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October 23 2025 4 min read

As part of the 2025 Quilter Nations Series, Energia is thrilled to shine a light on grassroots clubs around the country

This week, the focus is on Virginia RFC, whose women’s and girls’ section goes from strength-to-strength in Co. Cavan.

Virginia RFC may not be one of Ireland’s most recognisable clubs, but the county Cavan outfit are one of Ulster’s trailblazers in offering women and girls the opportunity to play rugby.

“Virginia is a great place to be a woman in sport”, says the club’s Senior Women’s Manager Nora Carroll. “Cavan is unashamedly a football county. Lurgan Ladies are very successful in the area, and we have a very strong basketball team in the Cavan Eagles too. The difference to those two teams is that we have all shapes and sizes playing.”

Located on the shores of Lough Ramor, Virginia has a wide hinterland stretching into neighbouring Meath.

Virginia senior womens rugby team playing a game

“The club plays an important role in the area”, Carroll says. “We have close to 100 girls and women training at the club in any one week. The catchment area is wide. 

“We have players coming from as far as Oldcastle in Meath, to Butlersbridge, Shercock and Kingscourt in Cavan, so they come from all over to play.

“It allows them to socialise, play sport, and be competitive, no matter the level in a way they enjoy.

Founded in 1977, women only have played for the club in the past 15 years, since the creation of the first team in the early 2010s.

“There were tag rugby teams in the noughties, but the first girls' team was established in 2011”, Carroll added. “It was set up by a group of fathers, who had girls who wanted to play rugby. They were firm and steadfast in their commitment to that.” 

Despite only being involved in recent years, Carroll says the women and girls have revitalised the club in Deer Park.

Virginia senior womens team playing a match

“The female section brings colour, life and quite a bit of diversity to the club. It’s rather remarkable what we have managed to achieve, but it has taken persistence from all sides.”

Virginia are one of only two clubs in the province that have a full pathway for girls from Under-12s up to Seniors. That has been helped by girls having their first experience in the club being a positive one, according to Carroll.

“From the Minis up, we have been consistent in our recruiting players. You can play mixed rugby up to Under-12s. We’ve always been deliberate in ensuring that the girls can train by themselves, if they are not having fun with the boys. We always strive to ensure it’s a positive and supportive environment. 

“The Ulster Branch have been so supportive in helping our coaches too, in helping them change their skillsets from training boys and men to girls and women. Our coaches have been very good too. 

“Whether it is luck or karma, we have a strong cohort of coaches that want to grow the girls’ and women’s games. Women’s rugby is a developing sport. Coaches cannot have egos. It’s an ego-less effort on the coach’s behalf.  It’s all about growing the players in confidence both on and off the field.”

With clubs of all sizes struggling to share pitch time, Virginia’s teams have set schedules ensuring all sides know when they train and play at the club. Carroll says it’s a key reason why retention rates are so high.

Virgina youth womens rugby team playing a match

“Wednesdays and Fridays are fixed for the Women’s team training, with matches on Sundays. Bar postponements with weather, that doesn’t change. It gives the teams a reliability that maintains strong numbers.

Carroll has played a key role in the growth of women’s rugby in the club in recent year. A self-confessed player “who only dabbled in tag rugby”, she became involved in coaching, when her daughter joined the club.

“I wrote a five-year plan for the women’s and girls’ teams with very specific targets. We had progression targets and targets for playing numbers. We’re on track with those thankfully.

“We had a vision, and we’re consistent. We have our “Give It A Try” programme that runs every year and that helps with numbers.

“I’m of a generation where sports weren't available to girls. In a GAA heartland, having girls wanting to try rugby sees them stepping outside the normal boundaries of what’s expected and that’s brave. I want to help facilitate brave.

“We had a pipeline, and just needed a senior women’s team, so I entered a team into the Ulster League before we even had a training session.”

Virginia currently play in the Ulster Rugby Championship A. It’s the second tier of rugby in the province, but Carroll feels success can be seen both on and off the pitch.

“Success is multi-layered. We want players to enjoy themselves, but we also want a clear pathway, and consistency in that pathway. We want to give players the opportunity to progress to where they want to be. We want this club to be there for players to come to in the coming years.”