Athboy women set to tackle oval ball

When it comes to the popularity of various sports in Ireland, Rugby League is well down the pecking order. Certainly in relation to Gaelic games, soccer or rugby union that's the case.

However, there are signs that the league version of the oval ball game is starting to gain a foothold; to assert itself in various parts of the country, including Meath where there are two clubs.

The well-established Longhorns Rugby League club, now based in Ashbourne, is one. It has been on the road for a number of years. Then there's the Athboy Fighting Irish RLFC which has been up and running since 2019.

The club is made up of a group people determined to spread the rugby league gospel; enthusiasts who want to get the message out there that this is a game that may be very different to the union version but still very worthwhile getting involved in.

The Athboy Fighting Irish RFC field three teams. The seniors take part of the Rugby League Ireland top division that also includes sides from Galway, Mayo, Kildare and Banbridge.

Athboy also has a u-20 side and a women's team which they have entered in the newly-formed Rugby League Ireland Women's Championship.

The Athboy club is battling to make a mark in both the men's and women's rugby league grades - and they are showing signs of doing just that.

THE FIGHTING IRISH

One of the driving forces behind the Athboy Fighting Irish RLC is Jordan Herring. A resident of the town he is not only a founder member of the club, he is also secretary.

At least officially. Unofficially he fills a few other roles including recruitment officer. He is also something else - a committed rugby league convert. The now 22-year-old is also exceptional in that he came to the game along a very unusual route.

A few years ago when he was a student in Athboy Community School Herring heard through the grapevine how Rugby League Ireland was looking for players to make up an under-age Irish representative team to take part in a competition. Herring put his name forward, went for training in Ashbourne and was asked to answer his country's call.

"I played international rugby before I played club rugby which was unusual all right," he told the Meath Chronicle.

"Rugby League Ireland contacted the school looking for players for the u-19 team.

"Each school sent two or three players to trials in Ashbourne and after a couple of weeks of screening I was selected.

"I was lucky enough to find myself on the Ireland u-19 team. It was funny in that I got introduced to the game at international level.

"I played one game against the English Lionhearts. I also played against Northern Ireland in two games. The game on the island of Ireland has come a long way since then," he added.

These days, he explains, there is a more conventional pathway to the international stage. Now players tend to have to prove themselves at club level first before getting their hands on the green jersey. As well as the honour of playing for his country, Herring, who is a back, discovered in those adventures on the international front that he loved Rugby League.

He had tasted rugby union with Athboy and Navan and enjoyed it, but there was so much about the league version he liked too.

"It's just the speed of the game, it's relentless," he said.

"From a back's perspective you've got more space to attack because it's a 13-a-side game.

"There's more urgency in the play, you only have the ball for five or six tackles, it's a faster game. It's a more attractive brand of rugby in my view."

In 2019 Herring, along with another great Rugby League enthusiast, Tony Dale (from Rochdale, a stronghold of the game in England) put their heads together to set up the Athboy Rugby League Football Club (now rebranded to the Athboy Fighting Irish RLC). Dale is a figure known far and wide in the game.

"Tony is a massively influential man in the rugby league game in Ireland," stated Herring.

"He was one of the founders of the Longhorns, himself and Mick Aughey who is also from Rochdale, although they didn't know each other until they came over here.

"Tony helped me set up the Fighting Irish and everyone is just massively grateful for what Tony gives back to the sport."

Herring admits its wasn't easy to keep the club afloat in the first year or so, but now Athboy RLC is on a firmer footing - with help from some good friends.

"Athboy Rugby Union is really good in letting us play home games, we even had to borrow their playing gear for their home jerseys.

"We have shown now we are in for the long haul and we've managed to get vital sponsorship from The Lawrence, the boutique, hotel and restaurant in Athboy, JG Griffin Scaffolding and Rossa Lighting.

"They helped us get our own jerseys and pieces of equipment that helped us forge our identity and we're massively grateful to them."

RACHEAL BROWNE

Among the first women rugby players to sign up to The Fighting Irish cause was Rachael Browne from Kildalkey.

The daughter of Jimmy Browne who was an excellent hurler with Kildalkey and Meath, Rachael had already a number of years experience playing the union version of the game with North Meath.

She loved it too, but she was also on the look-out to broaden her horizons.

A teacher in Carnaross National School she also plays camogie. She heard Athboy RLFC was starting up a women's team. She was eager to throw in her lot.

"I played rugby union with North Meath and really enjoyed it, but that's near Carlanstown, so it's quite a distance for me travelling from Kildalkey," she said.

"When I heard they were starting up rugby league in Athboy I thought this is great opportunity to play the game in my community because my mother (Martina) is from Athboy.

"I haven't played rugby league yet, but from what I know of the game it's a lot faster than rugby union, there's only 13 on the pitch so there's a lot more ground to cover.

"It will challenge me to improve my fitness so I'm looking forward to that."

Athboy has yet to play the first game, but with the season confined to the summer months (as is the case with the men) the chance is there to recruit players who, like Browne, enjoy the union game but also wan to broaden their horizons.

In the RLI Women's Championship, whenever it starts, Athboy will face teams such the Barrowcudas (Carlow) as well as the Dublin City Exiles and the Galway Tribeswomen.

There are, Browne admits, plenty of challenges to be overcome before a ball is even kicked.

"I know some of the girls are worried because rugby league is preceived as a very fast game," she stated.

"They were worried about their fitness, but there are ways around all that.

"There are about seven or eight of us who have played rugby union so that will help, but basically we are all starting rugby league from scratch.

"Nobody has played the game before, so we are all in the same boat, we can learn from each other."

Browne is all too well aware of the importance of sport for young people and she's hoping that when restrictions allow more will join the Athboy RLFC ranks.

During lockdown the players have got together virtually and started their preparations; or at least started to plan their preparations for whenever the season gets underway by holding 'meetings' on Zoom as well as looking to learn more about the game where they can.

"We are trying to learn the rules from watching Australian women's rugby league and even practicing aspects of the game such as handling and passing at home helps," she added.

The Kildalkey woman knows that rugby league faces a big challenge in attracting women to the game but she's convinced it's a sport that will be well worth pursuing.

"The biggest challenge is getting the world out there.

"I suppose girls probably think when they consider rugby 'oh I'm not playing that, it's very rough' but it's about breaking down the game for people and showing them how much fun it is.

"It's not just the playing, it's the team-work, the camraderie, the relationships, that's all part of it too," she concluded.

Whenever the next rugby league season does get underway Rachael Browne will be ready. Ready to play her part.