Was an opportunity missed in the scheduling of the 2012 Women’s Interprovincials? asks Sarah Lennon
With domestic league action done and dusted, the top women players in the country turn their thoughts to the IRFU Interprovincial Season. Munster have been the dominant force down the years, unsurprising when you consider the success of UL Bohemian in the woman’s game. However last season, it was the women in the blue of Leinster who secured the title with a comprehensive 25-5 defeat of Munster in Cork (pic). The Interpro series is typically a two horse race, however it would be wrong to write off Connacht and Ulster before the series begins.
In Connacht, the dominant team is Galwegians who won the AIL Cup in 2012 and finishing fourth in this season’s AIL. Many of the Connacht players are likely to come from the Galway side, but at the time of writing I was not able to find a confirmed squad. Connacht will play their games in the Sportsground in Galway.
The Ulster club season hasn’t gone that well, with Cooke relegated and Queen’s University experiencing a heartbreaking defeat in the playoff final for promotion. Nevertheless, there is a very experienced and exciting backbone to the Ulster side with Irish Internationals Stacy-Lea Kennedy who captains, Ashleigh Baxter, Nikki Caughey and the returning Amy Davis. The Ulster side will be delighted to have a player I tipped to watch in October (albeit for Leinster) back in the ranks after a time away. The Blackrock player can play anywhere in the back line and featured at scrumhalf for Leinster and Ireland last season. Her electric pace sees her most effective on the wing however and it may be there that she features for Ulster. Ulster will play their home game at Queen’s University in Belfast.
Munster will be champing at the bit after losing the title in their own back yard last season. Munster have named a 28 woman squad, 14 of whom are from this year’s league winners UL Bohemian. Irish Internationals Niamh Kavanagh, Niamh Briggs, Gill Bourke, Laura Guest and Joy Neville all feature in what is an extremely strong and experienced side. Munster will be looking for a more convincing run out this time, last time out as well as losing comprehensively to Leinster, they squeaked a win against Ulster by 6 points and Connacht by 10. This time around they will be looking for more impressive results, but they do face two of their three games on the road. Munster will play their home match in Musgrave Park, Cork and completed their preparations with a warmup victory against an Exile XV in Thurles last weekend .
What made Leinster’s victories all the more remarkable last season was that two came on the road in Ravenhill and Highfield. The Leinster coaching ticket has changed since last season and there is also a fresh look to the squad. League runners-up Old Belvedere are heavily represented as are Blackrock and curiously, UL Bohemian with three representatives. The Leinster squad is captained by Mary Louise (Maz) Reilly for this season and boasts the Irish captain Fiona Coughlan as well as internationals Ailis Egan, Deirdre O’Brien, Jenny Murphy, Nora Stapleton and Paula Fitzpatrick. Leinster are the only team to play their matches outside of a city as they take their games to Ashbourne RFC, where the Irish women also play. Leinster warmed up for the Interpro series with easy victories against Connacht and an Exile XV.
Although it would be foolish to write off Ulster and Connacht before a ball has been kicked or passed in anger (after all there were no mammoth scorelines last season), it seems likely that the climax of this season will be the game between Munster and Leinster at Ashbourne RFC. It’s bound to be a mouthwatering contest with Munster desperate to seize back their crown.
Under normal circumstances I would encourage as many people as possible to attend, but I’m afraid that the scheduling of this match will make it very difficult for rugby supporters, particularly in Leinster. The clash between Leinster and Munster kicks off at 1:30 in Ashbourne on December 15th, the same day that the senior men’s team play Clermont Auvergne in Lansdowne Road. The kick offs are 2 hours apart, meaning that attendance at both is essentially impossible and strikes me as a massive opportunity missed to promote women’s rugby . If the matches were to both kick off on Saturday then a Dublin venue for the women’s match could have meant a bumper crowd with the correct marketing. It’s not as if Dublin 4 is short of rugby venues. Alternatively a Sunday kick off, perhaps as a double header with Leinster A in Donnybrook could have made sense and provided another opportunity to market the women’s game.
As things stand, the women will play out what is supposed to be a highlight of the women’s rugby calendar in front of a crowd of people who will support women’s rugby wherever the location and whatever the date.
2012 IRFU Women’s Interprovincial Championship Fixtures
2nd December
Ulster V Munster @ 13:00 (Queen’s University, Belfast) Free Entry
Connacht V Leinster @ 14:00 (Sportsground, Galway)
8th December
Munster V Connacht @ 14:30 (Musgrave Park, Cork)
Leinster V Ulster @ 13:30 (Ashbourne RFC, Co. Meath)
15th December
Leinster V Munster @ 13:30 (Ashbourne RFC, Co. Meath)
Connacht V Ulster @ 14:30 (Sportsground, Galway)
Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.
