In our new series, Behind the Player in association with Deloitte, Ulster’s Women players share a little bit about themselves, as well as recommendations for coping during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This week, we spoke to Old Belvedere, Ulster, and Ireland scrum-half, Kathryn Dane, who started in all of Ireland’s Six Nations games before the tournament was postponed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tell us a little about your rugby pathway and development through the Ulster programme?
I started playing rugby from the age of 8 at Enniskillen RFC with the minis. I was very small and about half the size of the boys, and the coaches were very apprehensive about me joining in, but I think my parents were quite stubborn so they had no choice but to let me muck in! I played with the boys until about age 12; there was no team for girls to play in at that age, so I played a lot of soccer then. I picked up tag rugby at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School and I was very lucky to be coached by Terry and Aly Finlay, the formidable coaches. We won 5 or 6 Ulster Schools’ Cup titles with them. That re-ignited my fire for rugby and I wanted to get back into playing rugby union. With a bunch of girls from the tag rugby team, I set up a 15-a-side U18 rugby team at Enniskillen and we ended up winning the Ulster Girls’ U18 title that summer against Belfast Harlequins. It was really quite funny because we didn’t expect to do well at all, but it just goes to show that if you have a really good spine of a team, who have played with each other year-on-year through tag rugby, you can do anything.
From that, I started playing in the Ulster U18 team under Zoe Faloon (Templeton) and Neil Alcorn at the time. I knew I always wanted to study in Dublin, so I joined Old Belvedere to get a bit of AIL rugby. I went on to play with Ulster senior women and, in winter 2018, I was called up to join the Ireland squad training, and that’s where I’m at today!
Who have been the main influences in your rugby career?
What barriers have you had to overcome to reach this point?
I honestly don’t think there have been many barriers. Distance and travel might have been a bit of a barrier at the start when I was coming from Enniskillen to get to Ulster training a couple of nights a week, but it wasn’t really an issue. I had the likes of Noreen Nethercott and Leona Hallett at Enniskillen, who were also senior girls, and were happy to lift-share with me and get me up the road to training, so that was never really an issue.
Trying to do my final year of study at Trinity College during the Six Nations last year was maybe the only thing that might have upset my rugby performance. I had to submit my dissertation the night before the French game that was held in Energia Park. That was quite an ordeal but I think having the rugby gave me the confidence to get the dissertation sent off and it’s really taught me how to delegate my time and organise myself. I prefer being super-busy anyway, so in terms of barriers I wouldn’t say there have been many. It’s difficult in terms of recovery. During the Six Nations when I’m still working as a physiotherapist in private practice and dedicating my evenings and weekends to training it does get tiring, but I’ve got a great support network in place. I’m lucky to have such supportive housemates who keep me fed and energised to keep going.
Congratulations on a fantastic Six Nations campaign – can you tell us a little about your experience in the Ireland set-up?
In the Ireland set-up, we’re together from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon so it’s a very intensive camp. We stay overnight and you’re fed, watered and looked after in that time. There’s a big medical team, strength and conditioning coaches, doctors and everyone on board who really look after our player welfare and make sure we’re in tip-top shape. There are all sorts of athlete monitoring to make sure we’re in the right frame of mind and right place physically to train well. They are very careful not to over-train us because injuries are such a big issue and can really hamper your Six Nations.
Around Christmas time, we were really lucky to start training in the IRFU High-performance centre, which has the indoor pitch and state-of-the-art gym facilities, so we’re really spoiled in terms of training facilities.
How does the Irish Rugby programme differ to Ulster Rugby’s set-up?
In comparison to Ulster, it’s very much the same set-up. Numbers-wise, it’s possibly not as many. The last few training sessions I had with Ulster were up at Wallace High School. They have a great gym set-up and outdoor pitches. Luckily enough it was a summer campaign but, during the winter, the conditions would have been a bit harsher! For the likes of myself and Nikki Caughey and some of the girls, it’s a bit more difficult for us coming up from Dublin to get to training and there aren’t any overnight stays at Ulster, but hopefully someday it might go to more intense training weekends where perhaps we’re having an overnight stay and training throughout the weekend as the game grows in Ulster.
The calibre of coaches is brilliant at Ulster. The likes of Derek Suffern, Neil Alcorn and John Creighton are excellent coaches. Last season, I really enjoyed working with John as a scrum-half; he really helped my box-kicking game and I think it really showed through the Six Nations my confidence in executing them. I’m really thankful to the coaches at Ulster for giving me the confidence to excel and improve my performance.
What have you been up to in the last couple of months since the onset of COVID-19?
