Short Synopsis:
This documentary follows several Irish sporting trailblazers who founded the first Irish women’s national rugby team. Not waiting for permission, they broke new ground through sheer will and determination, laying the foundation for generations of sportswomen to come.
Long synopsis:
This documentary chronicles the first ever international rugby match played by the Irish Women’s International Rugby team against Scotland in Edinburgh on the 14th of February 1993, and the legacy it created.
Fifty years ago, women were essentially banned from running marathons, an activity that was viewed as far beyond their capabilities. How ridiculous does that seem now? Women are curtailed from realising their potential, or just from taking part in things that are normal and accessible to men, all the time, being told what they can and cannot or should and should not do. Today Irish women’s rugby has a massive following, both domestically and internationally. Their matches are shown live on television and their players have become household names. Thirty years ago, this was unthinkable as women’s rugby essentially did not exist.
The women of the first international team were pioneers of their time. From humble beginnings the Irish rugby scene grew through the women’s own determination. Joined by the ‘exiles’ (Irish women playing rugby in the UK) they formed their own union and built their own international team. Making both personal and monetary sacrifices they travelled to Edinburgh to play Scotland – who were similar in their own journey – to play their first international game.
Main Contributors
Jill Henderson
Jill Henderson was playing division rugby for English side Waterloo when she got called for a trial
with the England team. Determined to set up an Irish team she was instrumental in bringing the Irish women in UK clubs and the Irish clubs together to form an International Irish team and was one the founding member of the Irish Women’s Rugby Football Union (IWRFU) in 1992.
Tanya Waters
Tanya Waters played No. 8 for Ireland in the first women’s rugby international match. She only took up rugby at the age of 18 in 1990. In 1991 she formally set up a women’s team at the University of Ulster Coleraine where she organised the first ever Women’s rugby tournament in Ireland. Tanya was one of the founding members of the IWRFU in 1992. She moved to Cooke Rugby Club in Belfast in September 1992 and became the PR & Sponsorship officer for the new international team. Following a serious knee injury after that first international match, she became the Manager of the Irish Women’s Rugby Team from 1994 to 1996. In addition to managing the team, doing the fundraising & PR, she organised the Dublin home internationals up until 1996 and was chairperson for the IWRFU in 1996 – 1997.
Nicola Doyle
In 1992 Nicola Doyle played for Blackrock College RFC Women’s Team coached by Alain Rolland. She was also a founding committee member of the IWRFU. She continued to support the Irish Women’s team alongside her husband Philip Doyle (whom was coach for periods).
Sandra Colamartino
Sandra Colamartino started playing rugby in 1991 for Liberton, which went on to become Edinburgh Accies. Sandra was the scrum half and captain of that first Scotland team and scored the only two tries of the 1993 game securing Scotland’s win.
Alain Rolland
Alain Rolland, who was coaching the Blackrock Women’s team in the early 1990’s, was talked into selecting and coached the first international women’s rugby team. Alain was himself capped three times for Ireland as a scrumhalf. He went onto to referee after his playing career; the high point being referee for the 2017 World Cup final.