NUIG Womens Rugby
Join the NUIG women's rugby team for the new competitive season which kicks off in September. Newcomers are welcome at any time and no previous playing experience is necessary!
NUIG RFC was established in 1873 as UCG Rugby Club and was a founding member
of the IRFU in 1874. The women’s team was started in 2002 with the arrival of
rugby development office Jim Herring. We have now a dedicated player’s base
from the college with a large international contingent of players, and we
continue to welcome new players throughout the season with or without
experience.
2004 was a very successful year with the women’s
team competing in their first official match against Sligo I.T. in February,
which ended in a draw. After a long and stressful organisational period the
NUIG women hosted one of the most successful intervarsities competitions on the
31st of March in Dangan sports grounds. Eight teams from around the country
competed, the most teams to enter the competition at that point.
In 2004 and 2005 the NUIG Ladies competed for the first time in the I.S.S.A.
College’s League. This was a major stepping stone for the club, as was the
appointment of coach ex Irish international Stephanie Dowling-Folan.
The start of the 2005 season saw the appointment of a new dedicated coaching
team consisting of Sineád Cosgrave, Wendy Hickey and Caroline Pryce. Sinead
Cosgrave is an ex Irish international and has also represented Connaught and
Galwegians along with Wendy Hickey and Caroline Pryce. Wendy Hickey is also a
development officer for the IRFU.
Sinead Cosgrave continued with the team until 2010, taking a well earned
sabbatical having led them to their first varsity championship final.
Simon Lawless and Darragh Keady took over from Cosgrave the following season,
leading the squad to yet another Connacht League Final in March 2011.
Following Keady’s Austrailian bound departure, he was replaced with New
Zealand native Luke O’Donnell. Lawless and O’Donnell’s cemistry worked well as
they brought their team to the Connacht League Semi-Final and CUSAI Final in
the 2012-2013 season.
The season of 2013-2014 saw success for the women's side when in their first
time competing in the IURU Kay Bowen Cup, the girls walked away with silverware
having kept a clean sheet throughout the competition.
Continuing on from the success of the previous season the ladies side
retained the Kay Bowen Cup and added to the silverware collection in winning
the Connacht Invitational Shield (with a conbined side of Galwegians 2nds and
Tuam).
2016 was the most successful year in the history
of the women's club, as the girls went on to complete a clean sweep in all
competitions the took part in. Retaining Kay Bowen for the third consecutive
year meant the girls had a taste for silverware from the outset. With a
large number of new girls on the scene NUIG continued to take the spoils,
defeating the best teams in Connacht to win the League title whilst also
competing at the highest level in the university competitions to bring home
both the SSI Intervarsity Cup and the Division One College's Cup.
2015/2016- SSI All Ireland Division 1 colleges champions
2015/2016- Connacht league champions
2015/2016- intervarsity champions
2015/2016- Kay Bowen Cup champions
2014/2015-IURU Intervarsity Kay Bowen Cup; Connacht Invitational Shield Champions.
2013/2014 - IURU Intervarsity Kay Bowen Cup; Connacht Colleges 7s Tournament
2012/2013 - Intervarsity Tournament Finalists; Connacht Women's Development League Semi-Finalists
2010/2011 - Connacht Women's Development League Finalists
2009/2010 - Intervarsity Tournament Finalists; Connacht Women's Development League Finalists
2008/2009 - Connacht Women's Development League Champions
2007/2008 - Connacht Women's Development League Finalists
2006/2007 - College League Finalists (Division 1)
2013/2014: NUIG came third in Division 1 Intervarsities hosted by UCC.
2012/2013: NUIG missed out in competing this year.
2011/2012: NUIG hosted 2012 Intervarsities.