COVID-19 did impact our physio private practice but we decided to adapt and do video consultations. I was lucky that I had a lot of clients who were happy to pursue the video call pathway. I was involved in a lot of research with my Trinity College supervisor, Fiona Wilson, so we’ve submitted two papers and hopefully they will get approved soon. That has kept me busy.
In Dublin here, I live very close to a park so my three housemates and I are big rugby heads so we go to the park most days to go kicking and passing so I’m keeping my skills fine-tuned.
Trinity College has under their scholarship scheme given me a barbell and set of weights to work with at home, so my strength and conditioning work hasn’t fallen to the wayside. In fact, I’m feeling stronger than ever and it’s been a great chance to get my prehab and rehab completed so I’m coming into rugby again more robust and resilient than ever, hopefully. I’m sure a lot of girls are in the same boat.
How do you stay motivated?
Having rugby mates like Jemma Jackson and Claire McLaughlin around me has really helped keep me motivated. The team workouts at Belvo, and the Ireland team challenges with Orlaith Curran, our Strength & Conditioning Coach, have really spurred me on to be the best version of myself and allow for the best possible outcomes during this difficult time.
What have you been doing to stay fit – any tips you can share?
The sessions that Ulster Rugby has shared, as well as loads of other rugby teams and fitness websites, are excellent to follow. I would also recommend the “Couch to 5K” app for anyone who hasn’t been doing much running – including myself. I’m not a big fan of running without a rugby ball but they’re excellent schemes to keep fit. There are a lot of personal trainers and coaches out there doing online training, so I would really recommend, if that’s something you want to do, it’s money well-spent and it’ll get you on the right path to getting fit and strong.
Kathryn and her housemates exercising in the local park.[/caption]
What about any healthy eating advice? What’s the best meal you’ve made at home?
I wouldn’t be the main chef in my house, but I’ve learned a lot of recipes thanks to my housemates, Jenny and Darragh. Last night, I prepared a really lovely chicken curry using chicken thighs and flatbreads. I would always have quite a healthy breakfast of porridge in the morning, then a light lunch and for dinner, I would tend to have a nice nutritious meal with lots of protein and carbs on board, especially if I’m training lots. I tend to eat out as little as possible if I can, but then again I’m very lucky I’ve got housemates to cook for me.
I’m lucky enough that we would have the support of the Ireland Nutritionist to make sure we’re getting the right food to allow our bodies to adapt and grow when we’re training so much.
In hot weather during the summer, lots of hydration, electrolytes and magnesium are particularly good, especially if people find themselves cramping up. I try to spend every minute outside so I need to balance that with the correct amount of fluids.
[caption id="attachment_34907" align="alignnone" width="1024"] One of Kathryn's healthy breakfasts[/caption]
What have you been doing to stay calm and enjoy yourself while at home?
I would have struggled mentally at the start of lockdown with the fear that “I’m not adding value to my days”. I overcame that quickly by setting myself goals over this time. I set myself the goal of being able to do over 10 narrow-grip push-ups which sounds really easy but it’s a lot tougher than it looks! I also set a goal to improve my chin-ups and pull-ups. Having those little goals in mind have really helped fill my days and give me purpose each day.
I also make sure that I allocate an hour of my day to reading or a little bit of research work.
Every day, I try and get my hands on a rugby ball somehow and do passing with my housemates or going kicking. That keeps me sane and I know I feel a lot better after a workout or a run.
Just getting on the phone to people when I am feeling a bit agitated or anxious about what’s going on. I’m lucky I can video call my parents at home and I’ve got a great friend group up north; we do quizzes every Friday night. Those little things are great for keeping the spirits up.
[caption id="attachment_34914" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kathryn enjoying the sunrise (photo taken within 5km of her house in Dublin)[/caption]
Have you picked up any new skills or hobbies?
I’ve learned how to throw an American football properly and my cooking skills have gone sky-high, they’ve really improved. I’m a lot more confident to cook for myself and try new dishes.
[caption id="attachment_34909" align="alignnone" width="1024"] One of Kathryn's chicken dishes[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_34908" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kathryn and her housemates showing off their artwork[/caption]
Have you got any streaming or book recommendations?
I listen to a lot of research podcasts like the British Journal of Sports Medicine. My work, Fitter, Faster, Stronger has a podcast where they get special guests in to talk about their experiences and journeys to strength and fitness. Stuart Lancaster’s webinars have been excellent follows.
I read a lot of journals and research articles but the book, Invisible Women, is next on my list to read.
What has been the best advice you’ve received?
What has been your proudest moment in rugby?
All the training through the winter, and the lack of social life, I missed out quite a bit, but it was all worth it for that one occasion and it’ll definitely be a game that sticks with me forever. I can even remember neighbours and people who hadn’t watched rugby before messaging me and calling me saying, “we watched your game, it was incredible”. It was really lovely to see people tuning in and supporting women’s sport. That was a lovely occasion for me.
