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Women’s rugby has made enormous strides in a very short period of time. In just 35 years, the first international test match was played, the first World Cup took place, dozens of international teams were formed and the sport was accepted into the Olympics.
At home, the rise of the sport has been every bit as meteoric, despite a slow start. In 1993, Ireland played their first competitive test match: a 10-0 loss to neighbours Scotland in Edinburgh.
It took 16 months and five further defeats for Ireland to register their first victory: an 11-3 win over Japan. Since then success has flowed.
In 2013, the Ireland team reached the pinnacle of the European game by winning the Grand Slam and Six Nations. They followed this up with the Six Nations title again in 2015.
In 1993, when Ireland took the field officially for the first time, Ciara Griffin wasn’t even born.
The Co Kerry back-rower is expected to pack down on the blindside of Ireland’s scrum for the first game of the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup against Australia on 9 August.
Next week, the 12 elite teams from across the rugby world will come to Ireland to begin the campaign to be the next champions of the world. It is the most competitive the competition has even been but Ireland are considered one of the favourites.
Steady progress
There’s little fazes Ciara, or Junior, as she’s known to her friends.
I’m young alright, I suppose. I was always young for my age, if you get me.
"I was 18 when I broke into the Munster team and from then I was called Junior.”
Ciara is a ferocious figure on the field.
A tackler and disrupter of note, she enjoys and revels in the contact element of the sport more than most.
“I play flanker in the back row. It’s a great position. You have to be tough and like getting your hands dirty. It’s hard but I love it.
You have to be willing to die for the person beside you.
"When you come through a tough match, and you know it’s been a tough one, you can look your teammate in the eye with pride if you know you’ve given your all for them and the team.”
Ciara’s foundation in rugby came the same way as it did for the greats such as Dan Carter or Sean O’Brien – in the Backyard Stadium.
“I started playing rugby when I was young; my dad was a great influence. People think that because I’m from Kerry it was football you’d be interested in but we were always playing rugby out in the back garden from very young.”
After the foundation came the progression.
She moved to Young Munster and on to her current club, UL Bohemian Rugby Football Club, or UL Bohs for short. Ciara made her debut for her country in the 2016 Six Nations at the age of 22.
“It was a great day. One of those days that just fill you and your family with pride.”
Growing the sport
These are halcyon times for the domestic game. The success of 2013 and 2015 has opened up the door to a new generation of players.
Young girls being aware of the sport and getting involved in the game fills Ciara with the most pride.
“We’ve been doing a trophy tour [ahead of the World Cup] and we’ve been meeting young girls at schools.
"There have been huge crowds of young girls coming out to see the players and the trophy. It means so much when these girls are interested and they come out to pass a ball with you.
“The fact that all the games are sold out too makes us, as a team, even more excited about getting out there and performing.”
While Ireland were not able to replicate the 2013 Grand Slam either last year or this, the team is among the favourites to win the World Cup – especially given the fact that the tournament is taking place on home soil, despite the injury to captain Niamh Briggs.
To win, they will have to overcome one or both of New Zealand and England – the two best teams in the world to win. Before that, though, they must get out of a group which includes Japan, Australia and France.
Ciara is ready for battle.
“Like most of the teams in it, we’d be hoping to win it outright.
Farming connection
It’s not every year that you get a World Cup in your country. We consider ourselves good enough.”
A ferocious figure on the playing field, she is also a ferocious figure on the other type of field: the farm. Ciara, by her own admission, loves farming.
Her dad Denis owns “70 good acres” in Ballymac, Co Kerry, where he runs a beef and dairy heifer rearing enterprise. Ciara has dipped her toe in the water by buying, and subsequently selling, two bulls in the past year.
“We sell the cattle in Castleisland Mart. I sold my own two bulls in Castleisland too. It’s a great mart and we’re always very happy with the prices we get there … the manager [David White] is great too! Farming is great, I love it.
“It’s a great release from the rugby and I’m lucky to be involved in it.”
Junior is ready for action, just try stopping her.
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