.Tralee women Ruth O’Reilly, Ciara Griffin will start on Saturday night for Ireland while Zoe Grattage (right) is on the bench.
IT’S not just Ultan Dillane Tralee people will be looking out for on Saturday, as he is poised to jump from the bench for his debut.
The Irish women are also in action on the same night and Tralee RFC is well represented on the team with Ciara Griffin starting and Zoe Grattage in the replacements, while Galwegians player and Ballyroe native, Ruth O’Reilly, will also start.
Continued below…
The good news is the Six Nations game will be shown live on RTÉ.ie, after Ireland’s clash with England, also at the home of English rugby.
The game kicks off at 7.15pm and will be streamed on the England Rugby Union YouTube site. It’s set to be some weekend and Tralee RFC is getting excited…
Ireland: Niamh Briggs, Elise O’Byrne-White, Aine Donnelly, Sene Naoupu, Mairead Coyne, Nora Stapleton, Larissa Muldoon, Ruth O’Reilly, Cliodhna Moloney, Ailis Egan, Sophie Spence, Marie-Louise Reilly, Ciara Griffin, Claire Molloy, Paula Fitzpatrick.
.Ruth O’Reilly and Zoe Grattage from Tralee play against Wales tomorrow.
TWO Tralee women will start for Ireland in their Six Nations game against Wales tomorrow in Donnybrook.
Tralee RFC’s Zoe Grattage and Galwegians Ruth O’Reilly, a native of Ballyroe, will take to the field for the opening clash of the tournament in Donnybrook at 1pm.
Hooker Zoe Grattage will win her first cap on Saturday, with her Tralee and Munster team-mate, flanker Ciara Griffin, hoping to make her Ireland debut from the bench.
Continued below…
.
Let’s hope we see all three Tralee players in action tomorrow. You can watch the match on live stream on www.IrishRugby.ie/live or listen on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra.
In other rugby news, there is no place on the bench for Tralee man Ultan Dillane for the men’s Six Nations opener against the Welsh at 3pm on Sunday. He’ll have to wait his chance another day. That’ll come too…
IRELAND WOMEN: Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt); Elise O’Byrne White (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Aine Donnelly (Cill Dara/Leinster), Sene Naoupu (Galwegians/Connacht), Mairead Coyne (Galwegians/Connacht); Nikki Caughey (Railway Union/Ulster), Larissa Muldoon (Skewen); Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Zoe Grattage (Tralee/Munster), Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht), Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Paula Fitzpatrick (Toulouse), Claire Molloy (Bristol), Heather O’Brien (Toulouse).
.Zoe Grattage at Tralee Rugby Club. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Gavin O’Connor talks to Tralee Rugby Club’s Zoe Grattage as she prepares to head to England for a test match this weekend…
A TRALEE and Munster player is heading to England this weekend with the Ireland women’s rugby team to take part in an international test against the old foe.
Zoe Grattage, from the Kerries will be hoping to run out in the green for the first time when Ireland take on England at Harlequins famous Twickenham Stoop on Sunday.
Though Zoe’s colours are now nailed to the mast it wasn’t always that way.
Up until the age of 13, Zoe, lived in England. It was only when mother, Breda, originally from Banna, decided they had spent enough time in England did they come back.
Dad Trevor, from Mansfield, is now faced with a dilemma of supporting his adopted country over the one of his birth. Though Zoe still retains a slight English twang she has no such dilemmas.
Continued below…
.
“Dad, said ‘you’re going to have to start learning both national anthems now and maybe stitch a rose on the jersey!’ but no that won’t be happening at all,” said Zoe Grattage.
The 25-year-old began her rugby career while studying in UCC, where she graduated in Public Health last September. She then went onto play for Highfield in Cork, before moving back to Tralee this September to play for her hometown club.
Back in September, Zoe, was talent spotted by Irish coach, Tom Tierney, while playing for Munster in the inter-pro championship which Munster won against Leinster in Thomand Park.
The Garveys Tralee employee was then called up to take part in two Ireland training sessions in Belfast. A phone call from coach Tierney awaited, to find out if she had impressed and made 23 woman squad.
“I worked as hard as I could so I had to be ready for good news and bad news, thankfully it was good news,” she said.
Tom Tierney is a nine time capped Ireland international and former Munster and Leicester player.
A Munster regular for the last three years, Zoe suffered an MCL injury last year which put her leg in bracket for six weeks. “I was like Robocop, going around the place! Thankfully it’s the only injury I’ve had playing rugby,” she said.
“It’s only the last few years where I’ve taken the bull by the horns with my nutrition and thinking about myself and where I want to be with rugby. If you want to make the next step you have to make commitments. This morning I was up at five and in the gym by six, that’s just what you do. Some people hate the gym, I love it.”
The match will be a clash of two Northern Hemisphere heavyweights, 2014 world champions England, versus Six Nations winners Ireland. This will be the first time Zoe has played outside of Ireland.
“The way everything is done is very professional, there is always someone to go to. There are so many girls there with years of experience and they always approachable.”
“In the first (Ireland) camp, I had nerves that I suppose anyone would get, but everyone was so welcoming and made me think, ‘you know what, I do deserve to be here’ and to just go with it.”
On Ireland duty is not an unusual setting for a player with strong Tralee ties. Zoe follows in the footsteps of, Siobhan Fleming and Ciara Griffin. And making the trip over with Zoe will be Tralee native, Ruth O’Reilly.
“All summer I was travelling with Ciara (Griffin) and Siobhan (Fleming) to play with Munster. It’s great to have that connection so I can get a few hinters.”
“Hopefully I can get the start, but if not, if I get a run, I’ll try to put my stamp on the game.”
