SIGNED FOR 2024
NEW SEASON: At the recent launch of the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division were Rovers senior women’s team manager Tommy Hewitt and team captain Emma Hansberry.
ROVERS SENIOR WOMEN’S SQUAD: Caoimhe O’Reilly (gk), Amber Hardy (gk), Bonnie McKiernan (gk), Yvonne Hedigan, Leah Kelly, Emma Hansberry (c), Sarah Kiernan, Kelly Crompton, Emma Doherty, Amy Roddy, Kerri O’Hara, Muireann Devaney, Kelsey Munroe, Alice Lillie, Keeva Flynn, Ciara Henry, Zoe McGlynn, Keri Loughrey, Jodie Loughrey, Katie Melly, Kate Nugent
so we do go into at as firm underdogs but we will be hoping to put the home advantage we have two of those games to use.”
Hewitt is calling on more supporters to come to The Showgrounds to support the women’s team as interest in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division continues to flourish. The players have already shown in the last two years that they respond to a big crowd and that this could be a massive boost in their efforts to push up the table.
“When I first came into the Women’s Premier Division [with Athlone Town] there were just family members coming to games, a few years later we were breaking records for the cup finals, we had over 1,500 at the President’s Cup final, the game has definitely grown in the last few years and the players do respond to that support.
The manager added: “The players are athletes and good footballers now and they thrive off an atmosphere. If we could even get a quarter of what was at the men’s game against Derry City last week, that would make a huge difference and I would encourage more people to come out to the games but be patient as these players grow as a team.” pitch. The important thing for us is we have a good rapport as a team off the pitch because it will only make us closer and stronger as a unit on the pitch.” Rovers have a number of young players who cemented their place in the team including Bonnie McKiernan, Alice Lillie and Jodie and Keri Loughrey.
It is inevitable more academy players will make the step up and Hansberry, 29, has been delighted to see these crop of new players adapt and capably perform in the first team. “As the season went on [last year] you saw them settle and it is no surprise that our performances and results started shifting in the right direction in the second-half of the year.
“The young players added a lot to us as they gained more experience and looked like they really belonged at this level. I don’t think they’ll have any problem stepping up to the plate when the season starts.” This year’s ambitions are to climb the standings as Rovers will shed their ‘new’ team moniker and battle to join the national competition’s more established sides at the right end of the table.
“We’re into our third season, we aren’t going to be seen as a ‘new’ team anymore – so we don’t have excuses not to be pushing further up the table and that has to be our aim.
“We know we are capable of more than what we have shown in the last two years. We also saw how quickly you can end up in a cup semi-final and we will definitely be pushing for another cup run this year as well,” Hansberry added.