which was hugely appreciated and welcomed by all clubs in terms of giving visibility to both league finals and we were fortunate to have the support of TG4 to broadcast both games yesterday. 'Unfortunately moving finals to another weekend was not an option due to the unavailability of Aviva Stadium. 'We are very mindful also it is a long season and clubs deserve to finish in enough time to give players adequate downtime.' Responding to the points made in the IRFU statement, Hayes said that her side were aware of the season plan 'but that doesn't mean we can't disagree with it.' When asked if she would be willing to have their AIL final played a venue other than the Aviva Stadium in order to accommodate the postponement, Hayes replied: 'I suppose that is the carrot. They've done the double-header for the last two years and it would never have been an option before. The final would have been on a good few weeks after the women's Six Nations so it's a tough one because I've experienced it twice now and it is unbelievable.' Along with losing Boles for the AIL final, Railway Union are also represented by Irish stars Amee-Leigh Costigan, Stacey Flood and Eve Higgins. Hayes says that facilitating the contracted players to be available for the AIL would bring a welcome boost to the competition, and feels that the IRFU is too preoccupied with using the international team to improve the profile of women's rugby in Ireland. '100%. 'I've no issue in saying that, definitely. The AIL is there, it needs to be invested in a little bit more and the majority of players have started at AIL. It's huge for Irish rugby to have that there. They're so focused on the Irish team and it's the AIL they have to come to and they forget that.'
RTÉ News
26-04-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Preview: Ireland out to complete best W6NN finish since 2017
Two expected wins and two expected defeats. Saturday in Edinburgh is set to define Ireland's Guinness Women's Six Nations campaign. Even with Ireland almost guaranteed to finish third in the table, there is no sense of this being a dead rubber. If anything, the table is an irrelevance for Ireland this week, who are looking to win three away games in the championship for the first time since 2017. The big challenge facing thm this week will be whether or not they can do it without Aoife Wafer. Player of the match in last week's 40-14 win against Wales, the number eight has been one of the standout individuals in the championship – not just this Irish team – but a knee injury keeps her out for the trip to Edinburgh. With four tries in four games, Wafer is the joint-top scorer in this year's Six Nations, while her 70 carries are 22 more than any other player, and she ranks in the top five for broken tackles, running metres and breakdown steals. A force multiplier, it will be fascinating to see how Ireland cope without her, particularly with their other big back row prospect, Erin King, out injured long-term. There is a silver lining, even if it's relatively thin. Back row is a position that Ireland do have plenty of options in, and Scott Bemand has responded by moving Brittany Hogan back to her old home of number 8, while Dorothy Wall returns to the back row. Wall has only featured as a lock for Ireland under Bemand, but having won around half of her 36 caps as a flanker, the 24-year-old is well versed at blindside. While Bemand and his squad will naturally be keen to finish the campaign on a high note, their relatively safe position in third has given him scope to make some tweaks to his side, with half an eye towards the World Cup this summer. Aoife Corey has been rewarded for her good form in both the Celtic Challenge and Energia All-Ireland League with a start this afternoon in Edinburgh. Having not even made the initial 35-player squad at the start of the championship, Corey (below) is put into the 15 shirt, replacing Stacey Flood in the back-field, while 22-year-old Vicky Elmes-Kinlan gets her first start of the championship on the right wing. There is also a debut on the bench, and one with a familiar surname. Jane Clohessy, daughter of former Munster and Ireland prop Peter, is set to win her first cap off the bench. The back-row forward had been named in the Ireland squad for last year's WXV in Canada, but after missing that championship with injury, will now get her chance to match her father by earning an international cap. A win for Ireland on Saturday would so see them hit their best points total on the table since 2017, where they won four games and finished second. And two years on from scoring a meagre three tries and 25 points, the Irish attack has evolved to the point where this could be their highest scoring campaign ever. With 114 points and 18 tries across these four games, Bemand's side would beat their highest ever points haul, which they set in their 2015 title-winning season (139 points and 20 tries), if they hit 26 points this afternoon at The Hive. Historically Ireland have dominated this fixture, winning 13 of their last 17 meetings, but a fascinating rivalry has emerged in recent years. Scotland have been at the centre of two of the darkest days in Irish women's rugby history – on the pitch at least. In 2021 they lit the flame when they beat Ireland in their World Cup qualification play-off in Parma, and they were 36-1o winners when these sides met in Edinburgh two years ago (below), handing Ireland a first Six Nations wooden spoon since 2004. Between those wins, Ireland have had two dramatic victories over the Scots in Belfast. In 2022, Enya Breen's late try and conversion saw Ireland snatch a 15-14 win with the final play of the game, while last year Ireland were 15-12 winners, a result which secured their World Cup and WXV 1 qualification. It's been a mixed campaign for Bryan Easson's side, who finished second in WXV 2 behind Australia in the autumn. After starting with a gritty win against Wales, they showed some positive flashes in a 38-15 defeat to France in Round 2 but then fell to a disappointing 25-17 defeat to Italy. Last week, they had their doors blown off by England's second-string team in the opening 40 minutes in Leicester, 42-0 down by half-time, before a spirited second half saw the game end 59-7. Easson has made three changes to his side from that game, with prop Leah Bartlett, scrum-half Leia Brebner-Holden and captain Rachel Malcolm all coming back into the side. An experienced first XV, Scotland have eight players with 50 or more Test caps each, but behind that they are relying on youth. On their bench, Molly Poolman, Becky Boyd, Gemma