“There is a place for everyone on a rugby team”
A look at the exploding popularity of Women’s Rugby in Ireland
Every good team feels like a family, and both the Leinster and Connacht Women’s teams are proud of their sense of community and inclusivity.
In a recent study*, 93% of adults say that loneliness is a problem in Ireland, with one million adults in Ireland admitting that they feel disconnected from those around them.
But there is no sense of that when we chat to some of the women involved in rugby all across Ireland.
Whether it is in the brand new Dexcom Stadium grounds in Galway or the long-established Energia Park in Dublin, there is a shared sense of camaraderie both on and off the pitch that seems to stretch across the entire island.
That is what Wendy Hickey, the Women’s Development Officer for Connacht Rugby, had to tell us when we asked about the sense of community and inclusivity within Women’s Rugby teams in Ireland:
"Rugby friends, they’re different, you know? I think it is because of the physicality of the sport, and that you know you’re going to put your body on the line, and they’re going to put their body on the line for you, I think that just bonds you in a way that I’ve never experienced with any other sport."
"When you talk to everybody else [in the sport], they all say the same thing. It is kind of a hard one to explain, because the rugby girls are so tight. And we are! I think it's that training in the rain, the hard slog, and then after that you come together and socialise and have the best craic, and I think that’s really, really important."
“And now I see the younger girls – let’s say who are training and playing the under-15s or 16s – and they would have played against each other. And then they would have come together to play for Connacht at the under-18s level and older, and now they are coming together, even if they played against each other, after that, they are the best of friends."
"I can see that cycle that I had coming from those girls, and I think it's brilliant to see that. It is something that I know my friends cherish so much, and now they’re getting a chance to experience that camaraderie and that closeness, and that’s what makes it a sport like no other."
Things have come a long way since the Irish Women's Rugby Football Union (IWRFU) was first founded in 1991, before making their international debut in 1993 with an away friendly against Scotland (which, as it happens, was also Scotland's first international).
The match was played in Edinburgh in front of a crowd of over 1,000, and if we jump to today, Women’s Rugby finals regularly command audiences of multiples of tens of thousands, all giving their support at maximum possible volume.
As the popularity of Women’s Rugby continues to explode across Ireland, more and more people may be looking for a way to get involved.
Nikki Caughey, player for Leinster and Railway Union, gives some great direct advice:
“Do it. If you want to get involved and you’re interested, then do it. It doesn’t matter the level you want to play at. If you want to play competitively, there are clubs out there that will play at the highest standard in Ireland. If you want to play socially, there are clubs out there for socially. If you want to play rugby and not the contact element, there are touch clubs, there are tag clubs.”
“You’re never going to have a bad experience. You’re going to meet new people. And as you get older, it is harder to meet new people and make new friends. So it is definitely an easy way to do it, to get out of your comfort zone and do it. You’ll not regret it.”
It is something that Ailsa Hughes, a teammate for Leinster and Railway Union, wholeheartedly agrees with:
“The community, the atmosphere, just get down and go play, go help, volunteer, get stuck in somehow. There is a place for everyone on a rugby team, and it's great!”
To foster connection and in light of the insight that most people believe that sport can be a powerful way to help combat loneliness, laya healthcare have given away hundreds of match tickets across all provincial partnerships throughout the season, and plan to implement more initiatives, under the banner of ‘We Are one. Always’.
These initiatives include supporter events and programmes tailored to specifically encourage former or new fans to reconnect, attend games, and much more.
For more information, visit www.layahealthcare.ie/sponsorship/rugby/
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