RUGBY GIRLS READY FOR CANADA TOUR

JOE SCHMIDT has passed on his best wishes to the Wicklow Rugby Football Club girls’ team before they depart for a tour of Canada which will see them play Markham Irish Canadian RFC, Lindsey RFC and Mississauga Blues RFC.

The Irish head coach has passed on his encouragement to the touring side, reminding them to make sure they ‘savour’ the experience as much as possible.

He said: ‘Enjoy it! Make the most of opportunities to see new things, meet new people and do as many things together or in groups.

‘Experiences are always more fun or more memorable when shared with others, especially teammates... and play well, of course.

‘Have a great trip, safe travel and enjoy it all.’

The Wicklow girls and ladies leave for Canada on Wednesday, August 10 after months of preparation and fundraising.

The first team side they will come up against is the Toronto Irish, with the Wicklow under-18’s set to take to the pitch becoming the first Irish club youth side to ever play a match on Canadian soil.

It also represents the first across the Atlantic tour ever undertaken by Wicklow RFC, the first ever Leinster club youths team to travel to North America and the first ever tour by an Irish women’s and girls team outside of Europe.

The tour first became a possibility four years ago when Jennie Bagnall from Leinster contacted the club about hosting a visiting Canadian team over the Easter bank holiday.

‘We were only delighted to do this and had a wonderful time,’ said Stella Farrell of Wicklow RFC.

‘ This was followed the next year by Doylestown and last year by Notre Dame Regiopolis, where the floors were cleared and the club house was hopping with both teams having a ceili session.

‘ That night the Notre Dame coach asked had we ever considered touring Canada and the seed was planted. We had a quick discussion where we discovered that it was exactly the same distance from Canada to Ireland as it was from Ireland to Canada. We approached the committee for permission to go, which was granted and then the planning started.’

‘ The girls and their families have been fantastic in organising, running and supporting all of the various fundraisers.’