Bell, Rhea Clarke, Evie Willis and Lucia Scott have a combined 16 caps between them. If Ireland can get through the first hour with a lead, their greater depth should be enough to lead them to their best championship finish since 2017. Verdict: Ireland by 15 Scotland: Chloe Rollie; Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Francesca McGhie; Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden; Leah Bartlett, Lana Skeldon, Ellian Clarke; Jade Konkel, Sarah Bonar; Rachel Malcolm, Rachel McLachlan, Evie Gallagher Replacements: Elis Martin, Anne Young, Molly Poolman, Becky Boyd, Gemma Bell, Rhea Clarke, Evie Willis, Lucia Scott Ireland: Aoife Corey; Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Aoife Dalton, Enya Breen, Amee-Leigh Costigan; Dannah O'Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Niamh O'Dowd, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang; Ruth Campbell, Fiona Tuite; Dorothy Wall, Edel McMahon (capt), Brittany Hogan. Watch a URC double-header, Scarlets v Leinster and Ulster v Sharks, on Saturday from 4.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
RTÉ News
25-04-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Railway out for revenge v Bohs in Women's AIL final
If Sunday's Women's All-Ireland League final even serves up half the points tally of last year's decider, it'll prove decent value for money. For the second year in a row, UL Bohemians and Railway Union will face off in the women's AIL showpiece (Sunday, 1.30pm). The pair served up 14 tries and 86 points in the 2024 decider, as Bohs eventually came out on top 48-38 to win a record 14th AIL title, and their first since 2018. While the finalists are evenly matched, and there is a competitive group behind in Blackrock, Old Belvedere and Wicklow, there will need to be some reflection among IRFU chiefs about the current state of the women's senior club scene. The expanded Celtic Challenge, and centralisation of so many contracted players to Dublin clubs has seen a two-tier league emerge, with huge scorelines, and multiple walkovers given across the season. Suttonians, Cooke and Galwegians were all docked points for conceding games, while Railway, who finished top of the regular season standings with 18 wins from 18, scored 971 points and conceded just 100. What should have been a season to remember for Tullow in their debut AIL campaign turned into one they would like to forget, as they found the going tough in senior rugby, finishing without a point, conceding just under 1,000 points along the way. With the way the professional game is going, a major change is needed to prevent the league descend into irrelevance. Last year, it was seen as a big step to play the women's final at the Aviva as part of a double-header with the men, but that will look like an empty gesture if the competition is allowed to fall into disrepair. The wider picture will be of no concern to whoever is lifting the trophy on Sunday evening, however. This will be a fifth final in a row for the 2019 and 2022 champions Railway, who are under a new head coach this season after Mike South stepped in for John Cronin this year. Captained by centre Niamh Byrne, the side are powered by former Ireland international prop Lindsay Peat, who is doubling up as number 8 and assistant coach this season. Even at the age of 44, Peat has scored a joint-high 23 tries this season. With Railway carrying a 100% record through the regular season, Bohs weren't far behind them. Fiona Hayes side were a clear second in the table, winning 16 games, losing narrowly, 19-18 and 17-10, to their final opponents. Both sides have hit the 100 point mark in a single game this season, but their semi-final wins were much closer; Railway defeating Old Belvedere 37-24 at Sydney Parade, while Bohs edged Blackrock in a 15-12 arm-wrestle. "Two contrasting sides, very much so," Hannah O'Connor said of the finalists this week. The former Ireland and Leinster second/back row was part of the Blackrock side that lifted the title in 2023, and captained the squad this season. And she told the RTE Rugby podcast that one of Bohs' biggest weapons is their cohesion. "We came out of the blocks fast and were off to a good start, but you come up against a UL Bohs side who are very used to playing together, a lot of them play together for Munster as well. "They invest the same style of play, that front-ball rugby with big carriers and they have pacy backs outside, getting the ball to the likes of Chisom Ugweuru and Clara Barrett and a few others, they have pace out wide. "They're well-used tactically to playing with each other. They do it really well and it's shown in those 16 matches they've won, and the semi-final they won against us. "I think Railway, on the other hand, like to play a fast ball, not a fan of much setpiece. They have good strength in the scrum, and the height of Aoife McDermott at the lineout, but they tend to want to play ball. They want to play ball quickly and they want to stretch you. "They want to use the pace and the ballers they have, to play it almost like a sevens game at times where they keep that ball moving. They love a quick-tap penalty, so it's two contrasting sides." Saturday's Guinness Women's Six Nations finale against Scotland will have an impact on both sides this week. Claire Boles, who came off the bench for Railway in their semi-final win, is among the subs for Ireland this weekend, while Bohs have been hit even harder, with Aoife Corey starting for Ireland, and Jane Clohessy a replacement in Edinburgh this weekend. While Bohs came out on top last year, O'Connor believes Railway have added to their game in 2025, and she expects the hurt from two final defeats in a row to drive them on to their third All-Ireland title. "Last year it was a bananas game in the Aviva, where in the end UL Bohs stuck to their system and patterns and Railway fell away from what was working for them and Railway were left chasing a game that got out of their reach. "My head is saying, based on how Railway have played and the players they have got back in, and the experience they have in the spine of their team. Ultimately their pace might be able to have the upper hand on Bohs on the day. "But we saw it last year, they started off that way and fell away from it. "The benefit of last year and what they didn't achieve last year will probably stand to them, and that bittersweet feeling they were left with. They won't want to feel that again." Watch a URC double-header, Scarlets v Leinster and Ulster v Sharks, on Saturday from 4.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
