Categories: Women's

A Century Of Games For Ireland Women

Fiona Coghlan will lead the Ireland Women’s squad out against England at Esher RFC on Sunday in what will be a milestone game for Women’s rugby in Ireland. This will be the 100th capped game for the national side.

Sunday, February 28, 2010 will be an historic day for Women’s rugby in Ireland as it marks the 100th game played by the Ireland Women’s side.

Valentine’s Day back in 1993 marked the debut of the Ireland Women on the international circuit.

In the intervening years, Women’s rugby in Ireland has grown in popularity and playing numbers and when Fiona Coghlan leads the team out at Esher on Sunday it will mark the 100th capped international game for the girls in green.

Ireland’s current captain has her own record now. The recent game against France marked her 50th cap, meaning she has played in half of Ireland’s 99 fixtures to date.

Ireland have played all the big names in Women’s rugby and have also taken part in matches against Kazakhstan, Spain and the Netherlands.

The stats so far read: played 99, won 28, lost 70 and drawn 1.

The first few seasons were tough as they women established themselves on the international scene but recent seasons have seen fresh faces in the squad and some amazing wins.

Last season saw them finish third in the RBS Women’s 6 Nations behind powerhouses England and Wales, albeit that they beat France along the way.

Former Ireland Women’s press officer and now editor of www.ScrumQueens.com, Alison Donnelly, spoke this week about her time with the squad:

“My time as the IWRFU PRO was a real pleasure, sitting alongside great characters and hard workers like the late Mark Andrews, Rohan West, Grainne O’Connell, Susan Carty and Deirdre Lynch,” she said.

“Our meetings were never short a robust argument or two, but the foundations set in stone then had in no doubt a major part to play in the development of the Irish game.”

Alison’s blog about the 100th game is available in full on ScrumQueens.com – click here.

Caitriona Bergin, a member of the St. Mary’s College Women’s squad and formerly a Development Officer with Leinster, is now a Rugby Development Officer (Women’s & Game Promotion) with the IRFU.

She has been at the coalface of the Women’s game. She is delighted with the milestone game.

“The 100th capped game is a real milestone for Women’s rugby in Ireland,” said Bergin.

“When we started out there would have been a lot of sceptics out there but the Women’s game has gone from strength to strength and the number of clubs with Women’ss teams now is evidence of that growth.

“Reaching 100 capped games for the national side is wonderful and reflective of the growth of Women’s rugby worldwide.

“Like the men’s game, it represents the pinnacle of rugby and for players like Fiona Coghlan and Tania Rosser who played in many of those games, it is a source of great pride to represent their country.”

Bergin feels that the Women’s game can grow further and can help clubs to increase their membership numbers.

“The challenge now is to take the game to the next level. In the early years we struggled against the more established countries but in recent years the levels of fitness, training and back-up have improved significantly and the team are more and more competitive.

“We can now talk about beating the bigger teams realistically and that is wonderful. It raises the profile of the game and attracts more women to the game and to club rugby which can only be good for clubs.”

IRELAND WOMEN – 99 GAMES TO DATE:

