‘Week By Week’ Approach Serving Connolly And Galwegians Well

Joining Galwegians in 2019, Connolly has gone from strength to strength for the Blue Belles despite rugby not being the first choice of sports in the family. The Castlegar native grew up in a very hurling-focused house, playing camogie for many years.

When she moved to the midlands to study Social Care in Athlone Institute of Technology, she got her first taste of rugby and has been hooked ever since. She joined ‘Wegians once she came back to Galway after finishing her studies.

“I started playing rugby when I was in college. So I played camogie my whole life, and my family would be a massive hurling family,” she told IrishRugby.ie.

“Then when I moved to college, I played camogie for my first year, but I ended up making friends with girls who just happened to play rugby. When I was in second year in college, I started playing rugby with AIT.

“I just completely fell in love with it. It was actually (Connacht and Ireland’s) Shannon Touhey, who was playing with AIT at the time, and when I was finishing up, I was like, ‘oh, I don’t want to not play rugby anymore – do you know any clubs and stuff like that’, because I hadn’t a clue of anything really.

“She had just done a season with ‘Wegians, and she was like, ‘yeah absolutely, go down here, play AIL, you’ll love it’. And, yeah, the rest is history then.

“Still here, still doing my bit for ‘Wegians, and still absolutely loving every minute of it. There’s nowhere I’d rather be on a Tuesday and a Thursday (training), and spending all day every day with the girls on the weekends is great.”

Connolly’s brothers have been an influence in terms of playing sport, and rugby too. Her younger brother Sean is currently playing with Castlebar, having had stints in Galway and also playing with the Connacht junior team.

Their older brother, Cormac, played for ‘Wegians at underage level, but unfortunately passed away at the age of just 24. It was only fitting that Ellen would join the club her late brother played for and go on to be appointed captain.

Since joining the Glenina-based side, her family has immersed themselves in the club. Her mother has become one of their number one supporters, joining the team on the bus journeys, getting involved with the sing songs, and also taking on the role of washing the jerseys every weekend.

Prop Connolly admits she regrets not playing the sport sooner, explaining: “Sean has played rugby for years. He played with Boys Club in Galway, and then he played a bit of AIL with Corinthians, and he played some Connacht Juniors, and he’s now playing with Castlebar.

“Cormac, he would have played with ‘Wegians, underage as well. So I suppose there was a bit of rugby in the house, but no big influence or anything like that.

But when I decided to play, there’s never a question in my house. Whatever, as long as you’re playing a bit of sport, as long as you’re doing something, they’re like, ‘it’s great’.

“My mam doesn’t miss a match, and she’s been on team buses with us. She travels and she currently is the one that volunteers to wash our jerseys every weekend. She loves that. She loves getting the jerseys smelling all good and getting out the stains!

“I was a late bloomer, I didn’t do it underage or anything like that. Any regret anyone ever asks me about rugby, I say that I didn’t start early enough. Making up for it now, stay going till I can’t.”

In her time with Galwegians, the club has undergone a lot of change, and in the last couple of seasons, some legendary faces have departed Crowley Park. They have done well to help fill the boots left behind, adding a wealth of underage talent into the group.

Last year they finished a disappointing eighth in the table, winning only four of their 16 games. However, with a new atmosphere and positivity in the group, stemming from a change in the coaching set-up and an impressive start to this new season, they are playing with renewed confidence.

“We’ve lost a few of our really key players with the likes of Mairead Coyne, Mary Healy, and all of them kind of retiring. They were massive, massive gaps to fill, and we were lucky that we had Mairead and Mary come in and help the new girls that were transitioning into those positions and guide them along the way.

“Like, they’re great experience to have for those girls and just for all of the girls on the pitch. So, I suppose when they left, it was kind of left to our more senior players as well to bring in our new young girls and do for them what those players did for us.

“So, it’s been teaching them, I suppose not only about rugby, about the positions, about the results and importance to them, but about the culture in ‘Wegians and what we’ve created and what the players before us have left for us and what we want to need for the players that are coming after us as well.

“It’s been important in that sense. In terms of last year, it wasn’t a great year. It was really, really tough. We struggled with numbers a lot last year and grinding out every game was a battle.

“We didn’t finish anywhere near where we wanted to finish, we always kind of keep the culture that you don’t really deserve to finish anywhere. You have to earn it.

“I suppose last year, with the commitment and stuff like that, we didn’t earn any position higher, unfortunately. So we had a review at the end of last year. I suppose we kind of had to go back to basics.

“And when you’re looking for a new coaching ticket, you’re trying to whittle down what is it you’re looking for from a coach, what is it you want from the team, and what’s the best thing for a new season going ahead.

