Bridging the small margins between a top four finish and elevating yourself into the top two to reach the final is often the hardest adjustment to make when clubs are aspiring to win the Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division title.
Old Belvedere have consistently featured in the top four of the Women’s Division in recent years, but have not been in a final since 2018. They were last crowned champions two years prior to that.
Sligo native Lesley Ring is embarking on her second season as Old Belvedere captain. Having become the first woman to make 100 appearances in the club’s famous black and white hooped jersey, she is aiming to lead Tania Rosser’s side to success in 2024/25.
Speaking at the recent Energia All-Ireland League season launch, she explained how she was satisfied with how they finished last season and that if improvements can be made, mounting a sustained challenge for silverware is achievable.
“I was very happy overall with how we did last season,” she told IrishRugby.ie. “We only lost four (league) games (to finish third in the table), and I think if we had only lost three, we might have potentially made the final.
“We’ve set ourselves a high standard with how we played last year, and we want to surpass that this season. We’ve been there or thereabouts over the last few years.
“There’s probably that one final piece that was missing. We’ve had a three-year process with Tania as our head coach, so it’s all about building towards that final this year.”
Leinster recently retained the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship crown under former Ireland scrum half Rosser, who continues to get the best out of Old Belvedere’s attack in particular.
‘Belvo racked up 11 try-scoring bonus points in 16 league fixtures last season, with back-three speedster Emma Tilly starring with 18 tries – the second most of any player across the Women’s Division – and experienced half-back Jemma Farrell (95 points) was the fourth leading points scorer.
Ring loves working with Rosser as they try to get the best out of the squad, saying: “Tania is a coach with one of the highest rugby IQs out there. She drives an incredible standard. She gets us to play such an exciting brand of rugby, and it’s great to have her again this year.”
Ring was a confident hockey player before her rugby journey started in 6th year at Sligo Grammar School, where she first played Tag rugby. She represented UCD in her college days, but a torrid time with two ACL injuries presented real challenges.
However, she did not let those setbacks affect her appetite to stick with the game. A debutant with Old Belvedere in 2017, she recently became a member of a special group, the All-Ireland League centurion club.
Asked if she ever thought she would reach that career milestone, the 31-year-old back rower admitted: “Absolutely not. Especially (with) the fact that I ended up doing my ACL twice. Part of my career was injury-plagued and I never thought I’d get to 100 caps because of all that.
“I’m pretty stubborn and have some determination in me that I never wanted to stop playing the sport that I loved. I was too young to give it up at that stage. If it happens again, though, that might be the end!
“I love the physicality of rugby, I relish in that, I really enjoy defence. Not many people probably say that but I love tackling and hitting hard. It’s my game.”
Ring (pictured below with Old Belvedere President Paul Dowling) got the chance to make her Connacht debut during the 2024/25 Interprovincial campaign, and having been appointed as ‘Belvo captain last season, her experience and game know-how are pricess in terms of bringing on some of the club’s younger players.
Old Belvedere have had some great leaders and on-field characters in recent years. The great Jenny Murphy, Hannah Tyrrell, and Fiona O’Brien, to name a few. Ring explained how she learned a good deal from former Ireland international O’Brien during her tenure as captain.
“Fiona O’Brien, who played with Leinster and Ireland, was probably my favourite captain that I ever got to play under in ‘Belvo. I tried to take a lot from her lead.
“She’s not one for big speeches or shouting, but she was more about the little deeds and words. Just the way she dealt with people and how she dealt with referees, it was always well-humoured.
“When I got the captaincy, it was around the time she got married. I remember she said to me to just enjoy it, that those days will end eventually, and to just make the most of that time.”
Strength in depth is becoming ever more important as the standards across the Women’s Division increase each year. That is especially the case for the leading clubs, who often lose players during the international and Celtic Challenge windows.
Old Belvedere are rightly proud of the nine players from the club who are currently in Vancouver with the Ireland squad, preparing for the start of the WXV1 competition this weekend.
Competitions like the Celtic Challenge, which will run from December to March in an expanded format, provide a springboard for players to put themselves into the provincial and international reckoning.
‘Belvo’s own Katie Corrigan did so last season, impressing in the Celtic Challenge and going on to make her Ireland debut and score three Six Nations tries. On the other hand, those international call-ups also make space for others to come through at club level.
“Every year it’s a challenge. It’s a great problem to have. Every year we have a couple more players that make that next step up at provincial or international level, which means we’ll have to fill a hole somewhere, like many of the other clubs in the division.
“This year we definitely have a few positions where we might need to put some younger players in. It’s helping up develop that strength in depth that we need.”
The question was put to Ring if any players have caught her attention in pre-season. She mentioned young back Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton, who made her Ireland Under-20 debut at July’s Six Nations Women’s Summer Series in Parma.
“Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton joining us is huge. She has massive potential. She can play a number of different positions, but her long-term future will probably be at 10,” she added.
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