Railway Union winger Sarah O'Donnell gets away from Blackrock College's Andi Murphy to run in a try at Stradbrook last month ©Ronan Ryan
It is semi-final time in the Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division, and a quartet of former champions, including three-in-a-row hopefuls UL Bohemian, have made it through to the last-four. Watch both of Saturday’s semi-finals live on irishrugby+.
Saturday, April 11 –
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: UL Bohemian: WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWLL; Old Belvedere: WLLWWWWWDWWLWWLLLL
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – UL Bohemian: Points: Éabha Nic Dhonnacha 149; Tries: Chloe Pearse 18; Old Belvedere: Points: Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton 87; Tries: Robyn O’Connor, Katie Corrigan, Emily Byrne 8 each
Preview: Old Belvedere’s fourth place finish has earned them a crack at UL Bohemian, whose title defence under new head coach Sarah Quin saw them claim top spot with 16 wins out of 18. UL Bohs will be on their toes here, especially as club legend Fiona Hayes is in charge of underdogs Belvedere.
Hayes coached UL to league glory in both 2024 and 2025 before linking up last summer with ‘Belvo, whose eight-match unbeaten run between October and January was crucial in them reaching the play-offs. However, they have not beaten the Red Robins since a 14-5 home victory in September 2022.
In the current campaign, Quin’s side were convincing 36-0 winners over the Dubliners back in mid-October – Ireland squad call-up Alana McInerney scoring two tries – and they also won 41-22 in the capital last month, with newly-announced Ireland Under-21 captain Lucia Linn touching down twice.
McInerney and Linn are among the absentees this weekend due to international commitments, but UL’s back-line is boosted by the return of Aoife Corey and Kate Flannery following the completion of the Celtic Challenge. Rachel Allen shifts to a back row led by ever-influential captain Chloe Pearse.
Pearse may have retired as a Munster player earlier this season, but she has shown no signs of slowing down at club level. She is the All-Ireland League’s top try scorer for 2025/26 with 18 tries so far, including a run of nine scores in seven games between December and February.
In the absence of Caitríona Finn and Flannery, Connacht captain Éabha Nic Dhonnacha has stepped up with a division-high haul of 149 points. If Old Belvedere are to cause an upset and qualify for the April 26 final at the Aviva Stadium, they will have to keep the Galway youngster quiet.
Orlaith McAuliffe’s inclusion in the second row is the only change to a Belvedere pack that is led again by number 8 Éadaoin Murtagh, in the injury-enforced absence of regular captain Lesley Ring. Eight-try flanker Emily Byrne has impressed, as has Kiwi prop Eilis Doyle.
Behind the scrum, Hayes is able to call upon Amy Larn and Jade Gaffney, both fresh from helping the Wolfhounds to retain their Celtic Challenge crown. Ireland Sevens international Clare Gorman is also set to make an inspirational return after the fourth kneecap dislocation of her career.
UL BOHEMIAN: Aoife Corey; Clara Barrett, Éabha Nic Dhonnacha, Stephanie Nunan, Holly O’Dwyer; Kate Flannery, Abbie Salter-Townshend; Ciara O’Dwyer, Lily Brady, Ciara McLoughlin, Clodagh O’Halloran, Claire Bennett, Rachel Allen, Caoimhe Murphy, Chloe Pearse (capt).
Replacements: Niamh Corless, Marea Walshe-Heke, Mary Maher, Ava O’Malley, Becca Bradshaw, Anaïs Jubin, Abaigael Connon, Nina Mathastein.
OLD BELVEDERE: Amy Larn; Clare Gorman, Kerry Browne, Brooke Gilroy, Laura Carty; Hazel Simmons, Jade Gaffney; Hannah Rapley, Jess Keating, Eilis Doyle, Grace Tutty, Orlaith McAuliffe, Emma Kelly, Emily Byrne, Éadaoin Murtagh (capt).
Replacements: Áine Rutley, Hannah Wilson, Ava Nolan, Amy Bond, Juliet Condron, Amy McGuire, Julie Nolan, Leah Nealon.
