17 Aug Navan RFC Stars shine at Leinster’s win in Energia Park
It was an unforgettable, historic day for Leinster Rugby and Navan RFC alike on Saturday afternoon, as the provincial side secured a thrilling 36–21 bonus-point victory over Connacht in Round 2 of the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Series.
Playing in front of a record-breaking home crowd of 2,647 spectators at Energia Park, the atmosphere was electric from start to finish, with Navan RFC players and supporters firmly at the heart of the occasion.
Having both made their senior provincial debuts off the bench in Cork last weekend, Navan RFC stars Alex Connor and Shona White featured prominently in Saturday’s crucial victory.
Connor earned her first senior start at scrum-half for Leinster, delivering a sharp, composed performance at the base of the ruck to dictate tempo contributing positively for Leinster’s six tries.
White Provided dynamic front-row reinforcement off the bench in the second half, bringing her trademark power and work rate to solidify the Leinster scrum during crucial closing stages.
With clubmate Rosie Searle also supporting as part of the wider Leinster squad, the presence of home-grown Balreask Old talent in the provincial setup continues to be an incredible source of pride.
The occasion was made even more inspiring for the travelling Balreask Old contingent as a large group of Navan RFC Women and Girls Youth supporters turned Donnybrook into a sea of blue.
A special highlight belonged to the Navan RFC Under-12 Girls team, who had the dream opportunity to flag-wave the Leinster squad onto the pitch prior to kick-off, before taking to the main Energia Park surface themselves to display their skills in an exhibition match during the halftime interval!
Navan RFC Under 12 Girls team with Leinster Rugby mascot “Leo the Lion” at Energia Park, Donnybrook on Saturday.
Playing on the famous Donnybrook turf in front of thousands of fans provided an unforgettable experience that will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of Navan girls aiming for provincial and international honours.
Leinster’s six-try performance gets their championship campaign firmly back on track following the opening round setback in Cork.
Attention now turns to Round 3 on Saturday, 22nd August, as Leinster travel to Affidea Stadium to take on Ulster (KO 2:30 PM), before the championship concludes with Finals Day at Dexcom Stadium in Galway on Saturday, 29th August.
Congratulations to Alex, Shona, Rosie, and our fantastic U12 Girls on representing Navan RFC with such pride, passion, and distinction on the big stage!
Match Report on the Leinster Rugby Website:
Match Report on the Irish Rugby Website:
https://www.irishrugby.ie/news/six-try-leinster-claim-crucial-win-over-connacht