“So, Mary Healy was our director of Women’s rugby last year, so she left us in great hands when it comes to (the) coaching ticket and setting us up with Jack (Clarke), who has brought an absolutely amazing atmosphere to the team and positivity, and his wealth of knowledge is next to none.

“We’re so lucky to be able to dip in and out with him. Hoping for better this year and just reflecting on the last few weeks, I suppose that’s where we want to be, the position we want to be in, going into some of our stronger games of the season. We’re going in with a bit of confidence anyways on our back.”

Former Ireland international Clarke took over the reins as head coach for his first season in the Women’s Division. While it can take a while for a coach to click with a squad, Connolly says he has has already had a profound effect on the players since pre-season.

“There is nothing but belief that comes from Jack and every single player can feel it. The culture that he creates within the team, he wants the best for us. He really believes that we can do our best on the pitch every weekend.

“He’s such a lovely man as well that he’s very honest that, you know, he knows it’s his first year in AIL coaching and stuff like that. And he knows he has knowledge, but he’s there and he’s very honest and that he’s learning every weekend.

“He’s trying to bring new stuff in every week as well. And he’s so open to feedback from the girls, and the feedback that he’s given to us as well in terms of rugby is outstanding.

“We couldn’t ask for anything better from a coach like that. It’s that kind of open communication, I suppose, that we’ve kind of lacked in terms of players and coaches the past few years that has really created this really good culture.

“Essentially it has really made the results that we’ve gotten from the start of the season even better, and just drives the girls more then to want to get more results and more performances out of the team going ahead.”

Employed as a youth worker in Galway, Connolly lives with two of her team-mates, Dearbhla Canty and Elizabeth McNicholas, and after operating under some legendary captains at the club, she has now taken on that key leadership role for 2024/25.

With the culture of Galwegians, making those friends is core to the ethos of the club, as everyone is seen as family. Learning from those in the position before her, as the strong-carrying front rower now looks to be that voice for the next generation coming through.

“I was absolutely delighted and honoured (to be chosen as captain). There’ve been a lot of people before me who have donned the armband for Galwegians. Mary Healy was my first captain going in there, she taught us so many things.

“Then Orla Dixon last year as well, played in the first Celtic Challenge and has been stalwart for Connacht over many Interpro seasons and finished up there this season with a great, great campaign as well on her back.

“The path was paved ahead for me, I suppose. Those girls that have gone before, Mary Healy, Nicole Fowley, Mairead Coyne, Laura Feely. They don’t just teach us about rugby. They aren’t just helping us with our skills and stuff like that.

“They’re really creating a good culture in ‘Wegians for us and showing us that rugby is just more than playing ball and going out every weekend. You’re about making friends and creating that family within ‘Wegians.

“What we’re kind of trying to create as well for the new girls coming in, is that this is the culture more than just rugby, what you can get out of it.

I’m living in a house with two of my best friends now that I never would have met only for ‘Wegians and stuff like that, and they’ll be my best friends for the rest of my life. And there’s a few of us that are in that situation. You really have to engross yourself into the culture of it all.

“So, as captain, the kind of things that I like doing, trying to lead by example on the pitch and stuff like that. Being able to communicate openly with the management and the coaches and with Jack and stuff like that has been massive this year.

“There’s been a big difference in the few previous years that we’ve had. It’s amazing, it’s a really good thing, and I’m so proud to be able to captain the girls.”

Galwegians are on the road for Saturday’s clash with Suttonians, with a 5pm kick-off at the JJ McDowell Memorial Grounds. Armed with three wins from four games so far, Clarke’s charges have started in strong fashion and are currently fourth in the standings.

Yet to win away from home this season, ‘Wegians meet a team they have had some memorable showdowns with in recent years. Nonetheless, Connolly believes her side will be up for the battle this weekend, as they continue to take it game by game.

“Three out of four wins to start the season, you can’t complain about that really. Looking ahead to Suttonians this weekend, I suppose we’re a new team. We’ve done a lot of recruitment over the summer. New coaching ticket as well, so everything is learning for everyone every week.

“We’re just taking that kind of week by week (approach), what we can learn from the game to the week before, taking it into the next week then as well.

“In terms of travelling on the road to Suttonians, we’ve always had good battles with them. It always comes down to the wire. It can always go either way. Definitely up for the battle.

“We have a lot of experience in our squad, I suppose. We’ve a few girls there that have played with ‘Wegians for a good few years, and then we have some younger girls, new girls that are first year playing AIL. But they’ve been in Connacht Under-18 set-ups.

“They’re bringing loads of new experience and new energy to the team as well. So, hoping to bring all of that on Saturday, and like I said, just take week by week. We trained well on Tuesday, and again on Thursday, just preparing ourselves the best we can for it,” she added.