Kilkenny women out of luck in season opener away to Roscrea

The Kilkenny Women returned to action on Sunday for their first Leinster League fixture of the 2025/26 season, travelling to Roscrea RFC for what proved to be a thrilling contest.

Both sides were eager to secure their first win of the campaign, but it was Kilkenny who emerged victorious after a fiercely competitive encounter.

Under the guidance of a new management team — Joe Manuel, Julian Hughes, Sean Foxe, and Joe Moynihan — the Kilkenny Senior Women’s team displayed renewed hunger, determination, and teamwork.

A special word of congratulations goes to Kate Galvin, Leah O’Brien, and Rosa Phelan, who all earned their first Adult caps for Kilkenny.

Playing with purpose from the kick-off, Kilkenny immediately asserted themselves in attack.

Despite Roscrea’s strong defensive stand, Kate Galvin’s powerful carries earned Kilkenny an early penalty.

From quick hands and smart passing, Jenny Kirwan barrelled over the line to open the scoring, giving Kilkenny a 5–0 lead inside the first ten minutes.

Moments later, Leah O’Brien dazzled with a stunning solo effort — sprinting from her own half and dodging six defenders to score on her debut, extending the lead to 10–0.

Roscrea responded with determination, applying sustained pressure inside Kilkenny’s 22 and eventually breaking through for their first try, narrowing the gap to 10–5.

Kilkenny’s set piece play shone with sharp lineouts and turnovers, particularly through Tina Wright, who dominated the breakdown.

A high tackle on Rachel Brickell following a clever cross-field kick from Meg Callanan saw Roscrea reduced to 14 players.

Capitalising on the advantage, Leah O’Brien once again showed her pace and vision, finding space to score her second try of the match.

Roscrea replied before the interval with a try to make it 15–10, but Kilkenny continued to pile on pressure.

Just before half-time, captain Tina Wright powered over the line for Kilkenny’s fourth try, converted by Emily Kenny, giving the visitors a 22–10 lead at the break.

The second half began in explosive fashion as Leah O’Brien completed her hat-trick with another exceptional finish, pushing Kilkenny further ahead at 27–10.

Roscrea fought back, taking advantage of a yellow card against Kilkenny to score and convert, bringing the score to 27–17.

A second Kilkenny yellow card briefly saw the visitors reduced to 13 players, but the team’s defensive resilience remained intact.

Off the bench, Kelly Comerford marked her Kilkenny debut in style by scoring her first try, with Emily Kenny adding the conversion to extend the lead to 34–17.

As the clock wound down, Tina Wright continued to lead by example, stealing possession and setting up Rosa Phelan, who made a strong break through the Roscrea defence.

Despite a late Roscrea try just before the final whistle, Kilkenny held firm to secure a well-deserved 34–24 victory.

A superb opening performance from the Kilkenny Women — full of attacking flair, defensive grit, and standout contributions across the field.

The squad’s energy and cohesion under their new coaching team promise an exciting season ahead.

Roscrea- Shauna O’Grady, Hannah Martin, Claudia Hayes, Ana Mooney, Ella Dann, Colette Hogan, Aoife Finnerty, Genevieve Rowland, Rachel Palmer, Saoirse Kelly, Coleen Nevin, Marie Clare Fogarty, Jennifer Hodgins, Ann O’Rourke, Chloe Kenneally Bateman.

Replacements: Niamh Pyne, Ciara Farrell, Megan Lavin.

Kilkenny- Maria Ní Thuama, Jenny Kirwan, Kate Galvin, Lorna McMahon, Karen Delaney, Tina Wright, Caroline Quirke, Lieke Hoban, Anita St Ledger, Megan Callanan, Eve Cronin, Emily Kenny, Ciara Harte, Rachel Brickell, Leah O’Brien.

Replacements: Genevieve O’Mahony, Nicola Woodgate, Tara Holohan, Rosie Miller, Alice Brennan, Rosa Phelan, Kate O’Neill.