Fowley Announces Retirement From International Rugby

Connacht and Ireland star Nicole Fowley has announced her retirement from international rugby.

The Drumcliff native, who plays her club rugby for Galwegians made the announcement on her instagram page, writing, “Ten years on from my first cap against England in 2016 to the 2025 Rugby World Cup, it’s been an unforgettable journey. I’ve travelled the world, made lifelong friends, and every moment in the green jersey has been an honour.

“The highs were incredible, the lows made me stronger, and I’m grateful for the resilience they taught me. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my wife, parents, family, coaches/physios and teammates

“Now it’s time to retire from international rugby and find my next adventure – fingers crossed it involves more travelling & saunas.”

Growing up in Sligo Fowley played Gaelic football with Drumcliff. Her rugby journey started in Sligo RFC before a move to Railway Union and finally to Galway in 2016.

Fowley first came to prominence with Galwegians and Connacht that year, winning her first three international caps as a centre during the late Tom Tierney’s coaching tenure.

Players of the calibre of Nora Stapleton, Niamh Briggs, Sene Taiti-Fanene, Jenny Murphy and Katie Fitzhenry dominated the 10-12-13 axis for the next couple of years, until Fowley earned a recall for the 2019 Six Nations. She was ever-present during that year’s Championship, emerging as the starting out-half under then-head coach Adam Griggs.

She slipped out of the reckoning but again her reslience shone through and she was recalled to international duty by Scott Bemand for the WXV3 in 2023 landing six conversions during an impressive second half cameo against Kazakhstan. It was her first appearance at international level since the 2019 Six Nations, rewarding her hard work for club and province.

Speaking a the the time Fowley said, “I was almost at a stage that I thought my Ireland days were probably over,” she revealed. “I was really just focusing on club and province at the time and doing the best I could for them in terms of being a captain, a leader and performing to my best ability.

“I didn’t really put pressure on myself to think, ‘Oh God, should I push myself for a spot with Ireland’, like I honestly didn’t.

“My main focus was to be the best player I could be for Connacht, and I guess in doing that maybe it took the pressure off in terms of having to perform well. In the end it worked out.”

Fowley was part of the Ireland Squad in subsequent Six Nations and WXV1 campaignas and was named in the Women’s Rugby World Cup squad, but the Sligo woman, who married her Galwegians and Connacht team mate Mary Healy in 2024, has now called time on her international career.