Browne Moran And Galwegians Gunning For #EnergiaAIL Conference Title

There is a certain rhythm to teams that peak at the right time of the season. A team that has high and low points over the course of a season, but when it clicks, everything begins to fall into place. Performances sharpen, confidence grows, and suddenly the belief that once felt tentative becomes something far more concrete.

For Galwegians, that rhythm has been building steadily over recent weeks, and at the centre of it stands one of their most in-form players, Grace Browne Moran.

Heading into Saturday’s Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Conference final against Wicklow at Mullingar RFC (kick-off 1pm), Browne Moran and her team-mates find themselves on the cusp of something significant.

A season that has ebbed and flowed now presents a clear opportunity, eighty minutes to turn growth into silverware, and to reward the work that has gone into shaping this Galwegians to push for further honours in the coming seasons.

For Browne Moran, the significance of the occasion is not lost, but neither is the clarity required to approach it.

“It’s a great opportunity for us” she says. “I suppose we deserve it in a way because we’ve worked so hard during the whole season, so to have a chance in a bit of silverware is great.”

There is a quiet confidence in her words, but also an awareness of the challenge ahead. Standing in their way are Wicklow, a side that has become something of a familiar adversary for Galwegians in recent seasons.

 

A dramatic 36-all draw was their most recent meeting, with Wicklow  coming from behind to snatch a draw. That fixture, like many between the two sides, was defined by momentum swings and fine margins, the kind of game where one moment can decide everything.

“We’re not going to underestimate Wicklow at all. Even from our game that we last played in Wicklow, it was very, very tight.

We started off strong and I suppose they had a purple patch or two and we were able to get the draw. So we’re definitely coming in, not underestimating them at all and looking to really fight for that silverware.”

The respect is mutual, forged through a series of closely contested encounters that have gradually developed into a genuine rivalry.

“There’s some form of a rivalry between us since they have come up. It’s either we win a match, they win the other match, or vice versa.”

Rivalries in rugby are often built on history, but in this case, it is recent battles that have shaped the narrative. One of the most defining came in 2022, when the two sides met in a Conference final at Ashtown Lane, Wicklow winning that 22-17.

Browne Moran was on the bench that day but came on to score a try, and the memory of that defeat still lingers, not as a burden, but as motivation.

“I remember we played them in a Conference final before in Ashtown Lane and it was probably one of the hardest matches I have ever played.

“I never wanted to feel the same as I did when they beat us, especially on their home turf. It is nice that it is a neutral ground this week.”

That shift to a neutral venue in Mullingar removes one variable, but it does little to diminish the intensity of what lies ahead. If anything, it heightens the sense that this is a true contest, two evenly matched teams meeting on equal footing, with everything to play for.

For Jack Clarke’s charges, the path to this final has been shaped not just by results, but by evolution. Over the course of the season, they have grown, in depth, in confidence, and in their understanding of how they want to play.

After a couple of seasons where they struggled with depth, the impact of younger players coming in has extended beyond individual performances. Their presence has created competition for places, raising standards across the board.

“We’ve had an insane amount of growth really because we had the likes of the Under-18s coming into seniors, so the likes of Jemima (Adams Verling), Ella Burns coming over from Tuam, and Niamh Murphy as well coming to Galway for college.

“It’s been great. They were really, really important to us in the first half. Buzzing for them to be selected for Celtic Challenge and Jemima getting a contract as well as Ailish Quinn, but seeing them being able to come in to get their starts and then when they’re not around we still have stellar back rows to come in or even the backs as well.

“We have an insane amount of depth which is great and I think it really showed this season that even if we don’t have the likes of them, we’re still able to put up a fight.”

That depth has been crucial, particularly in the latter stages of the season where squad rotation, injuries, and player availability can all influence outcomes. It has allowed Galwegians to maintain consistency, even as personnel changes have occurred.

But while the team has flourished collectively, Browne Moran herself has been enjoying a remarkable run of form. Nine tries in her last five appearances is a statistic that stands out in any context, but she is quick to deflect attention away from herself.

“Insanely lucky, I think” she says with a laugh. “I think I’m on the right end of the ball when it’s coming out towards the five-metre line.”

It is a modest assessment, but one that reflects the ethos within the squad. Success is shared, and individual achievements are seen as the product of collective effort.

“The team has been working incredibly hard to get those tries and I’m just lucky to be the one that is scoring them.”

