News Release
Ulster Launches Ireland's First Women's Rugby Academy
The University of Ulster has launched the Women’s Rugby Academy – the first Academy of its kind in Ireland.
Supported by Ulster Rugby, the cross-campus initiative aims to help players develop their skills and achieve their potential, as well as promoting women’s rugby.
Ulster star Paul Marshall was the guest of honour at the launch and joined six student players as they were inducted in to the Academy, which aims to assist them in their drive to develop the women’s game.
The University of Ulster’s Rugby Development Officer, Chris Galway, said: “This Academy is a first for Ireland. The aim is to give players the opportunity to develop their rugby playing ability with the potential that they will then be capable of successfully representing Ulster and Ireland on a regular basis.
“It is also a condition of the Academy that successful applicants must make a significant contribution to rugby at their respective campus as well as maintaining a good academic, playing and training standard.”The players in the Women’s Academy will have fitness testing, personalised strength and conditioning support, nutritional advice, personalised rugby skills sessions, physiotherapy and doctor support, onsite ultrasound diagnosis and cardiac screening.
Dr Marie Murphy, Co-Director of the Ulster Sports Academy, said: “The University has been supporting the development of women’s participation in all sports and the development of this Academy is an important step in the future of women’s sport at Ulster.”
Final year Sport and Exercise Science student and Sports Scholar Amy Davis is one of two Irish internationals joining the Academy.
She said: “The Academy is integral to the development of women’s rugby. Without this we simply would not have the means to develop as players. The facilities and services available to us at the University of Ulster campuses are second to none.“To have physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, and other important provisions under the same roof as where we study is a massive help.”
Former Ulster and Ireland international Gary Longwell, who is Ulster Rugby’s High Performance Manager, said: “The partnership between Ulster Rugby and the University has always been strong. The players coming in to the Academy have been identified as already being in the squad for Ulster or on the cusp of representing the province. The aim of the Academy is to improve their skills and let them develop as better players which will inevitably have a positive impact on the squad for the future.”
The players joining the Academy are:
- Amy Davis (Ulster’s Jordanstown campus, Blackrock in Dublin, Ulster and Ireland senior teams)
- Nikita Armstrong (Ulster’s Coleraine campus, Carrick, Ulster Senior Ladies)
- Jolen Cloughley (Ulster’s Jordanstown campus, Belfast Harlequins, Ulster Senior Ladies)
- Cathy Maguire (Ulster’s Jordanstown campus, Cooke, Ulster Senior Ladies)
- Maxine McMorris (Ulster’s Jordanstown campus, Belfast Harlequins, Ulster Senior Ladies)
- Imogen Porter (Ulster’s Jordanstown campus, Cooke, Ulster and Ireland senior teams)
For further information, please contact:
Trina Porter
Telephone: 028 71675511
Email: Trina Porter
