Women’s sport is seeing a massive boost in numbers thanks to the 2012 London Olympics and there has never been a better time to get involved, particularly in rugby where women are still massively underrepresented. The Irish ladies squad recently triumphed over Wales, Scotland and secured a historic victory over England to win their first ever triple crown in the Six Nations tournament. This clearly illustrates the current strength of ladies rugby and the potential the game shows in future. Ladies sports have long been seen as inferior to the men’s games, however the recent Irish ladies victory has raised the profile of ladies rugby and showed that we are not to be underestimated at any level.
Lady rugby players. What image enters your mind when you read that phrase? I’m guessing it’s not a pretty, petite 5’3 size six mother, or a 5’8 size ten blonde in heels and false eyelashes? The common stereotype of female rugby players is “butch” or “macho” and this could not be further from the truth. It’s time to dispel the myth of “manly” female rugby players with hairy legs and faces bare of make-up. Like any sport, the players are diverse in age, size and weight, but the truth is that there is a place for everyone on the rugby pitch. Be you tall and fast, or small and strong and the game is nowhere near the manic free-for-all it appears to the untrained eye. Nobody talks about the mental strength required to play rugby. The players are agile athletes, running, timing moves, changing direction, passing, tackling and making vital split second decisions under pressure. There is no denying rugby is a physical game, but there is much more than strength and brute force required. Ironically, one of the fastest players on the Carrick pitch is the 5’2 loosehead prop. Unfortunately the majority of people still don’t appreciate ladies sports, rugby in particular. I recently had the opportunity to ask an Ulster, Ireland and Lions player how he thought we could raise the profile of the ladies game, hoping for some insight or wisdom from a professional who has played at the highest level of rugby. His suggestion was “the lads did a calendar, you could try that”.
When I tell people that I’m a rugby player, they act surprised and say things like “you don’t look like a rugby player”. In actual fact, I do look like a rugby player, I am an ideal second row, but these people just subscribe to the stereotypical image of a female rugby player, small, unkempt and well built. I have news for you – this is no longer the case. We like looking after ourselves, going to the hairdressers and having our nails done (in the off season, naturally. It hurts when they snap off in a ruck). Our captain plays wearing eyelash extensions and will not be seen dead in the showers without her nails painted!
Carrick Ladies rugby team are going strong under the leadership of coaches Nikki and Alan (both with more years of playing experience than they’d care for me to mention), captain Lydine and vice captain Sabrina. We train on a Tuesday night from 7PM and play matches on Sundays, both home and away. Training is varied and allows a mix of fitness, technical skills and open match play, to allow fitness to be increased as well as skills. New players are welcome to sit out of the more physical elements at first but everyone always wants to get involved in the end. This season has seen a successful mix of experience with new players who are showing natural flair and passion for the game. Old hands such as ex Ulster players Hilary and Suzie and Aimee who has played for Carrick since the age of six, coming though the minis and youth squads offer advice and valuable pointers to the new and less experienced players in a non-patronising and practical manner. This has proven successful as we have conceded only 2 defeats in the league and cup this season, both to the same team. We are now preparing for a league clash to decide the winners of the division 3 league, who will win promotion to our previous division 2, having beaten a determined Ballyshannon side at home on Sunday by 3 points to nil.
There is much more than the fitness aspect to ladies rugby, there is an active social culture within the team, especially during the current six nations and it’s a well known fact that the Carrick girls like to enjoy themselves! Our ages rage from 18 to mid-30’s and clichéd as it sounds, we are all like a big family, supporting each other on and off the pitch. Away matches are almost like a day out (don’t tell the coaches we said that) and we know how to celebrate our wins. We have a lot of fun, sometimes choosing themes for travelling home, for example we recently visited a Letterkenny pub all clad in onesies and some of you may have seen our little Christmas pudding in a certain bar in Carrick just before Christmas. We have upcoming events such as a cross community project, Peace III, in Cavan and of course the Carrick 7’s tournament in May, so being a rugby player definitely isn’t all about slogging around in the cold and rain at training.
We are constantly recruiting new players and welcome anyone regardless of ability, fitness and knowledge of the game. The only requirement is the right attitude and willingness join in. Playing sport not only boosts fitness, it can combat physical and mental health problems, increase confidence and social interaction. Not all our players are Carrick residents, we have ladies who travel from Lisburn, Belfast and Newtownabbey to play for us, where they have other clubs more accessible. If you are interested in joining us, or just finding out more about ladies rugby, you can like our facebook page facebook/CarrickladiesRFC or call Lydine on 0772 2255 867.
