The Female Sports Forum is back! We kicked off the month with our first Female Sports Forum event in over 3 years. With 65 enthusiastic participants in attendance, it was an exciting moment to witness people reconnecting and exchanging ideas. The Women’s Sport Series, designed to establish a Women’s Sports Network in Northern Ireland, brought together individuals and organizations dedicated to promoting women’s and girls’ involvement in sports. Denise Watson brilliantly hosted a panel featuring Victoria Catterson (swimming), Fiona Tuite (Rugby), and Sara-Louise Graffin (Camogie), all of whom shared valuable advice and their personal experiences as elite athletes. We eagerly anticipate the continuation of the Women’s Sport Series with upcoming exciting topics.
The UEFA Women’s Group play commenced during the weekend of the 25th, with Ireland and Northern Ireland facing off at the historic Aviva Stadium in front of an impressive crowd of over 35,000 fans. Ireland secured a victory, defeating the Northern Irish Women 3-0. Later in the week, the NI team played against Albania at Seaview, achieving a 1-0 win. During this game, Sarah McFadden celebrated her 100th cap, while Lauren Wade marked her 50th cap, both delivering strong performances. The next game will be against Hungary on the 27th of October, with the women playing away.
One of our event’s panelists, Fiona Tuite, has been selected to represent the Irish Squad in the WXV Campaign. Joining her on the team from Ulster are Brittany Hogan and Sadhbh McGrath, who will compete in Dubai for the World Rugby WXV3 Tournament. This presents a fantastic opportunity for Fiona to earn her first International Cap with the team. Good luck, ladies, in the upcoming tournament!
Rowing has had a remarkable month, with Northern Ireland athletes delivering strong performances at the World Rowing Championships. They returned home with four medals and boasted five medalists across both Ireland and GB teams. Hannah Scott was part of the gold medal-winning squad in the women’s Quad Scull, while Rebecca Shorten was a member of the women’s four that secured a bronze medal.
Paralympian Katie Marrow has been named to the GB Women’s U25 World Championship Squad for Wheelchair basketball. Katie, who was the youngest player on the Rio 2016 GB squad, continues to bring her experience to the team.
In the world of athletics, Ciara Mageean broke her own Irish and NI record in the 1500m and finished 2nd at the Diamond League Meet in Brussels on Friday, September 8th. This outstanding performance adds to her already impressive 2023 track season. Ciara has competed in numerous competitive heats, with her final Diamond League performance placing her 11th with a time of 4:03.09, just a week after achieving her personal best of 3:55.87. It has been a joy to witness such strong performances on the track from Northern Ireland.
The triathlon season is winding down this summer, with twins Chloe and Judith delivering strong performances in September. Judith, along with her guide Eimear, clinched the first overall position in the 2023 Africa Triathlon Paratriathlon Cup on September 10. Chloe and her guide Catherine secured 5th place at the World Championship Finals in Pontevedra. It’s thrilling to follow both of them as they continue their journey towards qualifying for the Paralympics next year. Additionally, Erin McConnell participated in the U23 World Championships, gaining valuable learning experiences with a few more competitions to go on this season.
Lastly, if you’re interested in networking with other female coaches and enhancing your knowledge, consider attending the second Women in Coaching Network event hosted by Athletics Ireland, Cycling Ireland, IABA, Rowing Ireland, and Triathlon Ireland. The event is priced at €20, and it includes tea, coffee, snacks, and lunch. The event will run from 9:30 am to 3 pm.
Registration link: https://eventmaster.ie/event/MkjrsbdiBz