Determined Katie fitz the bill
Injury comeback shows character of Ireland stalwart
KATIE FITZHENRY admits the proudest day of her career was when she was asked to captain the Irish rugby sevens squad.
Having gone through the pain barrier, returning from a heartbreaking cruciate knee operation more than twelve months earlier, the former Wexford Vixens player described it ‘as rather cool, and a great honour to captain your country on foreign soil’.
Having first overcome her injury setback that took months of rehab and training on her own, the determined Fitzhenry worked her way back to full fitness.
And that led to a return to the Irish women’s sevens set-up, cementing her place in the squad, but more importantly giving her the confidence to continue what had become a successful career before her cruciate injury.
Given the long journey back, Fitzhenry expressed her delight when she received the call to the sevens squad having proven her fitness.
One of the best centres in Irish ladies’ rugby, the native of Wexford town - from Coolcotts - trained through the lonely months to regain fitness.
‘It was for a back-to-back trip to Dubai and Cape Town that I get the call. It was a big women’s sevens tournament so I was thrilled when the call came,’ she said.
‘But it got even better when I was asked to captain the team in the back-to-back internationals in both Dubai and Cape Town.
‘I would have to say it was the proudest moment in my career. I was thrilled and so excited at the call.
‘It’s a great honour to captain your country, particularly on foreign soil. It meant that I had arrived, it was a long way from Park Lane, but such a huge honour both for me, my club Blackrock College, and former club Wexford Vixens,’ she added.
‘This was a great leadership opportunity for me which I fully embraced and enjoyed.’
Another reason Fitzhenry was so proud of her achievement was the fact that she was 18 years of age before she first took up rugby.
‘I started playing rugby while at Loreto secondary school. I had previously played under-age camogie for Wexford, and also ladies’ football.
‘After leaving school I was one of the founding members of Wexford Vixens R.F.C. women’s team, a stepping stone into competitive rugby.’
Katie would have played a bit of tag rugby while in the Loreto, but received her first taste of competitive fare with Wexford Vixens under coach Noel Ferguson.
With a growth in the sport, Katie became an integral part of the Vixens squad and gradually moved through the ranks.
‘I made my provincial debut for Leinster against Ulster in 2010 following a successful trial and a move to a Dublin club, Blackrock College, in order to play higher level rugby..’
It was to prove a significant switch for the Wexford town player.
‘Following this I was signed by the Irish Rugby Football Union as a centrally contracted rugby sevens player. I was one of the first players to sign up to the Irish Institute of Sport’s career development course at Griffith College.
‘I also worked while balancing training for both the rugby union and rugby sevens teams,’ Fitzhenry added.
With her game continuing to blossom, it was not long before she broke through to the international stage.
‘In 2015 I made my debut for the Ireland women’s national rugby union team in the Six Nations Championship against Italy. A week later I made my first start for Ireland, playing at centre against France.’
Her life had changed completely as she had by that stage become a fully-fledged international player.
Hosting the World Cup was to prove a huge advertisement for the women’s game in this country.
And while having the event on home soil in 2017 applied additional pressure on Ireland, Fitzhenry did not allow it to stifle her progress and enthusiasm, as she succeeded in breaking into the team.
She played in Ireland’s seventh place play-off against Wales at Ravenhill Stadium in Belfast, scoring one of her side’s tries.
A regular in the Irish set-up since 2015, Fitzhenry had played her way back into the team for the 2020 Six Nations Championship which has been cut short for the moment owing to the coronavirus.
‘Having injured my cruciate, I missed out on the 2018 season but was back for 2019. I played sevens in Hamilton and Sydney, and was back in the Six Nations squad for 2019.
‘Having put a good pre-season behind me, I built up the fitness and confidence to get back into the sevens along with the fifteens teams.
‘We have a very young squad together at the moment. In the fifteens we were trying to qualify for the World Cup this September, but the Six Nations has to be completed first. We are at a loose end at the moment not knowing when competitive rugby will return.
‘It all came so quickly, the ending of games owing to the coronavirus. But we are lucky when you look at the devastation out there for families and those sick.
‘All you can wish for at the moment is for everyone to keep safe, as rugby will return when allowed by the medics and government. People’s health is number one at the moment,’ she said.
‘When rugby resumes we hope to progress in the Six Nations. We may be somewhat behind England, who are a professional outfit, but we will keep building, keep trying, and hopefully we will get right back up competing at the top level. That has to be our goal,’ she said.
In conjunction with her rugby career, Fitzhenry is now working full-time with the I.R.F.U. on their anti-doping education programme, which leaves her very lucky as she deals with the everyday problems facing the game both on and off the pitch.
Having broken into the Ireland team, she helped secure a second women’s Six Nations title in three seasons.
But now she is setting her sights on the current Six Nations once the games resume and qualification for the World Cup.
Since arriving at the top of the game, her life has changed completely.
‘As a group we have grown a lot. At different times [pre-lockdown] we have a gym session, or a pitch session, but with the structures in place it’s so enjoyable. It’s working at the moment and the young squad is developing well.’
Since the lockdown their whole training regime has taken on a completely new dimension.
‘Once the lockdown came we had to have a whole re-think. Everyone turned space in their homes into small gyms.
‘I missed your earlier call as I was out in my gym doing a session. It’s important, as we need to maintain a fitness level, have fitness as high as possible when the call back arrives,’ she added.
Fitzhenry remains optimistic with regard to the future.
‘I still play with Blackrock College. The game has developed and moved on since I initially started, with lots more women playing and a lot more clubs. We want to be able to push on, have more involved, and develop the game,’ she added.
Another reason Fitzhenry is happy about the future of women’s rugby is the growth at club level.
Next for Katie is to push on with the Six Nations once it resumes.
‘We have games with Italy and France to follow, two games I would love to win.’
Then it’s to secure qualification for the World Cup for a dedicated Wexford woman who has been a regular for both the Ireland national rugby union team and the sevens side.
Katie epitomises the drive and heart that is behind the growth and success of women’s rugby in Ireland.