You’ve already achieved so much but do you have any other rugby aspirations?
In the short-term, I would like to get myself into the best shape and condition as possible. I would like to fine-tune my kicking and passing skills as well as my read on the game. Long-term, I would love to play in a World Cup, that would be my goal. In any shape or form, I would love it. In terms of qualifying I’m not quite sure where we’re at, but I’m definitely pushing towards playing in a World Cup someday and keeping within the Ireland squad for as long as possible.
[caption id="attachment_34912" align="alignnone" width="1024"]It's #WorkoutWednesday and thanks to Kathryn Dane we've got another workout routine to help keep you fit and healthy at home! 🏡👊#WorkoutWednesday with @DeloitteNI 💪 pic.twitter.com/dCpwveO9W1
— Ulster Rugby (at 🏡) (@UlsterRugby) June 3, 2020
Kathryn and her housemates exercising in the local park.[/caption]
What about any healthy eating advice? What’s the best meal you’ve made at home?
I wouldn’t be the main chef in my house, but I’ve learned a lot of recipes thanks to my housemates, Jenny and Darragh. Last night, I prepared a really lovely chicken curry using chicken thighs and flatbreads. I would always have quite a healthy breakfast of porridge in the morning, then a light lunch and for dinner, I would tend to have a nice nutritious meal with lots of protein and carbs on board, especially if I’m training lots. I tend to eat out as little as possible if I can, but then again I’m very lucky I’ve got housemates to cook for me.
I’m lucky enough that we would have the support of the Ireland Nutritionist to make sure we’re getting the right food to allow our bodies to adapt and grow when we’re training so much.
In hot weather during the summer, lots of hydration, electrolytes and magnesium are particularly good, especially if people find themselves cramping up. I try to spend every minute outside so I need to balance that with the correct amount of fluids.
[caption id="attachment_34907" align="alignnone" width="1024"] One of Kathryn's healthy breakfasts[/caption]
What have you been doing to stay calm and enjoy yourself while at home?
I would have struggled mentally at the start of lockdown with the fear that “I’m not adding value to my days”. I overcame that quickly by setting myself goals over this time. I set myself the goal of being able to do over 10 narrow-grip push-ups which sounds really easy but it’s a lot tougher than it looks! I also set a goal to improve my chin-ups and pull-ups. Having those little goals in mind have really helped fill my days and give me purpose each day.
I also make sure that I allocate an hour of my day to reading or a little bit of research work.
Every day, I try and get my hands on a rugby ball somehow and do passing with my housemates or going kicking. That keeps me sane and I know I feel a lot better after a workout or a run.
Just getting on the phone to people when I am feeling a bit agitated or anxious about what’s going on. I’m lucky I can video call my parents at home and I’ve got a great friend group up north; we do quizzes every Friday night. Those little things are great for keeping the spirits up.
[caption id="attachment_34914" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kathryn enjoying the sunrise (photo taken within 5km of her house in Dublin)[/caption]
Have you picked up any new skills or hobbies?
I’ve learned how to throw an American football properly and my cooking skills have gone sky-high, they’ve really improved. I’m a lot more confident to cook for myself and try new dishes.
[caption id="attachment_34909" align="alignnone" width="1024"] One of Kathryn's chicken dishes[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_34908" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kathryn and her housemates showing off their artwork[/caption]
Have you got any streaming or book recommendations?
I listen to a lot of research podcasts like the British Journal of Sports Medicine. My work, Fitter, Faster, Stronger has a podcast where they get special guests in to talk about their experiences and journeys to strength and fitness. Stuart Lancaster’s webinars have been excellent follows.
I read a lot of journals and research articles but the book, Invisible Women, is next on my list to read.
What has been the best advice you’ve received?
What has been your proudest moment in rugby?
All the training through the winter, and the lack of social life, I missed out quite a bit, but it was all worth it for that one occasion and it’ll definitely be a game that sticks with me forever. I can even remember neighbours and people who hadn’t watched rugby before messaging me and calling me saying, “we watched your game, it was incredible”. It was really lovely to see people tuning in and supporting women’s sport. That was a lovely occasion for me.
You’ve already achieved so much but do you have any other rugby aspirations?
In the short-term, I would like to get myself into the best shape and condition as possible. I would like to fine-tune my kicking and passing skills as well as my read on the game. Long-term, I would love to play in a World Cup, that would be my goal. In any shape or form, I would love it. In terms of qualifying I’m not quite sure where we’re at, but I’m definitely pushing towards playing in a World Cup someday and keeping within the Ireland squad for as long as possible.