Still, there is no denying the impact she has had. A back rower, who can also shift to the second row, capable of consistently crossing the white line adds a different dimension to any team, and Browne Moran’s knack for being in the right place at the right time has been a significant asset.

“There’s such buzz around it now. Everybody’s just slagging me at this stage with the amount of tries I’ve scored. I’ll take them, no problem.”

That sense of humour, that ability to enjoy the moment, is another hallmark of this Galwegians group. Even as the stakes rise, they remain grounded, connected, and united.

What makes this team particularly dangerous, however, is that their scoring threat does not rely on one individual. Across the pitch, there is a confidence in their attacking play and in the players tasked with finishing opportunities.

“We don’t have any fear of any girls having white-line fever or anything like that.

“Everybody is so confident in the way we play that whoever dots it down, that’s it. Having the likes of ‘Dixie’ (Orla Dixon) on the wing or even Sinead O’Brien, they’re both stellar players. So it’s great to have them out there being able to score.”

It is a reflection of a team that trusts itself, a team where responsibility is shared, and where any player can step up when needed.

That trust has been built over time, shaped by experiences both positive and challenging. For Browne Moran, her own journey with Galwegians began in the 2021/22 season, a period that offered an early glimpse of the level required to compete at the top.

“My first season was a bit rocky. I came into it injured so I only got a few games but in my first year there was a Conference final and we played Suttonians and lost in that, and that was my first taste of what AIL would be like.

“The coaches and everything, I suppose I’ve had three different head coaches with me and they’ve all brought something different.

“I’m loving AIL and I’m loving Galwegians and each year brings a different vibe into camp and what we want to do and where we want to be. We’ve definitely grown from when I started when I was 20 or 21 to where I am now. It’s great.”

Her own journey into rugby began much earlier, rooted in her upbringing in Westport.

“I would have started playing rugby when I was probably about nine or so. My mother, she didn’t want me playing Gaelic and she thought it was a bit rough so she said rugby was the next step forward.”

It is a line that often draws a smile, given rugby’s own physical demands, but it set her on a path that would define her sporting career.

“Once I started playing rugby, I suppose it was Tag because we didn’t have contact regulations or something. I went to U-15s then and I completely quit all the other sports I was playing and just solely started in Westport.

“Just before Covid, I think, I had my first taste of senior rugby and we actually played Galwegians in a friendly just after Covid.

“I think it was the June of 2020 we played them, and playing against the likes of Nicole Fowley and Mary Healy and being able to go and potentially play with them, I was taking that opportunity with full hands.”

It is a decision that has clearly paid off, both for Browne Moran and for the club. Now, as she prepares for another Conference final, there is a sense of unfinished business.

Previous defeats in finals have left their mark, but they have also fuelled the determination to get it right this time. Success at junior level has had a ripple effect throughout the club, reinforcing the idea that silverware is achievable.

That shift in mentality has been evident in their recent performances. Five games unbeaten, playing with confidence and purpose, they have found their stride at the perfect moment.

It is a reminder that this is about more than just one team. It is about the club as a whole, about creating a culture of success that spans all levels. Preparation for the final has already begun, not just in training sessions, but in mindset.

It is a simple approach, but an effective one. Focus on the controllable, build momentum through the week, and arrive on matchday ready to perform.

And when that whistle blows in Mullingar, everything will come down to execution. The rivalry, the history, the form, all of it will fade into the background as two teams battle for the same prize.

For Browne Moran and her team-mates, it is an opportunity to turn a season of growth into a tangible reward. A chance to rewrite the narrative of past finals and to take another step forward in the evolution of this Galwegians side.

“Watching our juniors win that Connacht Plate really drove something into us. Once we knew there was something on the line, we definitely changed the gear and went full on for the last few games knowing potentially who we were going to be playing.

“Once we were coming up to the Ballincollig game, I think we knew we had to play them again. So, we kind of really drove to just basically, I think it was to scare Ballincollig really when they came back to us, which hopefully we did, I think we did.

“We really want to be able to have silverware in both senior and junior teams. We want to bring something home to our Under-21s who are playing in the Dexcom with Ireland while we’re in Mullingar. Definitely be nice to bring something back to them as well.

“We’re hoping that’ll be us on the day (delivering an 80-minute performance). So, match starts now really for us on Thursday training. That’s when we kind of get focused and make sure we’re ready for Saturday,” she added.

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