THIS TIME LAST year Amee-Leigh Costigan was still digesting her Olympic experience. The Olympic journey ended for the Ireland women’s Sevens on 29 July last year, exiting after a quarter-final defeat to Australia.
Two weeks later, some of those Sevens players joined Scott Bemand’s 15s squad for what would be a memorable year. What looked a somewhat daunting WXV1 schedule ended with Ireland placing second behind England, after launching that campaign with a statement defeat of New Zealand. Ireland were then third in the Six Nations but the progress under Bemand has ensured there is momentum heading into this summer’s World Cup.
For Costigan, one of those Olympians now back in the 15s fold, this is the only place to be.
“It’s a great summer to be doing it,” she says.
“I’m just really grateful for it, and I think everyone here is, like you can see the way women’s rugby is just on the up and I think to be part of that story is really special.”
A small tattoo of the Olympic rings now sits on Costigan’s left arm.
“The Olympics inspired me to become a better player and so does every game that I play, every session that I play, and I think it’s had a good effect on my mindset around how I want to be the best version of myself on pitch and off pitch.
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The Ireland winger became an Olympian last summer. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
“Like, we didn’t medal there, which was disappointing. But to see the best of the best and walk amongst the best of the best over there, honestly, it’s giving me goosebumps at the minute, it’s a pinch me moment and if I get selected, it’s going to be very similar at the World Cup. You’re going to be around the best of the best rugby players in the world. And this is a very special place to be.”
The winger has been capped 18 times at 15s level, with most of her rugby coming at Sevens over recent years. Yet her experience is highly valued in the group, with Costigan captaining Ireland for some of their Six Nations games this year, and serving as vice-captain for today’s opening World Cup warm-up clash with Scotland in Cork [KO 2pm, available to stream on IrishRugby+ in Ireland & on BBC iPlayer in UK].
Bemand is hoping some of Costigan’s big-stage experience will rub off on some of the younger members of the group.
“At the start of the very first block I stood up and spoke about what that Olympic experience felt like because going into a World Cup, that occasion will be just as big and so I just voiced my opinions on it and how I just looked at trying to be myself as much as possible and not to change too many things because you come out of it the exact same person you came into it.
“Yes, you get a title of being an Olympian, but at the end of the day like I’m still Leigh, I still walk out the door as Leigh, a normal person, a rugby player for my country. I think that’s probably the message I put across, also the other message was around how big of an occasion it is and to embrace it. Don’t let it overwhelm you because of the huge occasion that it is, because it can be very, very overwhelming.
“I remember going into the (Olympic) village and we had the entire day to just walk in there, get our bearings and understand everything, and I think that’ll be really good when the squad heads over to England, that we’ll have time to digest it all and digest this feeling of getting to the World Cup and how it actually feels, but then switching on, knowing we’re not there just to show up, we really want to put in performances and we want to make Ireland proud.”
Ireland have three new caps in today’s matchday 23, with Ivana Kiripati debuting in the back row, Nancy McGillivray starting at centre and Ailish Quinn primed to win her first cap off the bench.
As encouraging as it is to see new faces pushing through, the return of some more familiar names is just as welcome. Sam Monaghan is back to captain the side after a lengthy lay-off, while Beibhinn Parsons returns on the wing following two leg breaks in the past year. Lock Eimear Corri-Fallon also gets back in the green shirt after nearly 12 months out.
“It’s been great to see those girls come back from rehab and come back from long term injuries,” Costigan continues.
Costigan arrives for training in Abbotstown. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
“It’s a difficult place for those players to be. It can feel very isolating, although we do try our very best to keep connections with those girls.
“And we have so many other young girls who’ve come in. Like we have Ailish, she finished her leaving cert and came in the door and I was looking going ‘Gosh, you’re a very young buck here’, but they’ve really fitted in and it’s really exciting to see the level of rugby knowledge that they have. It’s a lot more than what I would have had back when I came in at 18 and I think the future here in Irish rugby is very, very bright with those young girls around.
“It’s just exciting to get some game time, I think that’s what everyone’s really looking forward to. It feels very long when you’re training for that amount of weeks with no game, but we have this game coming up and everyone’s really, really excited for that opportunity.”
'Women’s rugby is on the up and to be part of that story is really special'
THIS TIME LAST year Amee-Leigh Costigan was still digesting her Olympic experience. The Olympic journey ended for the Ireland women’s Sevens on 29 July last year, exiting after a quarter-final defeat to Australia.
Two weeks later, some of those Sevens players joined Scott Bemand’s 15s squad for what would be a memorable year. What looked a somewhat daunting WXV1 schedule ended with Ireland placing second behind England, after launching that campaign with a statement defeat of New Zealand. Ireland were then third in the Six Nations but the progress under Bemand has ensured there is momentum heading into this summer’s World Cup.
