Category: Profiles (Page 1 of 3)

At only the age of 21 years old, Dylan has made history by becoming our youngest club captain ever!

Dylan is originally from Ballinfoile Park on the Headford Road, and first joined Wegians at the age of 8 years old, since then he never stopped playing.

Alongside one of his best mates, Andrew Sherlock (also promoted to vice-captain), they played many years together throughout underage, up to senior level.

Full of pride, Dylan states that “Galwegians has been a massive part of my life growing up, and has had such an influence on the type of person I am today, making memories and friends along the way. So to get to represent this club as captain at senior level is an unbelievable honour and privilege!”

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m 21 and from Ballinfoile Park on the Headford Road. At the moment I’m in the 3rd year of my electrical apprenticeship.

When did you start at Galwegians?

I think I was around 8 year old when I first joined Wegians and started playing rugby. I’ve played with Andrew Sherlock all the way up through underage to senior level.

What is your favourite position?

I play flanker, preferably No. 7

What does Galwegians mean to you?

Galwegians has been a massive part of my life growing up and has had such an influence on the type of person I am today, making so many memories and friends along the way. So to get to represent this club as captain at senior level is an unbelievable honour and privilege.

Then to be the youngest ever captain is surreal, especially when you know some of the greats who have represented this club as captain before me.

What are your goals for the coming season?

I feel there definitely is an excitement around the squad from players and coaches going into this season. Lads have been putting in massive work in the off-season. There is some great talent coming through and we have another year of experience as a young team. I feel like this season is one where we need to attack. I want us to grab it with both hands and set out to win every game we play. Top spot is our main goal and playoffs are the bare minimum for our AIL 2B campaign.

University of Galway has kindly been allowing students on their BA degrees in journalism and in media studies to work with Galwegians as interns for the last few years. This has made a huge contribution to our club communications, especially in the social media area. It also helps the interns build their own skills and CVs.

This year we are hosting our first female intern, Milena Malaquias de Albuquerque.

Where are you from?

I’m from Italy, a small village on the Alps at the border with Switzerland and France. Originally, I was born in Brazil and I moved to Italy when I was a child.

When did you come to Ireland?

I moved to Ireland in August 2021. I came first as an exchange student for the year in Westport, Co. Mayo.

The more time I spent here the more I fell in love with it. I decided to stay and finish my studies here. I did my Leaving Cert the year after and moved to Galway for college in September 2023.

So you are at the University?

Yes! I’m currently a 3^rd year student at University of Galway majoring in Global Media. This and my love for sport is what led me to Wegians.

Why did you choose Galwegians for your internship?

All my life I’ve been involved in sports. I played Volleyball back home and I dedicated all my childhood and teenage years to it. I had to quit because of my studies and wanting to go abroad. When I first came to Ireland I joined rugby as a social thing to meet new people and to keep up with sports! I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would!

The reason why I chose to intern with Galwegians is that it gives me the opportunity to combine rugby with the experience an actual sports media environment.

What are your goals for the year?

I hope to learn as much as I can about the world of social media, and sports communications in practice. This internship will be useful and important for my degree and making to a possible future in sports media.

So what is your dream job?

My dream would be to work for one of the biggest media companies, and to get work up close with elite athletes around the world.

Emily Foley captained a group from the Galwegians Women’s squad represented Connacht in the recent Uni 7s interprovincial series. Connacht were victorious, with Emily and Sophie Cullen were honoured in the Team of the Tournament.

We caught up with Emily for a quick chat.

This tournament is becoming a real stepping stone to the national setup. Do you feel like it’s opening doors for players like yourself?

Absolutely, this tournament is a great platform. It gives us the chance to test ourselves against top talent and get noticed by national coaches. It’s a huge opportunity for us players, definitely a stepping stone. 

What were some of the standout moments for you and your teammates throughout the four rounds?

One of the biggest highlights for us was going to each province and managing to get a win on their home turf against them. Then to finish it off by winning the title at home in Galway made all the hard work worth it. 

Looking back at the whole series, what do you think clicked for your team that helped you go all the way?

Looking back, I think what really clicked for us was the work we put in training. We pushed each other every week and had a good bond that showed on the pitch. 

How did it feel to captain the team through such a competitive series—and what did the role teach you along the way?

It was an honour to captain the team. With the level of talent and leadership we had across the squad it made it very easy. Everyone stepped up when it mattered. The role taught be about communication and driving standards on the pitch. 

Sophie Cullen and yourself were named in the Team of the Tournament. How did that feel, and what does that recognition mean to you personally?

