In part nine of our series (The Irish Independent), Des Berry talks to London Irish Director of Ladies Rugby, Mary Fyfe, about their aim of reaching the Tyrrells Premier 15s by 2023, while forging stronger links with Irish rugby.

Mary Fyfe is a woman of firsts. Always has been.

The London Irish Director of Ladies Rugby started out life halfway between Moate and Athlone in County Westmeath.

Take a left at Pike Cross and you will drive through the ‘townland’ that is Castledaly where the proud Westmeath woman grew up.

The talented student was not one to follow the crowd, tuning down University in 1991,she repeated her Leaving Certificate as one of the first girls to spend a year with the boys at Carmelite College in Moate.

Mary Fanning, as she was then, wasn't ready to leave home and delayed the move to Dublin to the following year to pursue Politics and Sociology at UCD in 1992.

It was in the capital city that she learned to love rugby when Springtime rolled around.

"From my earliest University days, the Six Nations became the key social event of the year," she recalled.

"I’ve never played rugby myself to any meaningful standard. It simply was not available or accessible in my school environment growing up."

Mary Fyfe is pictured with Irish international Lynne Cantwell

GAA and local community sports were where she spent her energy.

In 1998, Mary moved over to London to further her career and it was there she became attached to the Exiles club and husband Paul Fyfe, her two boys, Ben (15) and Josh (12) now playing for London Irish.

Mary has not forgotten her sporting roots, being in on the ground floor as the 'An Runaí' - the club secretary - establishing the Gael Londain GAA club at Hazelwood in 2016.

However, it was the late London Irish Chairman David Fitzgerald, who challenged her to go where none had gone before at the club.

"In late 2015, David asked me to help complete the London Irish family and get a Women’s team up and running," she said.
"I said: 'No.'
"He said: 'you will.'
"I said: 'okay.'"

Mary and Paul Fyfe

Fyfe was the first woman to be invited onto the London Irish Executive Committee in 2015 as Chairperson of Ladies and Girls and she has served the club since.

From year one, Fyfe got to work making connections with universities, local to an area already saturated with the likes of Harlequins and Richmond.

In 2016, a link was made with a less local option, Buckingham New University, in High Wycombe, and a commitment given by Fyfe to transport players to Sunbury once a week and feed them.

It was attractive enough to convince twelve girls to come to Hazelwood, 30 miles away, providing the player top-up that enabled London Irish to begin life in National Challenge 3 South East League.

In 2017, the London Irish Emeralds became more than just a wishful thought, husband Paul installed as the head coach.

They were in a calculated hurry to grow beyond their meagre beginnings, gaining promotion and players in three consecutive seasons, the momentum of winning giving the Emeralds stronger traction to attract players, especially from more local establishments, like Royal Holloway University.

"The exponential growth is partly attributable to success and winning. But it is also due to a belief in our potential," said Fyfe.

"We knew we had something special to offer. To attract students to play club rugby is all about going into the Universities personally and working with the players, embracing them, facilitating them and convincing them.

"Our facilities are pretty exceptional, in terms of coaching and welfare, grounds, dressing rooms, gym and all-round amenities. We aim to create a hospitable and family-based environment that appeals to a student base and a player who wanted to develop.

Mary and Paul Fyfe are pictured with the London Irish women's team

"We sit and eat together twice weekly after training.

"The continued investment into our Emeralds is reflected in how we adapt and improve our player support year on year.

"In 2019/20, we engaged a strength & conditioning coach which is quite progressive for the level we are at and as the next part of a plan to grow and sustain the Emeralds."

The next step is to retain and to recruit further depth of talent to compete in Championship South next season.

In tandem with the adult game, Fyfe has opened the club up for U13s and U15s with the prospect of an U17s squad coming on-line in two years to organically feed into the senior setup.

"We aim to be in a position to express an interest to enter the Emeralds into the Tyrrells Premier 15s in 2023," issued Fyfe.

The Tyrrells Premier 15s has just undergone a radical restructure which has caused some consternation.

Exeter and Sale have entered into the competition which is without doubt creating a more familiar look and feel to the Gallagher Premiership.

This approach has sparked debate but it has not changed the Emeralds approach.

"We want to do it our way, delivering, with patience and deliberate preparation, a sustainable and formidable club to truly compete and challenge at the highest level of women’s rugby in England.

"When we take the step into elite rugby, we want to march forward not limp," she said.

"We're not ready for that step up just yet. We believe the strength of our brand deserves due process. We have much to do along the way to Elite rugby, including the successful delivery of a holistic pathway for player development which is organic and sustainable.

"We feel we need that natural foundation building and invaluable experience of going through the leagues to build confidence in our prospect and brand."

Fyfe is not willing to compromise the satisfaction of building this product from the ground up, embedding stronger links with both the Irish and London rugby player base.

London Irish would seem like the obvious centre to base the Irish Qualified (IQ) Rugby Programme, which has been very successful at providing a fifth-province at the Age Grade level for young men.

"The Exiles IQ (Irish Qualified) men’s programme is hugely successful," stated Fyfe.

Joe Lydon, Steve McGinnis and the entire IQ team are providing ongoing opportunity for UK based player talent to represent the Irish National men’s teams.

"I have met with the IQ team to let them know we wish to be part of assisting a similar effective opportunity for the UK based female IQ talent," she says.

"The IQ team are always interested in identifying qualified talent and London Irish Ladies provides a great focal point and naturally occurring melting pot of IQ talent which we hope will deepen and strengthen over the coming seasons.

"It is a win-win for them and it is a welcome recruitment and ‘unique selling point’ for us.

"In two IQ camps held at London Irish this last season, we have benefited by picking up four club players.

"We’ve also provided Steve McGinnis and the programme some talented players they are watching for different strands of their development programmes."

In addition, Fyfe is committed to reviving that special relationship between London Irish and the IRFU to give Irish Women that fifth province to push themselves forward for international rugby.

"We can offer a home from home for any players coming into the UK, temporarily or more permanently.

"We want London Irish Ladies RFC to be their first stop on their way to whatever reason they are in the UK."

She was accepted into the IRFU’s Spirit of Leadership Academy in September 2019, as the only non-Irish club representative.

It is the next step in forging a stronger bond between the club and the island it sprung from.

"Rugby is all about people," said Fyfe.

"If you don’t look after and respect those people, on and off the pitch, you won’t be successful.

"Your word is your bond and, so long as you are honest and transparent, you resign yourself to disappointing some, but not all of the people all of the time – you might even manage to impress some along the way."

The Emeralds recognise this as a process, a very long journey that encompasses all pathways of opportunity and ability.

It wants to be viewed as a club of the community it serves with an aspirational reach towards elite competition whether that is the Tyrrells Premier 15s or wearing an international shirt.

“Women's rugby union is a sport identical to the men's game with the same rules, same sized pitch, and same equipment,” stated Fyfe.

“However, you’d be forgiven for suspending the analogy there - it has a history and a perception that is significantly different primarily due to social pressures, stereotyping and, sadly, commercialism.

“I may be biased, in fact I am, however what other team exists in the women’s game in the UK which has an indigenous, immigrant, emigrant and generational link and loyalty to a club badge?

“We do – the Emeralds do - and we want that powerbase to be what unites and differentiates us. We want that to be our USP. It doesn’t matter the journey you take to becoming an Emerald – only that you did.

“And what better time to join us than when we are making history”.