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Extended highlights above featuring both sides. Pictures and match report below!
Thank you ladies for an excellent day of rugby.
230pm Sunday the 20th Feb 2010 and two teams unbeaten in their cup campaign so far squared up to face each other in the deciding game. The final no less of The Rosie Stewart Cup.
The cup is named in honour of the untimely passing of Rosie Stewart, a former member of Cooke RFC women’s team. Native of the City Of Derry Rosie once played for Ireland and was a much loved member of the Ladies rugby community.
The Rosie Stewart Cup was designed to give all women’s clubs, whether Division 1, 2 or Development, an opportunity to compete in an Ulster-wide competition. The competition has been structured in a way that ensures that all clubs have reasonably meaningful and competitive matches, with the opportunity to find their level within the province.
City of Derry Ladies achieved their goal of winning the Ulster Cup Competition this season when they defeated Carrickfergus Ladies 46-0 at Ballymena RFC on Sunday.
Having defeated rivals Cooke and Belfast Harlequins en route to the final, City of Derry entered the match as clear favourites. However, Carrickfergus, who had attended the semi-final featuring City of Derry the previous week, had done their homework and it was clear that the took the field with intent.
CLICK HERE FOR 32 PICTURES OF BOTH SIDES
CLICK HERE FOR 53 MORE PICTURES from www.glenophoto.com
AND FOR 70 MLORE PICTURES CLICK HERE – courtesy of Bernard Doherty: e: bernarddoherty@hotmail.com
AND MORE PICTURES HERE ATLEAST ANOTHER 80
The first minutes were nervous, however a Rachel Lennox kick in the third minute was followed up by winger Natasha Milligan who beat the full-back to score in the corner. Milligan put herself on the score-sheet for the second time four minutes later when, following good driving by the Derry forwards and Mandisa Williams in particular, the ball was spun right and Milligan touched down in the corner.
The Derry Ladies continued to pressure the Carrickfergus half-backs and were rewarded when Captain Di Nixon charged down the kick of the Carrick fly-half, collected the ball and ran in to the posts to leave the conversion a formality for full-back Lennox.
South African scrum-half Fundi Plaatjie scored the first of two superb tries when, following a planned move, she took the ball from fly-half Suzie Tinney and scampered around three opposition players to score underneath the posts. Lennox converted to leave the half-time score 24-0.
The Carrick Ladies continued to play their rugby and Derry, having absorbed some pressure at the end of the first half, found themselves continuing to work hard. However, on the third minute of the second half the ball was won against the head by International Hooker Stacey-Lea Kennedy and was spun wide for centre Bridin McDermott to power her way over the line.
Derry found themselves playing the patterned rugby that they are accustomed to playing and on the 50th minute of the game, Nixon found herself in the centre with some space and broke through to feed the ball to Kelly Holmes, who was having an excellent game, who passed to Lennox to score in the corner.
Nixon again featured when the ball was won against the head just outside the Derry 22. She broke and fed to Plaatjie who ran more than half the pitch to score under the posts. Lennox added the conversion.
Youngster Ciara McGurk featured on the scoresheet when she jinked and demonstrated her undoubted pace to beat a number of defenders to score the eight try for City of Derry.
The Bowl was presented by Rosie Stewart’s Derry-based mother, Kathleen Gallagher, who was very touched that the Derry girls had succeeded in bringing the Bowl to the Maiden City for the very first time.
In her acceptance speech, captain Diane Nixon praised the squad for their effort & commitment. She also thanked Head Coach James Doherty and coach Sean O’Kane for the hours of hard work they had put in to get the squad performing at this level. Diane also gave a special mention to the club’s 1XV coach Mark Nichol and Ulster Ravens coach Terry McMaster, both of whom had taken time out of their hectic schedules to take training sessions for the girls during the cup run.
Finally she thanked the large crowd who had travelled to the game for their support.
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