It was a great feeling to be named on the team of the tournament alongside Sophie. It means a lot personally knowing how much work went in throughout the series, but it reflects on the team as a whole. We pushed each other everyday and I’m really proud to be part of it.

Tell us about your rugby career in Romania?

I signed my first contract over here in November 2020 at a team called Dinamo Bucharest. I made my debut for them that same month in a cup semi-final which we unfortunately lost. I came off the bench and gave a try assist and got a late hit and tore my ACL and meniscus which had me off the field for 19 months.

Tell us about  your recent episode with Wegians?

My contract ended in December 2022 so came back to Wegians to find the love of the game again. I did, playing in the 2022/2023 season for the Blues and in summer 2023 signed to my current club Rapid București. 

Tell us about your current team?

Rapid București are a very young team, more so a project made up of only Romanian qualified players made to grow the youth, because the youth system here fails the younger players as there’s not much funding for the grassroots clubs.

For most of these boys it was their first time playing a senior game and they did exceptional. We’re being coached by two Romanian rugby legends Stelian Burcea, former captain and centurion, and Florin Vlaicu, who currently holds the records for the most caps for Romania and most points with over 1000 scored in international games.

On the players side of things we have some great players with experience with us on the field to help the younger lads grow such as Florin Bardasu and Alexandru Savin who are currently national front rows and have been a great part in our team, and another centurion Florin Surugiu who is arguably the best scrum half Romania ever had.

International Aspirations?

I haven’t made my first senior cap yet but I’ve been in and out of the camps and hopefully soon it will happen.

Throughout the camps I’ve been learning from some great coaches such as current head coach David Gerard Benjamin Lapeyre and former Portugal head coach Patrice Lagisquet

What does Galwegians mean to you?

Wegians will always have a special place in my heart, I was welcomed when I started in U13s all the way up to when I came back from my spell in Romania.

A special shout-out to my underage coaches Niall Beatty, Pat Surlis and Eamonn Hornibrook who always pushed me to my potential and made me the player I am today. No matter what problems I had on or off the pitch, they always stuck by me and treated me as their own.

No matter how long I play abroad, Wegians is and always will be the place I call home.

Where are you from?

I’m originally from the States, Cape Cod Massachusetts. 

When & why did you come to Ireland?

I moved to Ireland in October of 2019, right before Covid. I wanted to experience living abroad as I have family in Germany, it helped being a dual passport holder and being able to work anywhere in the EU. 

Your Career?

I currently work in cybersecurity but also have side gigs in art, social media management and photography/videograohy 

When did you first play rugby?

I actually joined rugby in 2020 right after I moved to Ireland! I used to play tennis for my university and missed playing in a team sport and wanted to make new friends.

Why join Wegians?

Wegians because I always used to pass by the club house and the location was always central to town!

Your Position?

I’ve played many positions, wing, centre, flanker, second row, scrum half … but after so many serious injuries as a centre, a comeback as scrum half is looking more favourable haha. 

Best game or favourite memory?

Probably one of my first games back after breaking my leg. I finally felt the most fit I had been in a while and being able to play again after such a serious injury was such an achievement for me. 

Biggest influence on your rugby/career??

My teammates! They inspire me to be a better player! 

Unluckiest thing in rugby?

I unfortunately broke my leg around my ankle pretty badly October 2022. Dislocated fracture to the fibula and tibia and needed surgery, a plate and 7 screws total. Then more recently I broke my 2nd metatarsal October 2024 in my other right foot. Both times I played number 13 so maybe it’s time I retire this jersey and vow to never play during the month of October.

Other Volunteer Roles in the Club?

I started out managing the women’s social media in 2021. I helped as well later on the men’s side and for the youths. I also volunteer a lot of my time in other aspects of the club like minis, fundraisers, etc. anything to see the success of the club! 

Best thing about Galwegians – why should someone join?

My friends and family I’ve created from joining! I wouldn’t trade them for the world. 

Other hobbies?

Tennis, art, photography, videography

Craziest team mate?

Stacy Hanley

Most annoying??

Stacy Hanley 

Most inspiring?

I’m going to have to say Nicole Fowley! She’s such an inspiration representing Galwegians and all the girls in the West of Ireland as she kits out for Ireland! COYGIG!

Best sense of humour team-mate?

Stacy Hanley takes the stage again for this one lol

Where are you from?

Castlegar, Galway 

School?

Mercy Secondary School, Galway City

Career?

