Ireland’s Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign in England had a distinctly Trinity flavour this year, with five players connected to the College named in the national squad and making their Rugby World Cup debuts: Linda Djougang, Méabh Deely, Fiona Tuite, and Stacey Flood are all Trinity alumni with Aoibheann Reilly working at Trinity as a research assistant in complex software.
Ireland's Women’s Rugby World Cup journey came to an end with France’s dramatic 18-13 comeback victory in Sunday 14 September's quarter-final, despite both tries being scored by Trinity alumni: Linda Djougang provided an early lead to Ireland with the first try of the match just six minutes in with Stacey Flood crossing the line at 24 minutes to cement the score at 10-0 to Ireland.
Ireland’s Rugby World Cup campaign may have ended at the quarter-final stage but for Trinity it was a moment of pride and inspiration. Trinity Provost Dr Linda Doyle reflected that “it is wonderful to see Trinity alumni and staff shine on the world stage. Sport is at the heart of Trinity and these players embody the creativity, commitment and spirit that Trinity stands for. Their achievements at the Women's Rugby World Cup are a testament to the legacy they have created."
Michelle Tanner, Trinity’s Director of Sport and Physical Activity, echoed this: “We are immensely proud of the Trinity-connected players who represented Ireland at the World Cup. Their performances, resilience and passion are an inspiration to the Trinity community and to the next generation of women athletes coming through our pathways.”
Linda Djougang, Trinity Sports Scholar, award winner and Ireland centurion-in-the-making
Former Trinity Sport scholar and now Irish Front-row prop Linda Djougang embodies the Trinity pathway from student sport to elite international sport, being the most capped player on the Irish squad with 48 caps going into the tournament. Having graduated with a degree in General Nursing, she balanced long hours of study and clinical placements with training at an elite level.
Djougang was awarded a Trinity Sport Scholarship in 2018-19 and was named Trinity Sports Person of the Year in 2019, recognising her rapid ascent to international rugby. She first came across rugby when invited to play tag rugby aged seventeen and played for Dublin University Football Club (DUFC) during her time at Trinity before earning her Ireland debut in 2019.
As one of relatively few women players with more than fifty international caps, Djougang marked her milestone half-century in the victory over Spain earlier this month, anchoring the scrum and bringing relentless physicality in open play. Djougang has played in all three of Ireland's Rugby World Cup matches so far with her skills and experience being central in Ireland's quarter final against France on Sunday, where she scored Ireland's first try and her tenth international try of the match just six minutes in. Djougang played all 80 minutes of the match in a performance described as "possibly the best performance in her 52 Irish caps ... Djougang was at the centre of everything Ireland did well."
Djougang first discovered rugby when she was invited to a game of tag rugby aged 17. "I had to google 'what is rugby?'," explained Djougang of her initial naivety about the sport in which she would ultimately excel. In an interview with BBC, Djougang elaborated: "We started playing and I didn't know the rules. There are so many rules in rugby - I was offside all the time until my friend gave me the ball and said, 'when I give you the ball I just want you to run in this direction and score'.
Fiona Tuite, former DUFC second-row making her mark
Another proud former DUFC player, Dubliner Fiona Tuite's sporting prowess began with Gaelic sports and doing athletics in particular shot put as a child before she took up rugby, first at sevens and later the full fifteen when she came to Trinity to study physiotherapy and began playing for DUFC. After graduation, she played for Old Belvedere before being called up for Ulster and later Ireland.
Now with 19 caps, she has been central to Ireland’s forward platform, winning key lineout ball and making dominant carries. Tuite made a strong Rugby World Cup debut in Ireland's opening and victorious match against Japan where she combined her Rugby World Cup debut with her first start for Ireland at blindside flanker, and topped it all off with her first international try.
Tuite played against Japan and Spain in two of Ireland's three Rugby Cup matches so far and had a "mixed day" against France as a flanker in Sunday's quarter final.
Stacey Flood, GAA Roots and backline versatility
A Trinity graduate with strong GAA roots, Stacey Flood first represented the university in Gaelic football before turning to rugby. She has since gone on to earn over twenty caps in fifteens alongside an accomplished sevens career including Olympic qualification campaigns.
Her versatility has been vital at this World Cup, filling roles at full-back and fly-half when required, and bringing attacking spark alongside defensive assurance. Flood has played in all four of Ireland's Rugby World Cup matches, having "probably her best performance of the World Cup" in Sunday's quarter final where she shook off an injury to start and scored Ireland's second try of the game
Aoibheann Reilly, scrum-half researching at Trinity
Aoibheann Reilly, a Research Assistant at Trinity's Complex Software lab, has established herself as Ireland’s scrum-half for the Women's Rugby World Cup, playing in three of Ireland's four matches including all 80 minutes in Sunday's quarter final. Reilly had a difficult journey to the World Cup - recovering from two ACL injuries in less that a year but nonetheless working her way back to full strength and a well-deserved place on the World Cup team
Reilly began playing rugby at Ballinasloe RFC and is one of three players from the club alongside Béibhinn Parsons and and Méabh Deely playing for Ireland in the Rugby World Cup. Reilly was later selected to play for Connacht at provincial level before being stepping onto the international stage, where she has gained eighteen caps. Reilly is known for her sharp service from the base and her quick decision-making around the ruck.
Méabh Deely, Geoscience graduate with backfield brilliance
A Geoscience graduate of Trinity, Méabh Deely has impressed in the back three with her tactical kicking, safe hands under the high ball and incisive counter-attacking runs.
Deely began playing rugby at Ballinasloe RFC and is one of three players from the club to be playing for Ireland in the 2025 Rugby World Cup. Deely went on to play for Connacht at provincial level before being stepping onto the international stage where she has gained fourteen caps for Ireland but did not make it onto the field of play for the Rugby World Cup.
Conclusion
Despite Ireland's Women’s Rugby World Cup journey came to an end over the weekend, their performance highlighted the scale of the journey the team has been on over the last two years since Ireland's Women's rugby went professional. Interviewed after Sunday's match, Irish player Dannah O’Brien highlighted, "I think times are changing for women’s rugby. ... I think it just goes to show what momentum we can build as a team and not just as a country and bringing everyone along with us and inspiring the nation as well."
Rugby World Cup 2025 Ireland Fixtures
24 August 2025: Ireland v Japan where Ireland won 42-14
31 August 2025: Ireland v Spain where Ireland won 43-17
7 September 2025: Ireland v New Zealand where Ireland lost 0-40
14 September 2025: Ireland v France (Quarter-final 3) where Ireland lost 13-18