Players should not be cast aside for ruffling feathers
Speaking up must never come at a cost, so return of Moloney to Ireland set-up is great for international game
Ireland’s confidence-boosting 36-5 win over Wales last weekend, which broke a run of seven straight defeats in the Women’s Six Nations, could hardly have come at a better time. On Saturday, they face a high-flying Red Roses side at Twickenham, where a bumper 50,000 crowd is expected.
Their brilliant win over the Welsh in Cork was studded by the highly anticipated return of Cliodhna Moloney, who featured for her country for the first time since 2021. Moloney’s story – in which she criticised the Irish Rugby Football Union after the team failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup before being exiled from the squad – has been widely documented.
I am not in a position to comment on the ins and outs of what went on in the Ireland set-up around her long-term absence, but an olive branch to Moloney was extended and she accepted it. Both parties have decided it is time to move on for the greater good of Irish rugby and it is great to see her back on the international stage. It is no less than she deserves.
It is so crucial that nations listen to their players rather than cast them aside when they ruffle a few feathers. Speaking up should never have to come at a cost. Over my career, I have come to learn how invaluable the player’s voice can be. Being a spokesperson is not something that comes naturally to me but it is a role that I have grown into over the years. I have recently taken over from Vickii Cornborough as the Rugby Players’ Association player representative for the Red Roses, after she announced her retirement this month, and was heavily involved in the contract renegotiations last year, when she received huge backing from the RPA.
As a squad, we also place huge importance on having a leadership group who deal with off-field issues and flag things that are not right. When I first arrived on the scene, we had Danielle Waterman and Tamara Taylor in there as leaders, senior players who were not afraid to back each other up and call things out internally. I guess you could call it a safety-innumbers thing. It is so crucial that other national women’s teams have a group of wise heads that can act as a bit of a buffer between the rest of the team and the powers-that-be. As players, being listened to makes you feel valued. It makes you want to strive to be better.
Historically, women in sport have had to be grateful for what resources and funding is flung their way. This is particularly true in rugby, but since women have been identified as a major growth area for the sport, there has been a noticeable shift in how players are supported. That said, it can still be really challenging as a player to take a stand and say: “Look, this isn’t right.” Sticking your head above the parapet requires bravery because players are often fearful of losing their place in the squad.
Moloney’s return has coincided with a new chapter for Irish women’s rugby and it feels like this team have turned a corner. When they rock up to Twickenham, there will be a familiar face in Scott Bemand, the former Red Roses backs coach whose positive influence since taking on the top
Sticking your head above the parapet requires bravery because players are often fearful of losing their place
job has been obvious. His side are trying to play a much more territory-based game, and, in flanker Aoife Wafer, Ireland have unearthed a new star.
Saturday’s crowd might not top last year’s record-breaking 58,498 who saw England’s Grand Slam win over France, but it fills me with optimism. The Rugby Football Union wants to sell out Twickenham for next year’s World Cup final, but I am confident that milestone could be reached this year, when the Red Roses host the Black Ferns in a WXV warm-up in September at the home of English rugby.
I hope Moloney gets to experience Twickenham in all its glory on Saturday. People might think the result is a foregone conclusion, given how England have been playing, but the appetite to see the reigning champions in action is showing no signs of waning.