Youth Worker in Galway 

When did your start playing rugby?

Started playing rugby in 2016 when I was in college in Athlone, I had played camogie growing up but my friends in college convinced me to switch to the oval ball, I was told it was way more craic so it was an easy sell for them!!

When did you join Wegians and Why?

I joined wegians in 2019  when I had moved back to Galway from college. I was hooked at that stage so I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop playing after college and my brother, Cormac, who has sadly passed away played for Wegians when he was in secondary school so joining Wegians made sense for me!

Position?

Prop. Best position on the pitch too, obviously!

Toughest opponent ever?

Niamh O’ Dowd. When she tackles you, you won’t forget it!

Role model or rugby hero? 

Hope Rogers. Loose head prop for Exeter Chiefs and USA. An absolute powerhouse of a player and the skills to match 

Hardest working team mate or best in training ?

All the players on the pitch every week are putting the work in but the player working the hardest at the moment is our very own team manager Dearbhla Canty who is grinding it out in the gym rehabbing her knee from ACL surgery, so everyone should beware because she’s going to come back stronger than ever!

Ambitions for the season?

We have a lot of new players to the squad this year and some of our seasoned players lining out in new positions so we are really looking to develop and learn to perform together this year! The new additions to the team have been great and are driving standards throughout the squad. We started the season with a home win against Ballincollig but as a team we knew we could perform better than we did which unfortunately we didn’t back up with a tough loss on the road to Wicklow but we regrouped and knew what we had to do and came out with a great team performance and solid win at home against Cooke last weekend. The team will be hoping to build on this for the rest of the season and continue to put out the performances we know we are capable of!

Impressions of Jack Clarke and the new coaching ticket?

We have been very lucky this year to have Jack come in as head coach, he has brought great knowledge to the team and has created a really positive atmosphere in the squad. As well as Jack we have Tony, Dave, Oisin and Ciaran who have really listened to the players and have brought great experience in training!

Teammate with the best and worst dress sense?

Best Dressed:  Katherine Mahon is always looking stylish no matter what the occasion!

Worst Dressed: GBM. She knew this was coming haha!

Best and worst taste in music?

Best Taste: Our new resident DJ is Sophie Cullen. She always knows what to play to get everyone pumped!

Worst Taste: Ines Delgado. We don’t know the words to her songs from Argentina so can’t sing along, which doesn’t go down well in the clubhouse haha!

Where are you from?

I’m originally from Ballinasloe.

When did you start playing rugby?

I played minis and underage with Ballinasloe as well as schools rugby with Garbally College. We won two Connacht Schools Senior Cups with Garbally, the most memorable probably when we beat the Jes when I was in 5th year. And I also won an U18.5 Connacht Cup in my final game for Ballinasloe.

Senior Career to Date

After school I moved to Buccaneers to play U20s and AIL. I played 1 season in division 2A and two seasons in division 1B.

Joining Wegians

I just started training with the club back in July, and I’ve been enjoying every minute of it.

I knew a handful of the lads before I joined just from playing against them all the way up, and it’s been very easy to get to know everyone else in the club.

Connacht Senior League Reflections?

I think the Connacht League went well overall, two close games against Sligo and Corinthians. We probably should have won both but we missed out by a couple points. Everything came together for the Buccaneers game and that’s given us a lot of confidence going into the AIL.

Your Position

I normally play 12. In the Connacht Senior League for Wegians, I started at 12 against Corinthians and Buccs, and played at 10 against Sligo. 12 would be my regular position and it would be my favourite too.

Thoughts on the AIL?

I’m really looking forward to getting into the AIL now, and hopefully we can carry on the success the club had last year.

Galwegians’ Ryan Smith has flourished in his first season in sky blue, heading into the play-offs as Wegians’ top scorer of the season with ten tries. Ryan has been a key part of Galwegians’ promotion push this season as part of a formidable front-row partnership with Jack Winters and Garyn Daniel.

We spoke to Ryan recently, and had him reflect on his inaugural season in the AIL with Galwegians.

Most of Ryan’s family had limited interest in rugby so it was only during his time in school that he began to appreciate the rugby lifestyle. He looked up to the rugby greats of the time with Ryan recalling the times watching videos of Brian O’Driscoll and Jonah Lomu.  

Ryan joined the Blues from Corrib RFC where he played a majority of his rugby growing up. At the age of eight he joined the team alongside his school friends. After spending a few years in the higher age groups, he dropped to his own age group where he began to excel on the field. 

