[dropcap]D[/dropcap]CU Ladies Rugby team have made it through to Student Sport Ireland’s All-Ireland Rugby final where they will play the University of Limerick Wolves on March 21st at 5pm in Buccaneers RFC, Athlone.
After posting a huge margin of victory, 54-14 scored against IT Carlow, on 7th March, the girls are counting down the days to the final in which they’re hopeful for a win.
Team captain Ciara McDonnell, a student of Education and Training, feels that the team are ready for the game after some intense two hour sessions in recent weeks.
She started playing rugby herself three years ago with Westmanstown RFC and is confident about the team’s abilities but said: “We have only played against them [UL] once before.
“We lost by one point and that was our first game in the league, so we don’t know what they’re like now.”
UL Wolves Ladies team won 36-10 against NUI Galway in their semi-final game and their division two team is also in the final this year.
This is the first year DCU Ladies Rugby have reached the All-Ireland final, which Ciara said is exciting for the club.
They have rapidly progressed since they were founded only four years ago. In their first year, they won the division two title and progressed up, making the division one semi-finals last year.
They have kept the forward momentum going this year on a wonderful weekend for DCU rugby after JJ O’Dea and Patrick Thornton earned themselves Ireland Students caps. As well as that, the Men’s Sevens side became European Champions.
There are 33 members on the rugby squad, coming from all three DCU campuses.
There will a supporter’s bus for the final leaving from St. Pats and DCU around 2:30PM.
Róise McGagh
Image Credit: DCU Ladies Rugby Club