For Costigan, one of those Olympians now back in the 15s fold, this is the only place to be.
“It’s a great summer to be doing it,” she says.
“I’m just really grateful for it, and I think everyone here is, like you can see the way women’s rugby is just on the up and I think to be part of that story is really special.”
A small tattoo of the Olympic rings now sits on Costigan’s left arm.
“The Olympics inspired me to become a better player and so does every game that I play, every session that I play, and I think it’s had a good effect on my mindset around how I want to be the best version of myself on pitch and off pitch.
“Like, we didn’t medal there, which was disappointing. But to see the best of the best and walk amongst the best of the best over there, honestly, it’s giving me goosebumps at the minute, it’s a pinch me moment and if I get selected, it’s going to be very similar at the World Cup. You’re going to be around the best of the best rugby players in the world. And this is a very special place to be.”
The winger has been capped 18 times at 15s level, with most of her rugby coming at Sevens over recent years. Yet her experience is highly valued in the group, with Costigan captaining Ireland for some of their Six Nations games this year, and serving as vice-captain for today’s opening World Cup warm-up clash with Scotland in Cork [KO 2pm, available to stream on IrishRugby+ in Ireland & on BBC iPlayer in UK].
Bemand is hoping some of Costigan’s big-stage experience will rub off on some of the younger members of the group.
“At the start of the very first block I stood up and spoke about what that Olympic experience felt like because going into a World Cup, that occasion will be just as big and so I just voiced my opinions on it and how I just looked at trying to be myself as much as possible and not to change too many things because you come out of it the exact same person you came into it.
“Yes, you get a title of being an Olympian, but at the end of the day like I’m still Leigh, I still walk out the door as Leigh, a normal person, a rugby player for my country. I think that’s probably the message I put across, also the other message was around how big of an occasion it is and to embrace it. Don’t let it overwhelm you because of the huge occasion that it is, because it can be very, very overwhelming.
“I remember going into the (Olympic) village and we had the entire day to just walk in there, get our bearings and understand everything, and I think that’ll be really good when the squad heads over to England, that we’ll have time to digest it all and digest this feeling of getting to the World Cup and how it actually feels, but then switching on, knowing we’re not there just to show up, we really want to put in performances and we want to make Ireland proud.”
Ireland have three new caps in today’s matchday 23, with Ivana Kiripati debuting in the back row, Nancy McGillivray starting at centre and Ailish Quinn primed to win her first cap off the bench.
As encouraging as it is to see new faces pushing through, the return of some more familiar names is just as welcome. Sam Monaghan is back to captain the side after a lengthy lay-off, while Beibhinn Parsons returns on the wing following two leg breaks in the past year. Lock Eimear Corri-Fallon also gets back in the green shirt after nearly 12 months out.
“It’s been great to see those girls come back from rehab and come back from long term injuries,” Costigan continues.
“It’s a difficult place for those players to be. It can feel very isolating, although we do try our very best to keep connections with those girls.
“And we have so many other young girls who’ve come in. Like we have Ailish, she finished her leaving cert and came in the door and I was looking going ‘Gosh, you’re a very young buck here’, but they’ve really fitted in and it’s really exciting to see the level of rugby knowledge that they have. It’s a lot more than what I would have had back when I came in at 18 and I think the future here in Irish rugby is very, very bright with those young girls around.
“It’s just exciting to get some game time, I think that’s what everyone’s really looking forward to. It feels very long when you’re training for that amount of weeks with no game, but we have this game coming up and everyone’s really, really excited for that opportunity.”
IRELAND: Méabh Deely; Béibhinn Parsons, Nancy McGillivray, Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Costigan, Dannah O’Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Siobhán McCarthy, Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Sadhbh McGrath; Eimear Corri-Fallon, Sam Monaghan (capt); Grace Moore, Ivana Kiripati, Brittany Hogan.
Replacements: Neve Jones, Niamh O’Dowd, Linda Djougang, Fiona Tuite, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird, Ailish Quinn, Emily Lane, Enya Breen.
SCOTLAND: Chloe Rollie; Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Lucia Scott; Hannah Ramsay, Caity Mattinson; Anne Young, Lana Skeldon, Elliann Clarke; Emma Wassell, Rachel Malcolm (capt); Rachel McLachlan, Alex Stewart, Evie Gallagher.
Replacements: Elis Martin, Leah Bartlett, Molly Poolman, Adelle Ferrie, Eva Donaldson, Leia Brebner-Holden, Beth Blacklock, Coreen Grant.
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