Creggs women back in the limelight

Back in the mid-nineties, women’s teams from Creggs RFC were considered leading lights.

In 1995, the club’s flagship team claimed the All-Ireland Cup. Twelve months earlier, they were All-Ireland League winners. Players like Fiona Devaney, Mary Grehan, Jacinta Hanley (Gibbons), Paula Keane and Claire Wall were capped by Ireland at the time — women’s rugby was alive and well within the club.

Since then, the glory days have slowly faded. But Creggs have put a heavy emphasis on trying to encourage women to take up the sport.

Following the launch of girls’ youth rugby in 2018, Creggs re-launched its adult women’s rugby team in 2023 — some 24 years after the club last fielded a women’s side.

The club’s emphasis on establishing a youth system is already starting to pay rich dividends. The U-18 team secured the Connacht Division One League title last month while the U-14 girls won their Connacht League final.

With the Creggs senior women’s side now in their second season, they secured their first piece of silverware since those heady days of the late nineties when claiming the Invitational Plate in October of last year.

On Sunday, the club will be trying to secure its greatest achievement since reforming when they face three-in-a-row-chasing Tuam/Oughterard Colts in the Connacht Senior Women’s League final in Castlebar (kick-off at 1 p.m.).

For Creggs captain Susan O’Reilly, the younger players have helped her adjust after she took up the sport two years ago.

“This year, in particular, some of the U-18s have joined us. They can only join us when they are 18, but they have so much experience. Sometimes, it’s the younger girls leading the older ones. Jemima (Adams Verling), who joined us this year, has played at a very high level.

“We have more players coming along. The young girls are joining us. They bring youth but also their experience from underage, which is bringing us on a whole lot,” the loosehead prop highlighted.

The Dunmore Community School teacher understands the importance of big days as she led her school to the All-Ireland PPS Senior C Ladies’ Football Championship final last year.

Despite an understrength Creggs outfit losing out to Tuam/Oughterard Colts 39-0 when these sides met in the group stage, O’Reilly wants her side to seize the opportunity that will present itself on Sunday.

“I think we have to back ourselves. What could really hold us back is if we let the idea of who this team are get into our heads. Tuam/Oughterard Colts are the defending champions but, in a way, they are a fledgling team themselves. They have set the bar for women’s rugby in Connacht.

“They beat us well last year. This year, we weren’t at full tilt. We are improving and the fact we have met them twice before, we have an idea of how they tick.

“In a way it helps they haven’t seen us at full strength yet. We will have to adjust our game a little bit as they are fast and play through the hands. We have to play our own game and see how it goes,” she noted.

At full tilt, the best from Creggs may be yet to come.