Women’s rugby first started 63 years ago in 1962, by a team at Edinburgh University. Since then, women’s rugby has gained significant popularity. Women’s rugby in Ireland started in 1992. At this time, there were only about 10 women’s teams across the country, and they played their first match against Scotland.
By 2021 in Galway, there were 12 women’s teams competing; this year, 16 teams were competing. Women’s rugby has grown so much in the last few years, mainly because there has been an increased investment in the sport, and social media has massively influenced women’s rugby.
As a TY student, I have been playing rugby with my school for four years. While I was in my first year, the school set up its first girls’ rugby team. This year, the senior girls’ rugby team has been pulled as we do not have enough players.
If she can’t see it, she can’t be it
Leading the way for women’s rugby in Galway is the women’s development officer for Connacht Rugby, Wendy Hickey. Having been involved in women’s rugby since 2004, Wendy is originally from Quebec, Canada. She first started playing basketball, but when she went to university, she wanted to give rugby a try and says she has not looked back since.
“What drove me was the camaraderie and the bond that came with rugby, the team, the bond and the friendships people made with rugby. I wanted to see for myself what it was like, and it didn’t disappoint.”
In the past 21 years Wendy has spent in the industry, she has seen many changes with the sport, seeing it transform from a rare offering in local clubs to a regular fixture.
“When I started in rugby in 2004, there would have been one senior team, which was the Galwegians team, and now the amount of teams in relation to women, youth, minis, and school clubs has just grown so much. In Connacht, we have 26 clubs, and 25 out of the 26 clubs now have women’s rugby in some shape or form.
“It has grown so much over the last 20 years; it has been really positive for us as a province. It is all about giving girls a chance to try it and see if they like it, and usually they do.
“If she can’t see it, she can’t be it.”
FOMO
Despite the reticence of some to accept women in the sport during those early years, today, women’s rugby is becoming more and more popular.
“Back when I started, my job was to try to get more girls playing the sport. So, you would approach a club and have that conversation, and some clubs were completely against it. They were saying, ‘it’s not a sport for women, and they shouldn’t be playing’.
“I suppose once it started to grow, there was a bit of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out ). People were looking over the wall and asking. ‘Why is this club doing this, and why aren’t we doing it?’, because it becomes more of a community. The rugby club becomes more of an offering for the community to be part of.
“Because of the opportunities that the girls and women have now, the growth of the game has completely changed it. Now there are opportunities, be it under 16, under 18 or provincial, national or sevens; the opportunities are immense given the number of players playing now.”
Rising interest
This acceptance has resulted in what Wendy has described as a positive challenge facing the sport: having the teams and resources in place to facilitate the number of women and girls who are now turning to rugby.
“It is great that the game is growing; more girls are playing, but that, in itself, brings challenges.
“For us, it’s about being able to provide the environment for girls who have the potential to thrive and reach their full potential. We are working hard to make that happen, and it is a case of if you build it, they will come.
“But for us, the challenge is to keep up with that rate of growth, within the province, and within the country. We can always think of negative things, but in a way, the biggest challenge is a positive one, and if we didn’t have that challenge, we would be in a worse place.”
From underestimated to provincial champions
All this hard work has paid off for Wendy, with the Connacht women’s team going from an underestimated squad to champions. When asked what she regards as the highlight of her career, Wendy says it was one where she supported from the sideline watching the under-18 Connacht ladies team take home their first provincial title.
“When we would play Munster, Leinster and Ulster at the start of our journey, I always felt like I was a small fish in a big pond. You are looking over the wall at other provinces at the number of teams they have, and I would think, are we ever going to get there? They had 55 teams, and we had five.
“To see the girls play, and I was just on the sidelines watching, but it was validating the work that we have put in to grow the game and give those girls that potential to grow. To see them win and beat Leinster was just unbelievable.”
Encouraging women to join the support
Keeping this momentum towards more future titles, Wendy’s role as a women’s development officer for Connacht rugby plays a vital part in scouting and nurturing young talent towards women’s rugby.
“In my role, I focus mainly on the minis and the youth in terms of trying to get more girls playing at that age. In terms of trying to get more women to enter the sport, I work closely with Eva O’Dowd, who is also trying to get more women involved in coaching. In a way, it is to tap on the shoulder of those women standing on the sideline and letting them know there is always a place for them to be part of the rugby club.
“Even if they have never played rugby before, there is always an opportunity to be part of rugby. It could be as a committee member or as a coach, to try to encourage more women to feel part of the rugby club. It is about identifying those people, supporting them and trying to build their confidence in relation to what they can contribute to the club, be it as a committee, a coach, or a referee.”
Keep going and don’t give up
When it comes to advising women who are interested in joining their local club or taking up the sport, Wendy says, “Keep going and don’t give up”
“Be a part of it and enjoy it. The rugby community is like no other; it’s reaching, and just take that step forward and be brave and see what the community is like. You get so much out of it, so I really encourage people to give it a try, and they won’t look back.
“A lot of people who join the rugby community stay and love every bit of it, so just take that step forward and be brave.”
