BY MICHAEL O’LEARY
The Ireland Ladies Rugby Team have been enjoying a renaissance recently with victories against Australia and New Zealand, and part of the backroom set-up is Kilkenny man Tadhg O’Carroll.
Tadhg is Physiotherapist to the Irish Team, and his arrival has coincided with a revival in the fortunes of the International Team.
Ireland defeated Australia 36-10 in an International match played in Belfast to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of the IRFU, and shortly afterwards they defeated New Zealand 29-27 in Vancouver in a Womens International Tournament while another victory followed against USA.
The Irish Ladies have climbed up he world rankings from 11th to 6th following recent results, and exciting times lie ahead for the Irish Team with a Rugby World Cup to look forward to next year in 2025.
Prior to returning to Ireland, Tadhg spent 3 years in Scotland working with Scottish Football League outfits Ross County and Dunfermline, as Ross County were plying their trade in the Scottish Premier League playing against Celtic and Rangers.
Tadhg played with Kilkenny Rugby Club with their Juvenile Teams, with his Dad Billy centrally involved within the Rugby Club over the years.
Away from his physio committments, Tadhg is a very enthusiastic mountain climber and back in 2012 while a student in Clongowes College in Kildare, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro the highest mountain in Africa as part of a joint fund-raising venture for Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, and The Chernobyl Childrens Fund.
The draw for next years Rugby World Cup was made recently on The One Show on BBC1, and Ireland have been drawn in Pool C with New Zealand, Japan and Spain. Ireland have beaten those three countries in recent times, and with the team on an upward trajectory they can look forward to 2025 with plenty of optimism.
They will begin 2025 with a home game against France in the Six Nations next March, while following the conclusion of the Six Nations they will turn their attention to the World Cup that starts in August.
It could be a busy Summer in 2025 for Irish Ladies Sporting Teams, with The Irish Ladies Soccer Team hoping to qualify for a first ever Euro Finals in Switzerland.
While going to print, the Republic of Ireland will be hoping to have qualified for a Euro 2025 Play-Off Final showdown against either Wales or Slovakia with Ellen Molloy recently recalled to the Irish Squad following an injury lay-off.
If the Irish Ladies Soccer Team qualify for The Euros, Kilkenny can expect to have strong representation in both Soccer and Rugby – all going well – in what could be a joyous Summer for Irish Ladies Sport.
