Railway secure first ever AIL league and cup double

Railway Union 51 UL Bohemians 12

Railway Union wrapped up their first ever Energia All-Ireland League and Cup double in fine style with a 51-12 final defeat of UL Bohemians at Templeville Road.

Captain Niamh Byrne shone with a hat-trick of tries and there were nine in all from John Cronin’s charges who, despite missing 16 players due to Ireland commitments, closed out the domestic season in dominant fashion.

Disappointed to miss out on Six Nations selection, Byrne’s slickly-finished brace of tries guided Railway to a 22-0 half-time lead, with Erin Coll and Tess Feury also touching down.

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Kate McCarthy and Daisy Earle had powerful presences up front, and while Railway’s scrum also had the upper hand, UL were able to punch some holes with their forward carrying.

Number eight Clodagh O’Halloran was Bohs’ best player, helping to spark tries for Aoife Corey and replacement Eilis Cahill, but Railway’s breakdown smarts and elusive running ensured they passed the half-century mark.

Second half tries from Ava Ryder, Byrne, Chisom Ugwueru, on her first team debut, replacement Aimee Clarke and the ageless Lindsay Peat saw Cronin’s side lift the All-Ireland Cup just a few weeks after retaining their league crown.

Scorers: Railway Union: Tries: Erin Coll, Niamh Byrne 3, Tess Feury, Ava Ryder, Chisom Ugwueru, Aimee Clarke, Lindsay Peat; Cons: Christine Coffey 2, Lindsay Peat

UL Bohemians: Tries: Aoife Corey, Eilis Cahill; Con: Rachel Allen

Railway Union: Aoife O'Shaughnessy; Tess Feury, Niamh Byrne (capt), Erin Coll, Ava Ryder; Hazel Simmons, Christine Coffey; Lindsay Peat, Chloe Blackmore, Megan Collis, Keelin Brady, Siobhan McCarthy, Kate McCarthy, Deirdre Roberts, Daisy Earle.

Replacements: Aimee Clarke, Grainne O'Loughlin, Lisa Callan, Sonia McDermott, Molly Boyne, Alex McGuinness, Emer O'Mahony, Chisom Ugwueru.

UL Bohemians: Stephanie Nunan; Aoibhinn O'Loughlin, Alana McInerney, Niamh Kavanagh, Aoife Corey; Rachel Allen, Abbie Salter-Townshend; Leah Sweeney, Kate Sheehan, Fiona Reidy, Claire Bennett, Ciara O'Halloran, Aaliyah Te Pou, Sarah O'Gorman, Clodagh O'Halloran.

Replacements: Aoife O'Sullivan, Geena Behan, Eilis Cahill, Michelle Ring, Caoimhe O'Neill, Lily Brady, Lorraine O'Connor.

Referee: Kat Roche (USA)

All-Ireland Women’s Plate Final

Cooke 12 Blackrock College 24

Jackie Shiels played a starring role as Blackrock College overcame fast-starting Cooke to be crowned Energia All-Ireland Plate champions at Templeville Road.

With her side trailing 12-7, experienced centre Shiels kicked a penalty before half-time and then converted her own try and Maggie Boylan’s 56th-minute effort for a hard-earned 24-12 win.

Coming into the final with three straight wins, Cooke laid down an early marker as tries from Katie Hetherington and Naomi McCord propelled them into a 12-10 half-time lead.

Blackrock hit back with a Judy Bobbett score, converted by Shiels, before they kicked it up a gear in the second half despite Ann-Marie Rooney’s sin-binning.

It was a superb performance from Cooke, but Blackrock’s greater experience told as they ended the season with silverware, bouncing back from their recent All-Ireland League final defeat to Railway Union.

Scorers: Cooke: Tries: Katie Hetherington, Naomi McCord; Cons: Amanda Morton

Blackrock College: Tries: Judy Bobbett, Jackie Shiels, Maggie Boylan; Cons: Jackie Shiels 3; Pen: Jackie Shiels

Cooke: Dolores Hughes; Claire Johnston, Lucy Thompson, Kelly McCormill (capt), Tamzin Boyce; Amanda Morton, Hannah Downey; Ilse van Staden, Beth Cregan, Fiona McCaughan, Naomi McCord, Helen McGhee, Megan Simpson, Katie Hetherington, India Daley.

Replacements: Eimear McQuillan, Sorcha Mac Laimhin, Cara O'Kane, Teah Maguire, Georgia Boyce.

Blackrock College: Maggie Boylan; Caoimhe O'Callaghan, Adele Leogue, Jackie Shiels, Ray Lawless; Val Power (capt), Lisa Mullen; Aoife Moore, Niamh Tester, Joanna Mahon, Eimear Corri, Judy Bobbett, Mairead Holohan, Ann-Marie Rooney, Ali Coleman.

Replacements: Manuela McCarthy, Riana Roche, Meadbh Scally, Hannah Hodges, Anna Potterton, Laura Delaney, Ellen Taite.

Referee: Katie Byrne (IRFU)