Scoil Chríost Rí see of the champions to win Girls Schools Junior Cup at first time of asking
Scoil Chríost Rí celebrate in Energia Park, Donnybrook after being crowned Girls Schools Junior Cup champions after defeating St Mary's Arklow in the final on Thursday
Scoil Chríost Rí Portlaoise 12
St Mary’s College Arklow 5
GIVEN that Scoil Chríost Rí in Portlaoise only began playing rugby competitively last September what they achieved last Thursday is nothing short of astounding. For not only did they contest and win the 2025 Bank of Ireland Girls Leinster Schools Junior Cup but they also beat the reigning champions, St Mary’s Arklow in the decider.
The final at Energia Park in Donnybrook brought together the two most dominant teams of this year’s competition. As such, it was a fitting finale to what a tournament that had produced some top class rugby.
The fact that Scoil Chríost Rí did come out on top is all the more impressive given that St Mary’s had seven starters and three replacements from last year’s cup winning team.
From the kick off, the champions prop Alanna May Kulenovic turned over at a ruck the bigger St Mary’s pack drove at the heart of the Portlaoise defence only to be denied by SCR out-half Lily Brophy who won a penalty at the ruck..
Slowly Portlaoise’s running game began cause St Mary’s problems as they moved the ball wide for the back three speed merchants, Amarachi Obi, Grainne Ramsbottom and Molly Jane Dempsey.
Number eight Mila Mihajlovic made a good break before setting Blathnaid Kehoe and Dempsey away only to be stopped short by the scramble defence.
St Mary’s hooker Emma Gannon made good ground but out-half Brophy cut short her progress.
Brophy came to the rescue once again after St Mary’s flanker McCann and Gannon combined to dive over the line but was on hand Brophy to get under the ball and force a goal line dropout.
The ensuing drop out was gathered by Lucy Doyle Farrington who made ground before finding Gannon to touch down and to put St Mary’s up 5-0 in the 20th minute.
St Mary’s were on top now as McCann, Shyne Leonard and second row O’Callaghan-Royo combined to bring play to the five-metre line where again Brophy snaffled the ruck yet again.
Scoil Chríost Rí were coming more into the game and needed a score badly. It came their way when Blathnaid Kehoe took off down the right wing. She passed to Saffron Adams who was up in support and had the speed to round the defence and score under the posts. She also added the extras to give Scoil Chríost Rí a 7-5 lead at half time.
St Mary’s were determined to get back into the game and were the dominant side in the opening period of the new half. Gannon, McCann and Leonard made good ground but once again Brophy, playing more like a openside flanker, denied them again.
It fairness it was not only Brophy who was tormenting the Arklow girls at the breakdown. More often than not openside flanker Tara Peavoy was alongside her forcing turnovers.
With the clock ticking on and little or nothing to choose between the sides Scoil Chríost Rí were hit with what could have been a hammer blow when they lost Abbie Delaney to a yellow card for a high tackle.
The last thing they wanted to do was cough up possession that could allow St Mary’s make use of the extra player. To that end they decided to play keep-ball.
Luck favours the brave they say and Scoil Chríost Rí when Dempsey cut in from her wing wing. The ball came loose and bounced towards the St Mary’s line whose Doyle pulled back Chawanangwa Gondwepule’s preventinmg her from scoring, and was binned as a result.
That misdemeanour was punished to the full when number eight Mihajlovic drove over from a five-metre tap penalty to give Scoil Chríost Rí a five-point cushion in the 52nd minute.
They came close to extending that lead Gondwepule made a crazy break down the wing only to be denied by some stern defending by the Arklow girls.
There was a let off for Scoil Chríost Rí when Arklow’s Alanna May Kulenovic was held up over the line.
They had one last chance when broke down the left wing only to be stopped by replacement Kate Dowling and Brophy killed the ball on the ground.
And that was it, Scoil Chríost Rí were, almost unbelievably, Leinster champions on their debut year in the competition.
SCORERS:
Scoil Chríost Rí: S Adams (1 try, 1 con), M Mihajlovic (1 try).
St Mary’s: E Gannon (1 try).
SCOIL CHRÍOST RÍ PORTLAOISE: Amarachi Obi; Grainne Ramsbottom, Blathnaid Kehoe, Saffron Adams, Molly Jane Dempsey; Lily Brophy, Molly Fitzpatrick; Sarah Keane, Emma Finlay, Kate Hosey, Faye Scully, Ella Sherlock, Abbie Delaney, Tara Peavoy, Mila Mihajlovic.
Replacements: Chawanangwa Gondwepule for Ramsbottom (ht); Kate Dowling for Obi (58m).
ST MARY’S COLLEGE ARKLOW: Niamh Nolan; Aoife Kelly, Ruby Tracey, Kate Doyle, Fainche Stone; Shyne Leonard, Ciara Gavighan; Macarena Jimenz-Garcia, Emma Gannon, Alanna May Kulenovic, Macarena Kowalski Blanco, Laragh O’Callaghan Royo, Abigail Nugent, Ellie McCann, Lucy Doyle Farrington.
Replacements: Julia Byrne for Tracey (12m); Danii Hayden for O’Callaghan-Royo (23m); Laragh O’Callaghan-Royo for Byrne (ht); Julia Byrne for Leonard (35m).
Referee: R Harris (Leinster Branch).
