Celtic Barbarians Girls Take Three of Four on Successful Ireland Tour

…Dublin, Ireland

edited by Kraig Spikel – International Rugby News

The Celtic Barbarians Jr. Girls assembled a diverse squad of 28 players for their return to Ireland in July/August.  The tour itinerary was action-packed with three matches against Provincial sides and a final match against a combined club side.

Our players and mentor coaches were able to immerse themselves in two different Rugby Academy Ireland camps (Roscrea and Kilkenny) before the first two matches.  These international camps were led by Head Coach and former South African Springbok Dan van Zyl.  “To have coaches and players from several countries in such beautiful settings, was a real treat for our crew”, beamed CB forwards coach Matt Jacobsen (Eagle, Idaho).

Captain Ava Thayer (W. Pittsburgh, PA) was asked to lead a dynamic backline from #10 and worked a newly-found kicking game into the Barb’s attack.  “The Ireland tour was such a great experience for me because it meshed learning rugby with experiencing new cultures and people. The tour enhanced my rugby skills and provided competitive games and amazing new friendships,” said Thayer.  As a U16 Elite 7s Champion with the Hawkeyes, Ava has committed to several high-level experiences in the last two years.  We expect to see her challenge for a U18 Eagles spot in the near future.

The Barbarians squad began to gel at their first Rugby Academy Ireland Camp in Roscrea and a confident group got the tour rolling with a win in the first match against Leinster City U17 at Aviva Stadium in Donnybrook.

After some great team building at another RAI Camp in Killkenny, the girls were gathering stream as they toppled a young Connacht squad at another beautiful park in Athlone.

Three Provincial matches in five days took its toll on the young CB squad as they gave up a first-half lead to a skilled Munster squad and eventually suffered their only loss on tour.

Half the roster was able to stay for a few more days and enjoyed their only club experience on tour with a solid win vs a Cill Dara/Portlaoise combined side.  Food, drink, and boisterous singing finished off the tour with a first-class club experience.

An Exhibition 7s match was arranged vs a RAI camp team to give extra minutes to the younger players and girls needing more playing time.  The CBs squeaked out a close win in the entertaining match.

Modified substitution laws allowed the coaches to get all 28 CB players into each of the 15s matches

Director, Cam Wilton, (Edmonton, AB) was thrilled with the quality of new players referred to him by coaches all across North America.  “I enjoyed the itinerary that our local coach Diarmuid O’Malley (Killarney, IRE) put together for us.  The schedule packed a healthy combo of rugby instruction, matches, and tourism that landed us in beautiful, rustic student residences as well as resort hotels on our rest days”, said Wilton.   “One day we were playing vs Leinster in Aviva Stadium on the east coast and a few days later, we were in surf school on the west coast followed by a fantastic medieval castle supper.”

One of the young budding stars on the tour was 15-year-old Kherington Hodgetts (Chestermere, AB).  As the tour progressed, Hodgettes emerged as a starter amongst her older teammates.  “My rugby trip to Ireland with the Celtic Barbarians was amazing!  Working with coach Matt really helped me improve my hooker throw and footwork. The Academy sessions really helped me improve my skills and gave me a better understanding of how to implement them in games.  I coach for my local Viking Rugby Club where I now pass on what I’ve learned on my trip to my athletes and help them improve their skills”, said Hodgettes.

RESULTS

Match #1

Celtic Barbarians 29

Leinster City         5

Match #2

Celtic Barbarians 51

Connacht               5

Match #3

Celtic Barbarians 19

Munster                 27

Match #4

Celtic Barbarians        52

Cill Dara/Portlaoise  24

Rumor has it that a return tour to Northern Ireland and Scotland is already in the planning stages for summer 2025.  Keep an eye on CB and Hawkeyes social media for updates.