The ladies section of Portlaoise RFC was originally established in 1998 and following a brief lapse was re-established in the mid noughties…
Under the guidance of some excellent coaching staff Portlaoise progressed from the Leinster development league to All Ireland League Div. 1 winning Leinster League titles in 2006 and 2009, the ‘North Midlands Ann Fitzpatrick Cup’ in 2011/12 and again in 2012/13 and last year winning the All Ireland Division Two title to gain promotion to Division One where they will compete against the best of women’s rugby in Ireland.
This would not have been possible without a talented group of dedicated players many of whom have represented their club at senior and U19 provincial level as well as intervarsity competitions. Portlaoise also boasts of being the home club of Six Nations Grand Slam Winning Team and Irish Seven’s star Alison Miller who has played an integral role in the development and success of the ladies team.
We cannot go without mentioning the thriving underage section catering for girls aged 9-17. This was established and developed by senior team members to ensure that women’s rugby would continue to strive within the club and they did not fail to deliver! With twenty five girls in attendance at a recent open evening and players involved in both Leinster 15s and Irish 7s underage squads the future looks bright!
The club caters for players of all abilities from beginners to more experienced players and also participates in many of the summer sevens rugby tournaments as well as hosting its own summer tag rugby league. With local sponsors Bankz Hairdressing and Grellan Delaney’s Late Night Bar on board again for another season you can be certain a few good old fashioned nights out are always included on the fixture list!
For anyone interested in joining the club training continues Tuesday and Friday nights at 7.30pm in Portlaoise RFC, Togher. Check us out on Facebook for more information.
