Wicklow Bolster Coaching Team By Bringing In Martin
Wicklow finished just four points outside of the top four in the Energia All-Ireland League Women's Division this season ©Ronan Ryan
Fresh from their best ever finish in the Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division, Wicklow have moved to strengthen their senior Women’s coaching team with the addition of Ben Martin as a coaching consultant.
The newly-announced Leinster Women’s head coach, Martin is a former Australia Sevens and Munster player, and will bring a huge amount of coaching experience to his new consultant role with Wicklow for next season.
The Australian native was most recently backs and attack coach with the Wolfhounds as they became back-to-back Celtic Challenge champions, and had a season before that with Exeter Chiefs Women as an assistant coach.
He is a well known face in All-Ireland League circles having coached both UL Bohemian and Blackrock College to Women’s Division titles, as well as being a player-coach with Kanturk. He won the Women’s Division Coach of the Year award in 2019 when he was with Bohs.
Martin has already worked with some of the Wicklow players who were part of the Wolfhounds squad, and more members of Jason Moreton’s side will be hoping to push for selection with Leinster in the coming months.
“I’m genuinely excited to be assisting the Wicklow group of coaches and players,” said Martin. “It’s amazing seeing their young players graduate through the underage structures into an All-Ireland League environment and with season-on-season progress, to be on the cusp of the top four.
“Seeing where they’ve come from in their first season of AIL rugby to where they are now, really encourages me, and I’m hopeful I can add a little of something to assist in the growth of a fantastic club.”
Wicklow won ten of their 18 games this past season – five at Ashtown Lane, and five on the road – to finish fifth in the Women’s Division table. That is double their amount of victories during the 16-round 2023/24 campaign.
Out-half Beth Roberts, an All-Ireland League Women’s Player of the Year nominee for 2024/25, was their top scorer with 94 points as they finished just four points behind Old Belvedere.
Martin will join Wicklow’s coaching team which is led by New Zealander Moreton. Forwards coach Patrick ‘Bull’ Jameson, backs coach Emily McKeown, and assistant coach Roelie Smit complete the group.
Moreton commented: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Ben to our coaching team. His wealth of experience and knowledge will be invaluable in taking our team to the next level.
“The Wicklow coaches are looking forward to working together to achieve great things in the coming season.”