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, October 18, 2025: UL Bohemian 36 Old Belvedere 0, UL 4G pitch; Saturday, March 7, 2026: Old Belvedere 22 UL Bohemian 41, Ollie Campbell Park
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: UL Bohemian to win
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Blackrock College: LWWWWWWWWWWWWWWLWW; Railway Union: LLLWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Blackrock College: Points: Maggie Boylan 85; Tries: Maggie Boylan 17; Railway Union: Points: Heidi Lyons 139; Tries: Heidi Lyons 17
Preview: A bumper crowd is expected at Stradbrook as Ireland’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations opener against England will be shown in the clubhouse before Blackrock College battle it out with Railway Union. The Dublin rivals finished second and third in the table, respectively, separated by just four points.
Railway Union’s presence in the play-offs looked in some doubt when they lost their first three league matches. But things have since clicked under new head coach Sana Govender, so much so that the beaten finalists these last two years are effectively the form team entering the semi-final stage.
Railway have racked up 15 wins in a row, beating all three of their fellow semi-finalists in the last three rounds. Meanwhile, Blackrock have lost just once in their last 17 outings, their only defeat coming against tomorrow’s opponents who won 39-5 when visiting Stradbrook in early March.
It was one win apiece during the regular season as Blackrock, coached this season by Niall Neville, beat Railway 29-10 away back in October with Maeve Óg O’Leary crossing twice. In the return fixture, Govender’s charges scored four unanswered first-half tries to take control of the scoreboard.
Munster captain O’Leary will skipper Blackrock for this semi-final showdown as Hannah O’Connor unfortunately misses out. Notably, they have Ireland prop Christy Haney back for her first start since recovering from a hamstring injury. Haney is one of the survivors from their 2022 title win.
From ‘Rock’s recent 17-7 triumph over UL Bohs, Wolfhounds out-half Abby Moyles is the only change to the back-line. Winger Maggie Boylan has starred with 40 tries during the last two league campaigns, while forwards Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair and Kate Jordan are also back from Celtic Challenge duty.
Similarly to Blackrock, Railway are without their regular captain Niamh Byrne. Former Ireland lock Aoife McDermott has taken on the captaincy role with an assuredness, scoring too at Stradbrook last month. Megan Collis, Keelin Brady, and Japanese flanker Miyu Kojima come back in as starters up front.
Kildare native Heidi Lyons has been the pick of their backs, scoring 17 tries and 139 points in her first All-Ireland League season, and earning an Ireland U-21 call-up in the process. Leah Tarpey, who has made a successful move to full-back, and French scrum-half Chloé Ponthus have both hit form at the right time.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: Méabh Deely; Andi Murphy, Ella Durkan, Catherine Martin, Maggie Boylan; Abby Moyles, Lauren Farrell McCabe; Aoife Moore, Sam Brackett, Christy Haney, Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair, Kate Jordan, Nikki Gibson, Carrie O’Keeffe, Maeve Óg O’Leary (capt).
Replacements: Ann-Marie Rooney, Megan Brodie, Ava Fannin, Molly Fitzpatrick, Sarah Moody, Lisa Mullen, Cara Martin, Sarah Farley.
RAILWAY UNION: Leah Tarpey; Rhiann Heery, Aimee Clarke, Heidi Lyons, Sarah O’Donnell; Hannah Scanlan, Chloé Ponthus; Evelyn Donnelly, Méabh Keegan, Megan Collis, Keelin Brady, Aoife McDermott (capt), Miyu Kojima, Hannah Johnston, Mira Broeks.
Replacements: Caoimhe O’Sullivan Roche, Siobhán McCarthy, Alanna Fusciardi Wallace, Emma Fabby, Grace Jackson, Ailsa Hughes, Nikki Caughey, Sarah Munnelly.
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, October 18, 2025: Railway Union 10 Blackrock College 29, Park Avenue; Saturday, March 7, 2026: Blackrock College 5 Railway Union 39, Stradbrook
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Railway Union to win
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