Can you tell us about your rugby pathway to date?
I grew up in a rugby-mad family and started playing mini rugy at the age of four at Tralee Rugby Club in Kerry where I was born. I then moved to Enniskillen and started playing at Enniskillen RFC where I played all my youth rugby. I played tag rugby at Collegiate before it amalgamated to Enniskillen Royal Grammar School. Cross-field sevens came into school, so I played that for the rest of my time there. In 2018-19, I was selected for both the Ulster Sevens and U18s 15s squads. That summer, I was lucky to be called into the Irish Sevens Under 18s squad and played a competition in Poland; that was a big achievement! When I was eligible to play senior rugby, I moved to Cooke RFC and that summer I got my first cap for the Deloitte Ulster Senior Women’s team.
On that point about your debut for Ulster against Munster at Kingspan Stadium in August, how did you find that experience?
It’s a day I’ll never forget! After all the hard work and effort put in over the summer, it was amazing to be selected for the squad. It meant so much to me and all my family and friends who supported me every step of the way. It was so nice to make them and everyone at Enniskillen proud.
How have you found the Ulster Rugby 12-month player performance pathway programme this year so far?
It’s brilliant. It will be a big benefit to us when we prepare for the Inter-Pros as we’ll be ready to get going straight away. Having regular strength and conditioning programmes and skills sessions really helped the development of so many players including myself. It gives you an opportunity to know so many different players from different age groups that you wouldn’t usually meet. Training with players from different clubs and levels helps expose younger players to that higher, more physical level of rugby. That will help you coming into a match as it won’t be a shock to the system.
It’s an all-Enniskillen final and a repeat of the final two years ago when the Danske Bank Ulster Girls’ Schools’ Cup Final was last played between Erne Integrated College and Enniskillen Royal Grammar School. How pleasing is it to see two Enniskillen schools involved and what do you put that success down to?
It’s brilliant to see two Enniskillen schools in the final again! Enniskillen Royal Grammar School have been in the final a few times now. It’s testament to rugby in Fermanagh. Most of the girls in both schools play rugby at Enniskillen RFC. That shows how strong female rugby is at the club. Many of the girls across both schools who play at the club started out there and the coaching is a major factor. The coaches are so dedicated and motivating for girls. They work really hard to develop the players.
You led Enniskillen Royal Grammar School to the title the last time the competition was played – what were your memories of that day?
I will never forget it! There was so much pressure on us to retain the Cup, especially considering it was against a school so close to us. It was unforgettable. The amount of support for both schools was amazing. The crowds kept us going and cheered us on. Initially it was hard because we were playing against so many of our club-mates who we played with for years, but once we got into the game it was all about winning. Everybody played so well but it was so good to be on the winning side!
What would you say makes Schools’ Cup rugby so special?
What makes it so special is that there was a Boys’ Schools’ Cup for so long and then the Girls’ Tag Cup was introduced. When the Sevens game was introduced, it suited so many other players. Rugby is such an equal sport; it doesn’t matter what shape or size you are, you can play it. It was absolutely brilliant and made my school experience so much better, playing rugby; I made so many friends out of it.
The amount of people who came to our final was incredible - we had 2 or 3 supporters’ buses that came to watch us play. The whole school was behind us and everyone was spurring us on in the week running up to the game. There was no better feeling.
Erne Integrated College vs. Enniskillen Royal Grammar School
Danske Bank Ulster Schools' Girls' Cup Final
Kingspan Stadium
Tuesday 22 March
12 noon