1993-02-14 Scotland 10-0 Ireland Raeburn Place, Edinburgh
1994-02-13 Ireland 0-5 Scotland Ravenhill, Belfast
1994-04-15 (WC) France 31-0 Ireland West of Scotland RFC
1994-04-17 (WC) United States 76-0 Ireland Boroughmuir
1994-04-20 (WC) Scotland 10-3 Ireland Melrose
1994-04-23 (WC) Ireland 11-3 Japan Boroughmuir
1995-02-20 Scotland 20-3 Ireland Myreside, Edinburgh
1995-03-05 Ireland 10-39 France Dublin
1996-01-21 (HN) Ireland 0-21 Scotland Blackrock
1996-03-03 (HN) Wales 6-22 Ireland Old Belvedere RFC, Dublin
1996-03-17 (HN) England 12-8 Ireland Sunbury
1997-01-26 (HN) Wales 32-5 Ireland Bridgend
1997-02-09 (HN) Ireland 0-32 England Limerick
1997-02-23 (HN) Scotland 28-3 Ireland Pennypit, Edinburgh
1997-04-02 (FIRA) Spain 27-0 Ireland Nice, France
1997-04-04 (FIRA) Italy 13-5 Ireland Nice, France
1997-04-06 (FIRA) Germany 0-16 Ireland Nice, France
1997-11-09 Germany 6-32 Ireland Hamburg
1998-02-08 (HC) Ireland 0-15 Scotland Old Belvedere, Dublin]
1998-03-22 (HC) Ireland 10-27 Wales Old Crescent RFC, Rosbrien
1998-04-05 (HC) England 62-8 Ireland Worcester
1998-05-02 (WC) Australia 21-0 Ireland Amsterdam
1998-05-05 (WC) Ireland 6-12 Kazakhstan Amsterdam
1998-05-09 (WC) Netherlands 18-21 Ireland Amsterdam
1998-05-12 (WC) Ireland 20-5 Italy Amsterdam
1998-05-15 (WC) Ireland 10-26 Kazakhstan Amsterdam
1999-02-07 (5N) Ireland 0-24 France Dublin
1999-02-28 (5N) Wales 26-0 Ireland Venue unknown
1999-03-07 (5N) Ireland 0-56 England Dublin
1999-03-21 (5N) Scotland 22-5 Ireland Inverleith, Edinburgh
2000-05-08 (FIRA) France 41-14 Ireland El Ejido, Spain
2000-05-10 (FIRA) Ireland 15-31 Kazakhstan Vera, Spain
2000-05-13 (FIRA) Ireland 19-12 Netherlands El Ejido, Spain
2001-02-0? Spain 42-0 Ireland Madrid
2001-02-16 Ireland 0-53 France Dublin
2001-05-06 (FIRA) France 45-9 Ireland Marquette lez Lille, France
2001-05-10 (FIRA) Ireland 10-15 Wales Lille, France
2001-05-12 (FIRA) Ireland 9-8 Italy Lille, France
2001-10-24 Netherlands 0-15 Ireland Amsterdam
2002-02-03 (6N) Ireland 5–13 Wales Thormond Park, Limerick
2002-02-17 (6N) England 79-0 Ireland Worcester
2002-03-02 (6N) Ireland 0–13 Scotland Limerick
2002-03-25 (6N) Ireland 6–8 Spain Limerick
2002-04-05 (6N) France 46–0 Ireland Melun
2002-05-13 (WC) Canada 57-0 Ireland Barcelona
2002-05-17 (WC) Ireland 0-22 Samoa Barcelona
2002-05-20 (WC) Germany 0-18 Ireland Barcelona
2002-05-24 (WC) Ireland 0-18 Japan Barcelona
2003-02-1? (6N) Scotland 25–0 Ireland Netherdale (Gala)
2003-02-2? (6N) Spain 0–16 Ireland Madrid
2003-03-09 (6N) Ireland 0–20 France Limerick
2003-03-21 (6N) Wales 17–0 Ireland Cardiff Arms Park
2003-03-28 (6N) Ireland 3–46 England Thomond Park RFC, Limerick
2004-02-15 (6N) France 22-5 Ireland Savigny sur Orge, Paris
2004-02-21 (6N) Ireland 13-14 Wales Thomond Park, Limerick
2004-03-06 (6N) England 51-0 Ireland Twickenham, London
2004-03-20 (6N) Ireland 7-8 Spain Thomond Park, Limerick
2004-03-27 (6N) Ireland 0-17 Scotland Thomond Park, Limerick
2004-05-01 (FIRA) Ireland 7-24 Wales Toulouse, France
2004-05-05 (FIRA) Ireland 14-5 Italy Toulouse, France
2004-05-08 (FIRA) Ireland 20-12 Spain Toulouse, France
2004-11-14 Ireland 55-0 Japan Donnybrook, Dublin
2005-02-05 (6N) Spain 19-17 Ireland Campo Central Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid
2005-02-12 (6N) Scotland 15-5 Ireland Murrayfield
2005-02-26 (6N) Ireland 0-32 England St Mary’s College, Dublin
2005-03-13 (6N) Ireland 0-34 France Dublin
2005-03-18 (6N) Wales 6-11 Ireland Arms Park, Cardiff
2006-01-25 Ireland 5-23 United States
2006-02-04 (6N) Ireland 25-10 Spain Donnybrook, Dublin
2006-02-10 (6N) France 32-0 Ireland Montauban, Toulouse
2006-02-25 (6N) Ireland 7-14 Wales Donnybrook, Dublin
2006-03-10 (6N) Ireland 0-9 Scotland Navan
2006-03-17 (6N) England 29-10 Ireland Old Albanians, St Albans]
2006-04-29 Ireland 15-8 Canada Galway
2006-08-31 (WC) Ireland 0-43 France St. Albert Rugby Park, St. Albert
2006-09-04 (WC) Ireland 11-24 United States Ellerslie Rugby Park, Edmonton
2006-09-08 (WC) Ireland 37-0 South Africa St. Albert Rugby Park, St. Albert
2006-09-12 (WC) Ireland 10-11 Scotland St. Albert Rugby Park, St. Albert]
2006-09-16 (WC) Ireland 14-18 Australia Ellerslie Rugby Park, Edmonton
2007-02-03 (6N) Wales 10-5 Ireland Taffs Well RFC, Cardiff
2007-02-10 (6N) Ireland 10-13 France St Mary’s RFC, Dublin
2007-02-25 (6N) Ireland 0-32 England Thomond Park, Limerick
2007-03-10 (6N) Scotland 6-18 Ireland Meggetland, Edinburgh
2007-03-17 (6N) Italy 12-17 Ireland Tre Fontane, Rome
2008-02-01 (6N) Ireland 19-0 Italy St Mary’s RFC, Dublin
2008-02-10 (6N) France 26-17 Ireland St Gratien
2008-02-22 (6N) Ireland 13-3 Scotland St Mary’s RFC, Dublin]
2008-03-07 (6N) Ireland 10-19 Wales St Mary’s RFC, Dublin
2008-03-15 (6N) England 17-7 Ireland London Irish
2008-05-17 (FIRA) Ireland 41-7 Spain Amsterdam
2008-05-20 (FIRA) England 22-11 Ireland Drachten, Netherlands
2008-05-24 (FIRA) France 22-22 Ireland Amsterdam
2009-02-06 (6N) Ireland 7-5 France Ashbourne, County Meath
2009-02-14 (6N) Italy 17-35 Ireland Stadio M.Natali, Colleferro
2009-02-27 (6N) Ireland 13-29 England St Mary’s RFC, Dublin
2009-03-13 (6N) Scotland 0-23 Ireland Meggetland
2009-03-21 (6N) Wales 13-10 Ireland Taffs Well
2010-02-05 (6N) Ireland 22-5 Italy Ashbourne
2010-02-12 (6N) France 19-9 Ireland Stade des Allées, Blois, Loir-et-Cher