DCU student Lucinda Kinghan recently represented Ireland at the first ever 5v5 rugby X tournament in the O2 in London playing two matches against England and the USA.
The tournament was set up by an English entrepreneur. For the ladies team it was based on points and not on knockout stages. The Irish ladies team put up a good fight but unfortunately were not successful in either games against England or the USA. The home nation would go on to be the victors winning the tournament in sudden death 1v1 against the USA.
“We did put up a good fight but it didn’t go our way losing both games. We didn’t have a lot of practice playing 5v5 leading up to the tournament and I think you could probably tell that when we were playing,” Kinghan said when asked about the X tournament.
Lucinda who is only 19-years-old has made several underage appearances for Ireland and this year has been capped twice for the Irish senior ladies squad in 7v7 and now in 5v5. She got her first senior cap for Ireland last summer in Ukraine.
“I was only capped once for Ireland before and that was in Ukraine last summer. Rugby X was my second time representing Ireland,” Kinghan said.
“It is such a privilege to represent Ireland, to be named as one of the top to represent your country in rugby is amazing, it is such a great opportunity and a lot of fun.”
Currently Kinghan is contracted in playing 7v7 but said that she “enjoyed the new adventure” of playing 5v5. However she prefers to play 7v7 as it is what she is used to. Kinghan usually plays in the forward position on the pitch in 7v7 but takes up the wing position in 15v15.
The Monaghan native started playing rugby at the age of fourteen, she joined her school rugby team and fell in love with the sport shortly after. “I started when I was fourteen, my older sister started playing first and of course I had to copy her,” Kinghan told The College View.
With the Irish ladies rugby team Kinghan trains four days a week and trains with DCU the other days. Kinghan hopes to have a big future in rugby so she realises how much work and time she must invest into the sport.
“I plan to stay playing 7’s and hopefully get a few more caps for Ireland, I want to be a bit more dominant on the world series. I would love to make my debut on it and be one of the main players, then hopefully make the Olympics,” Lucinda said when asked about the future.
DCU ladies rugby has been very successful in recent years. They won the All-Ireland championship last year and are now in division one of the All-Ireland League. They are currently sitting comfortably at second in the league.
Aoife Breslin
Image Credit: Lucinda Kinghan