Edenderry Rugby Club celebrates its 60th anniversary this year but last season the Ladies team made their bow, and duly won the league title. Micil Glennon spoke to last year’s victorious captain and out-half, Majella Lavin.
How did you get involved with Edenderry RFC?
I am originally from Roscommon but I live in Dublin. I used to play for the Garda club in Westmanstown. My boyfriend is from Edenderry so I spend most of my weekends here. I heard that they were setting up a Ladies team so I said I’d go to one of the training sessions. I liked the fact that they were new and that maybe I could help put the team on the map.
Why were you made captain?
I had a little bit more experience; most of the girls had never played rugby before. I’ve been playing sports since I was 12 so I probably have a tendency to show some leadership.
What were your impressions of the club?
I first met [coaches] Darren Hanlon and Patsy Gorman, and Dave Wilkie. They were really welcoming. We were supported from the beginning. The facilities are good and there was no issue with regards to pitch allocation or anything like that.
What impressed you most about the team?
The enthusiasm of the girls - nothing fazed them. Most of them had never played any sports before and so, from the management point of view, it was easy to mould the team.
How did the first season go?
Last year we won the league and got to the cup final, which very rarely happens. That day was bittersweet; we lost the final but got presented with the League medals. It was an excellent season – to win a league at the first attempt.
Why do you think the team was so successful?
What stood to us was the size of our panel. We never had a training session last year with less than 25 players. We’d go away to UCD or Tullow or Belevdere and they might have only 15 or 16 players.
Especially in the winter months, it’s so cold and the ground is hard and we still had 25 at training – that’s a testament to the team and the girls that train. Because of that, the town and community saw what the team achieved in its first year and that brought in six or seven new players.
How do you think the coaching staff dealt with the girls?
Both Darren and Patsy had their own playing careers and they know what they are talking about. They were very patient, especially last year they had to be quite repetitive; they really believed in the girls.
What is the most satisfactory aspect of playing rugby?
For me, it’s winning, you get used to winning. I come down from Dublin twice a week, we train hard and, as a result, we win games. It’s not easy to drive down twice a week but when you see the numbers at training and when you look at the table, it makes it all worthwhile.