Munster coach says now time to back women's rugby ahead of World Cup

Munster Women’s head coach Wayne Falvey has urged clubs nationwide to start backing next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland.
Munster coach says now time to back women's rugby ahead of World Cup

“There’s a lot of big clubs in Munster without a women’s teams," Falvey said. "If there’s any time (to start) it’s now.  Clubs need to start looking at ways of implementing women’s structures. Going to the local schools in the club’s surroundings, start promoting it and get all clubs to support it.”   

What steps need to be taken to achieve this?

“If you can develop the grassroots in women’s rugby, it’ll push it on in years to come. Between the IRFU and Munster we need to keep promoting it, there’ll be a knock-on effect from grassroots up to provincial and international level. 

 “Having the World Cup in Ireland is absolutely fantastic and it’s a credit to the IRFU for getting it and the investment it can bring for the sport.”

Falvey, who led his team to back-to-back interprovincial titles, was at the Mardyke Arena last Friday as part of the Emerging Talent Programme launch. 

He outlined the development programme for young athletes aged 15-18 and stated that blooding future Olympians is a long-term goal. 

“The whole programme is around nurturing the athlete as they try to reach their full potential.

"Some of those athletes have goals to reach the Olympics, be it 2020 or 2024. These are the goals and ambitions that a lot of these athletes will aspire to.

"In the programme, we’re putting in the structures to ensure that athletes reach their full potential at the highest level of their sport”.

Among the young athletes in attendance were golfers Valerie Clancy and Rachel Thompson, Team Montenotte Hotel’s James Fitzgerald and squash player Sophie O’Rourke.

Olympians Rob Heffernan and Lizzie Lee was also present as part of the development scheme.

Lee said the support of the programme can allow young athletes become the best that they can be.
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