Arklow RFC Girls U16 31 - 23 Clane RFC Girls U16 

The Arklow RFC Girls U16s produced one of their best performances of the season on Saturday at The Oval, overcoming a determined Clane RFC side in a highly competitive contest to emerge 31-23 winners. Five tries to four told the story on the scoreboard, but it was the character and resilience shown by the Arklow girls that made this victory particularly pleasing.

After a closely fought opening half, Arklow had to dig deep and overcome a number of errors that allowed Clane to stay firmly in the contest. To their credit, the girls responded superbly, tightening up their game and taking control during the second half with some excellent phases of attacking rugby and strong defensive work across the pitch.

There were several outstanding team tries, with Captain Abbie Byrne leading from the front by crossing for two well-taken scores. Hannah Byrne and Kai Hulin also touched down after excellent build-up play, while Isabelle Kirya produced the moment of the match with a brilliant individual try, breaking from her own half and finishing in style.

On a difficult day for kickers, Sadhbh Nalty showed great composure from the tee, adding three conversions that proved crucial in giving Arklow some breathing room on the final scoreboard.

This was a significant improvement on recent performances and a reminder of the talent and potential within this squad. The hard work being put in on the training field is beginning to show, and there is no doubt this group has much more to come as the season progresses.

A huge thank you to Clane RFC for a very competitive game played in the right spirit. We wish them every success for the remainder of their season.

Next Up: Arklow travel to face Vipers RFC in Terenure on Saturday 17th.

Finally, a massive thank you to all our supporters who cheer these girls on week after week. Your encouragement from the sidelines means a great deal to the players and is hugely appreciated by everyone involved with the team.

Match Squad: Isabelle Kirya, Aoibhínn Ní Éigeartaigh, Jessica Brennan, Bodi-Rae Leonard, Meabh Byrne, Sadhbh Nalty, Hannah Byrne, Faye Burke Emery, Cara Moore, Niamh Thomas, Lara Duggan, Lily O'Donnell, Amelia Murphy, Kai Hulin, Abbie Byrne (Captain), Caragh Spacey, Connie Gunning Byrne, Ella Newsome, Caoimhe O'Reilly Hughes & Ava Tobin.