Latest news with #Women'sYoungPlayeroftheYear
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Munster's Tadhg Beirne named Players' Player of the Year
Tadhg Beirne was named Men's XVs Players' Player of the Year at the Rugby Players Ireland awards at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday night. The Munster second row beat competition from provincial teammate Tom Farrell and Leinster duo Caelan Doris and Jamison Gibson-Park, who were also nominated. Berine started every game for Ireland in this Six Nations, and has featured 16 times for Munster in his first season as the province's captain. Earlier this month, his form was rewarded with a place in the Lions squad for this summer's tour of Australia, while in February he signed a new two-year extension with the IRFU and Munster. 'I'm honoured to be named as the OCC Consulting Men's Players' Player of the Year," said Beirne. "It comes as quite a surprise given that Caelan, Tom and Jamison have all had brilliant seasons. To be chosen by my fellow Rugby Players Ireland members makes this award even more meaningful, and I really appreciate their support and acknowledgement.' The women's award was claimed by Leinster centre Aoife Dalton. The 22-year-old from Offaly has become a key player for Ireland. Amee-Lee Costigan, Niamh O'Dowd and Dorothy Wall were the others nominated. 'It's a very exciting time to be involved with this group of players," said Dalton. "To be recognised by them at such a crucial time for this team is hard to put into words. When I first came into camp, I could sense that something was beginning to build and I think we have started to see the fruits of that over recent months both collectively and individually, through the performances of my fellow nominees Amee-Leigh, Niamh and Dorothy.' Erin King won the Women's Young Player of the Year award while Sam Prendergast took the men's equivalent. Ireland and Leinster out-half Prendergast was presented with the award by his older brother Cian, the Connacht captain, who was a previous winner in the category. Two scores from the Six Nations were named the tries of the year. Dan Sheehan starting and finishing off a team move against England back in February won in the men's category. Anna McGann touching down to finish what was also a team move against Italy, one which sealed her hat-trick in the game, was named Women's Try of the Year. Eimear Considine, who retired from rugby in November after 10 years at the top level of the women's game in Ireland, won the Zurich Contribution to Irish Society Award for her contributions to mental health discourse. On behalf of the Irish men's team, Caelan Doris accepted the Moment of the Year award for Ireland's Triple Crown win in the Six Nations. Rugby Players Ireland Awards winners OCC Consulting Men's XVs Players' Player of the Year: Tadhg Beirne; OCC Consulting Women's XVs Players' Player of the Year 2025: Aoife Dalton; Nevin Spence Men's XVs Young Player of the Year: Sam Prendergast; Energia Women's XVs Young Player of the Year: Erin King; MSL Mercedes-Benz Ballsbridge Men's XVs Try of the Year: Dan Sheehan (v England); AIB Corporate Banking Women's XVs Try of the Year: Anna McGann (v Italy); Tritonlake Men's 7s Player of the Year: Dylan O'Grady; Tritonlake Women's 7s Player of the Year: Lucinda Kinghan; Zurich Contribution to Irish Society Award: Eimear Considine; Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort Moment on the Year: Ireland's Triple Crown Success (accepted by Caelan Doris.)
Metro
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Grace Clinton bullish ahead of FA Cup final: 'Chelsea aren't invincible'
Grace Clinton's first experience of a Women's FA Cup final as a player last year was a memorable one. Just not in the way she would have hoped. On loan at Tottenham for the season, Clinton had played an invaluable role in helping guide Robert Vilaham's side to the competition's final for the first time in the club's history. A day out at Wembley should have been the reward for a fine season which had also seen the midfielder deservedly named PFA Women's Young Player of the Year. But with her parent club, Manchester United, also getting through to the final, Clinton was instead condemned to a seat in the stands, cup-tied and confused as she watched Tottenham fall to a 4-0 defeat. 'It was such a bizarre feeling, just weird,' she reflects to Metro. 'I'd worked all season long to get to the final with Tottenham to try and create this opportunity to do something special at a club that doesn't get to those finals so often. To then just sit in the stands and watch it play out was hard to swallow. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. 'But I also had all my friends and people that I've grown up with winning the trophy with United. I've never felt anything like it – it was frustration, it was happiness, it was disappointment. All of those things at once.' Returning to United last summer, the 22-year-old has put that disappointment behind her and continued her remarkable rise at both club and international level. Deployed in the heart of Marc Skinner's midfield, Clinton scored an impressive eight times in 21 WSL games to help United finish third and qualify for the Women's Champions League. A well-taken header against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals also helped punch the defending champions' return ticket to Wembley. Thankfully for Clinton, there will be no watching from the stands this time around. 'It's been a big season for me. Obviously, coming back from Tottenham, there was an expectation to be able to deliver the same performances,' she said. 'I've enjoyed that challenge, but I'm also still learning so much every game around an amazing group. Reaching the Champions League and another FA Cup final is amazing and our levels have been so high. 'Every game feels like a cup final when you're at the top of the table and competing for those places, but Wembley is a really special way to end the season.' But while United will return to Wembley on Sunday as the defending champion, they will also go into the match as heavy underdogs up against five-time champions Chelsea. Sonia Bompastor's side are eyeing up a famous domestic treble, having already won the WSL title and League Cup. The Blues ended the league season unbeaten and have only lost twice all season when they became unstuck in their Champions League semi-final with Barcelona. Chelsea's 1-0 victory over United at the end of April was the win that secured them the title, but Clinton insisted the manner of her side's performance on the night has only buoyed their hopes of pulling off an upset this time around. 'Everyone knows how good Chelsea are and can be,' she admits. 'They've won six titles in a row for a reason, but I feel like it was good that we played them a couple of weeks ago. 'It felt like we were the better team and that gave us a lot of confidence to know that we should have beaten them. 'The magic of the cup is that it's just one game, 90 minutes, and I feel like we're in a really good place at the moment. Chelsea are unbeaten, but they're not invincible and I believe in the squad that we've got.' Such confidence is indicative of a young sportswoman who has taken everything about her rapid rise firmly in her stride. It's perhaps also why, only days out from her latest trip to Wembley, Clinton makes the trip down to London to help kick off the first McDonald's all-girls Fun Football Day at Hanwell Town FC, still aware of how important her presence can be in helping more young girls into the sport. 'When I was younger, I played on boys' teams until I joined an academy,' she added. 'It's why events like this are so important. It's nice for it to be all girls and to encourage them to play because when I was younger, I didn't have access to that.' More Trending It could yet be a big summer for Clinton, still. A key part of Sarina Wiegman's England squad over recent international breaks, she will no doubt play her role in a Lionesses squad that has its eyes set on retaining the European Championship in Switzerland this summer. Such an opportunity has arrived quickly at Clinton's door, but one gets the sense it would take far more than a maiden international tournament on foreign soil to faze this impressive young footballer. 'The biggest thing for me is to be excited by the challenges ahead,' she ended. 'Whether it's United at Wembley or England at the Euros, every game just gets me excited.' Grace Clinton kicked off the first McDonald's all girls Fun Football Day in preparation for a big summer of women's football. With up to 300,000 hours of free football coaching sessions to be provided to kids this summer across the UK. Get involved in a session near you and sign up at For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Ian Wright wishes Arsenal had Man Utd star in their team: 'I love him' MORE: Crystal Palace star forced to miss jubilant FA Cup celebrations after injury MORE: Pep Guardiola called a 'bald rat' in brutal taunt following FA Cup final defeat
