Promoted club Tullow are hoping for a dream debut on Saturday evening when they entertain Wicklow in their first ever Energia All-Ireland League match (kick-off 5pm).
With their Women’s team only introduced in 2008, the County Carlow side have worked tirelessly to grow the game in the club and the greater Tullow area over the last number of years.
Defeating Queen’s University 22-10 back in April to secure their promotion signed off on a whirlwind season, which also saw Tullow crowned Leinster Women’s League Division 1 champions.
Grace Kelly will have the honour of captaining Tullow in their maiden AIL season and has been deeply rooted in the club since her younger days. Initially playing with the boys before moving up all the way through with the girls teams, she first played adult rugby at the age of 18.
Grace’s progression through the ranks saw her mother Maggie decide not to hang up the boots just yet. The pair lined out together in the pack during a magical season where Tullow defeated Suttonians 17-15 to win the province’s Division 2 title.
The scorer of a brace of tries in that promotion-sealing victory over Queen’s, Grace has had September the 28th circled on the calendar ever since the All-Ireland League fixtures were released back in June.
Speaking about stepping up to play at senior level, she admitted: “It feels great. We are really looking forward to it, we’re excited. Saturday can’t come around fast enough.
“We want to hit the ground running. It’s been a long time coming, never did I ever think that I’d be playing AIL rugby for Tullow, but I’m delighted it’s happening now. It’s great.”
To get to play their first All-Ireland League game on home soil makes it extra special. The home support is sure to be out in force for the historic occasion at the Blackgates, as the competition’s two newest teams go head-to-head.
Wicklow entered the All-Ireland League in the 2021/22 season and found the step up difficult at the start. However, Jason Moreton’s charges have grown signficantly since then, securing AIL Conference and Shield silverware and finishing as high as sixth in the league table.
Now Tullow, who are coached by Paul ‘Pookie’ Canavan, are following in Wicklow’s footsteps as the league’s newcomers. Relegation is back in the Women’s Division this year, so every point will matter as they strive to be a competitive outfit.
Having played Wicklow in a friendly a couple of weeks ago, Kelly and her team-mates got a taste of what the opening rounds might be like. She says the main goal for Tullow this year is to stay up, with a big focus on their home form.
“We’re really, really looking forward to it. We played Wicklow there in a friendly, you know just to get a bit of game-time under our belt, give a few girls a run.
“It was good to get a run-out but we are looking forward to our first home game now. Wicklow have had a little bit of time now to, you know, kind of settle into the AIL. They’ve had the few years there where no one had been brought down.
“We’re kind of coming in at an unfortunate time where someone will be relegated this year. We’re just hoping that won’t be us. That’s our aim to try and nail down all our home games mainly anyway, and just look to stay up this year,” she explained.
Situated on the River Slaney with a large rural hinterland, the market town of Tullow has a population of over 5,000. Although the local rugby club continues to grow and expand, their Women’s team will be coming up some very established city-based sides in the AIL.
While a number of Women’s Division clubs have had players away on provincial and international duty already this season, Tullow’s playing group is primarily comprised of local homegrown talent.
Tullow do have some experience within their ranks, as Nicola Caldbeck and Hilary Fitzgerald have both represented Connacht previously and have come out of retirement to help Tullow’s fight this year. Katie Ann O’Neill and Carla Cloney are new recruits.
The squad’s longest serving members are Alex O’Brien, sister of former Leinster and Ireland star Sean, Catherine Dempsey, who was last season’s captain, Chloe Farrell, and Lana Brennan.
Recognising that it could be a baptism of fire for such a small country club making the jump up to senior rugby, Kelly added: “We have to be realistic as well. UL, Railway, and Blackrock, like they are fantastic and they are very big clubs.
“They have a big pick of Limerick or Dublin, and the surrounding areas. Tullow, we are a small club. Family orientated, like everyone is nearly from Tullow. We have a few people from the locality, but we don’t have anyone from Dublin.
“So, as a country club, we’re trying to build together as a club and as a team, to try and at least compete with the likes of those teams. We’re one team, one band of sisters. We’re there together, a good few of us have been playing together for a long time as well.”
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