While the annual Kay Bowen Cup may have a distinct Trinity feel to it, with the tournament bearing the name of Dublin University Football Club (DUFC) Women’s current administrator, this year’s event will unfortunately have to go down as part of a learning curve for a team that failed to win any of its three matches in the competition.
The event, which was first held and won by Trinity in 2012, took place in Barnhall RFC in Maynooth this past Wednesday, October 18th. DUFC were placed in the top bracket of the cup in Pool Two alongside NUI Galway (NUIG) and University College Cork (UCC), while Pool One consisted of the University of Limerick (UL), University College Dublin (UCD) and Dublin City University (DCU). After an opening round of matches, the teams that came first in the individual pools would face each other in the cup final, while the teams that finished second and third would face off in the plate and shield finals respectively.
DUFC kicked off the tournament with a hard-fought matchup against a well-equipped NUIG side. A sluggish start to the game from Trinity meant the team was never really in the game as they fell to a 20-0 loss. Next up was UCC, a game in which DUFC showed some serious promise despite suffering another loss. The team’s defensive performance provided significant cause for optimism, with the side acquitting themselves well in the face of intense pressure from the opposition. A particular highlight was DUFC’s incredible stoppage of four try attempts in the space of five minutes during an especially tense period of the match.
DUFC rounded off the competition with a resilient performance against UCD in the plate final. The fast-paced competition had understandably taken its toll at this stage, and the team was forced to play with a limited panel due to the number of injuries sustained in the previous games. Despite the loss, the side will be pleased with its spirited performance and refusal to give in to UCD regardless of the growing scoreline.
Despite not succeeding on the day, the positive atmosphere surrounding DUFC Women’s Rugby is as palpable as ever. The competition provided an invaluable opportunity for the team’s numerous beginners to gain essential match experience, as well as being a chance for them to immerse themselves in the rugby community. Particular performances deserving mention were that of Claudia Alonso at hooker, who made some fantastic tackles, and Ciara Grogan at flanker, who was the team’s “Mooju Man of the Match” for the day.
