Wicklow women to compete at AIL level next season

THE high-flying Wicklow RFC women’s team will compete at AIL (All Ireland League) level in 2020 after being selected following a comprehensive process.

A total of 10 teams have been invited to take part in Irish rugby’s premier club competition next year with Wicklow and Cork side Ballinacollig being the two first-timers joining the eight teams currently competing in the Energia Women’s All-Ireland League.

Wicklow are most certainly a team and a club on the rise in recent seasons and are backed by a strong underage programme.

They were crowned Leinster under-14, under-16 and under-18 girls champions on another historic day for the club on December 15.

Their under-14s defeated Naas by 38 points to 17, their under-16s got the better of Portlaoise by 31 points to 19 while the under-18s thumped Port Dara by 29 points to 7 on a magical day in Donnybrook that also saw Greystones come close in the under-14 plate final against Mullingar.

On Thursday evening last Wicklow RFC women’s team were due to play Railway in the Metropolitan Cup final at Ashtown Lane but, unfotunately, due to the weather the event had to be postponed but it promises to be a game well worth attending when it is refixed after the Christmas break.

The application process for the Energia Women’s All-Ireland League for the 2020/21 season also served as a sustainability health check for clubs.

Clubs were tasked with identifying minimum operating standards in governance, finance, player development and player welfare.

The full list of teams competing in the Energia Women’s All-Ireland League for the 2020/21 Season are as follows:

Ballincollig*, Blackrock College, Cooke, Galwegians, Malone, Old Belvedere, Railway Union, Suttonians, UL Bohemian, Wicklow*.

*New for 2020/21 season.