If Carlsberg did season openers, they might just look to Railway Union’s newly-fledged Under 21s and Women’s teams for inspiration.
The U21s side travelled to Clane for their first ever line-up in a 10-a-side tournament. Although the weather wasn’t ideal, Railway were successful throughout the day, heading unbeaten into the final against NUIM Barnhall.
An early try put Railway in the lead but strong retaliation from Barnhall allowed them to take the lead at half-time. An impressive Railway pack dominated the second half and turned the game around. Two tries from ‘Player of the Tournament’ Ringsend local Josh Fallon saw Railway take the title, with 24-12 the final score.
Meanwhile, the Women’s team announced their arrival on the Leinster Rugby scene with a debut win at the Leinster Blitz in Old Belvedere. Against teams such as Kilkenny, Old Belvedere, Enniscorthy, and St Mary’s, Railway went unbeaten all day, winning the final 29-0 and conceded no scores in any game.
The girls were so impressive that six of them received call-ups to participate in Leinster Senior trials. Congratulations to Ringsend/Irishtown locals Eimear Flannery, Jess O’Mahony, Kim Flood and Vikki Redmond, Sandymount’s Claire Ryan, and Dundrum’s Eimear Máirtin.
In keeping with the goals of promoting women in sport, and rugby in particular, the club has also launched an underage rugby programme for girls. The initial focus will be primarily on girls aged between 13 and 17, with the club working closely with secondary schools in the locality.
With Women’s Rugby 7s in the Olympics, there are huge opportunities for girls in our community to represent Ireland in Rio in 2016.
Any girls or parents interested in playing or getting involved in supporting girl’s underage rugby at Railway should email: womensrugby@railwayunionrfc.com or contact Shirley (086 604 9416) or Melissa (086 348 9321) directly.
DID YOU EVER PLAY FOR RAILWAY UNION RFC?
Railway Union RFC, founded in 1905, is one of Ireland’s oldest rugby clubs. With thousands of players passing through the club throughout the years, the Legends Committee was established to ensure that retired players continued to stay involved in the club.
September saw the official launch of the Legends Programme for the 2012/2013 season. The success of the inaugural Legends match last February against a touring French side has encouraged the committee to run a packed programme this year to ensure that the Legends section is a vibrant part of the club.
Beyond the two fixtures that are currently being planned, one for November and one for February, there are many other events and plans. One of the most exciting developments is the Business Network that has been established which is open to all club members and will serve to maximise the business generating opportunities within the club and between club members. From tradesmen to professionals, there is the opportunity to generate real business opportunities. There is a fantastic mix of businesses within the club, all of whom can benefit from this. The Business Network will meet on the last Friday of every month from 7.30am – 9.30am in the Sandymount Hotel.
If you or someone you know has played for Railway in the past and is interested in reliving all those old memories and getting involved again, the Legends Committee would love to hear from you. We are always looking for old members who would like to put on a jersey again and we welcome any photos for our archives. Please contact: info@railwayunionrfc.com
For more information visit www.railwayunionrfc.com or find us on facebook: www.facebook.com/railwayunionrfc
