IRELAND OUT-HALF Nora Stapleon is training the Letterkenny Rugby Club girls at Dave Gallaher Park this evening.
She was part of the Irish team who won the 2013 Grand Slam, defeated the All Blacks at the 2014 World Cup in France and then reclaimed the Six Nations championship in 2015.
Photo caption: Sponsors’ Arena 7 marketing manager Darren McElwaine, Ireland international Nora Stapleton and Allen McCrea, girls team manager at Letterkenny Rugby club at Dave Gallaher Park this evening
Beforehand, Stapleton was an All-Ireland IFC winner with Donegal in 2010.
A native of Fahan, Stapleton works as Women’s and Girls Rugby Development Executive with the IRFU and is well-versed on the state of Irish Rugby.
[adrotate group=”51″]“I deal with anything that has to do with female rugby and that can start with the girls mini-sessions we’re trying to get up and running around the country,” she said.
“We’ve over 50 per cent of clubs with girls’ mini-sections. We worked with teenage girls in clubs, how we improve coaching, get more referees in and then in adult it’s about promotion. It goes across everything. You’re never too old or too young to try.”
[adrotate group=”35″]As a child, Stapleton admits she played soccer, Gaelic football, basketball, handball and camogie but the growth of women’s rugby means Ireland can expect to produce more and more internationals with coaching from a young age.
One place where rugby is growing too is in the north-west. Letterkenny are one such club.
“To drive down there and just see the facilities, they’re absolutely amazing,” she continued. “There are so may clubs that are much older that don’t have these types of facilities. It shows you the interest rugby has generated. It’s great to see the set-up here.”
Listen to Nora Stapleton’s interview in full below with Alan Foley …
https://soundcloud.com/donegalsporthub-club-notes/nora-stapleton-at-letterkenny-rugby-club
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