When he was sixteen, he got the opportunity to play interpro rugby with Connacht at U17s and went on to play for every age group up to U19s. It was here that rugby became more than just a passion for Ryan.

“From there, I decided to take rugby a bit more seriously and I have been enjoying it, taking it as it comes”, said Ryan.

The U19 campaign from last year was a particular highlight for Ryan where he was alongside current teammate Cian Brady. Playing in the Sportsground was an extraordinary experience and getting a win against Ulster during the campaign was the cherry on top. 

“Playing in the interpro tournament during the summer was the highlight. Putting on the Connacht jersey and running onto the Sportsground, it was very cool”. 

Ryan has been one of many new additions to a squad that is full to the brim of young talents throughout the field. His motivation to keep improving comes from his own team and attributes most of the tries he has scored this season to his team. 

“It comes from the team. Everyone on the team is self-motivated in every training session, so it’s the amount of energy that comes from the team. It’s a great group of lads and when you’re enjoying your rugby, you play well”.

Ryan has a wealth of experience on either side of him in the front row, with the captain and Galwegians veteran Jack Winters and Welshman Garyn Daniel. Ryan has relished playing alongside both players and learning from his coaches and the bank of knowledge they have. 

“It’s great having lads with that kind of experience. Every training session they are both giving me tips with scrummaging, and lineouts. Garyn obviously has huge experience in Wales and Jack played for a few teams with the Connacht Juniors and Ballinrobe. They both have so much to give in every single training session so you are always learning something new”. 

 “In every training session, Jarred Butler, who’s a great coach, has us doing lineouts before training and during too. When you practice that much, it’s hard not to get good at it.”

Reflecting on the season as a whole, Ryan has enjoyed his first outing with Galwegians although he feels there were some moments that they could have achieved more. 

“It’s sickening looking back. There are definitely been a few games where we have dropped off. I think it was a mental thing where we switched off, took off foot the throttle and let teams come back.”

Two of those games came against Bruff, against whom Galwegians square off in the AIL Division 2C Promotion playoff semi-final. Ryan says the team are eager to settle the score against their rivals.

“I’m confident that if we keep our discipline and stop conceding penalties, then we stand a very good chance of making it through to the final.”

Ryan continues to strive towards the highest levels of rugby and will take the challenge to Bruff this weekend as Galwegians look to return to Division 2B.

The Deacy surname is prominent in the illustrious history of Galwegians, and now James Deacy is making his mark as one of the fourth generation of Deacys who have played for the Blues.

This season, James has captained the Men’s Seconds side to promotion back to the Connacht J1B League and silverware with the Curley Cup Shield. This makes for a great opportunity to sit down and chat with James to hear about being a Wegian.

The lineage of the Deacys goes back to the 1930s when Jack Deacy was one of the early captains for Galwegians. James’ grandfather Bobby was then heavily involved with the club and became President of the IRFU in 1996 right at the time when Irish rugby transitioned from amateur to professional structures.

However, James’ journey didn’t begin in Sky Blue. Instead, he started his playing days with Oughterard RFC since his father Norman was one of the leaders in expanding the footprint in the village on the edge of Connemara in 2004. The rugby development of James and his brother Rob coincided with the growth of the new club.

Those early days were reminiscent of earlier days in our city club, with training on pitches with no posts and limited club facilities they had.

“Back then it was real grassroots rugby,” said James. “Rocks were labelled with cones and there were no posts. All of our matches and blitzes were away. You had to want to be there, and love to be there to play”. 

James treasured his time at Oughterard, playing with his brothers throughout the ranks of youth rugby. He even won the Bobby Deacy Memorial Cup at U17s, which was established for matches between Oughterard and Galwegians in honour of his grandfather’s legacy. 

Oughterard has always retained strong links with Galwegians, so it was natural that James would move to Galwegians to play for the U18.5s in their Cup campaign.

One of the people to whom James says he owes much of his success to was academy coach and former player Morgan Codyre.

“The first hand I shook was Morgan’s and I owe a lot to him. The wealth of knowledge I got from him was massive as he coached me for four years. He knows the game inside and out, and he worked on me so much on kicking and passing. He played at Ten like myself and I learned so much from him.”

James also had the opportunity to learn from other players and coaches during his time with Galwegians, including Andrew Browne and Jarrad Butler who have an abundance of experience with Connacht. “I think it’s so good to have resources around you and be surrounded with people who really want you to get better and want you to succeed”.

James then got the opportunity to expand his abilities as a player by spending the last two summers in Canada playing for the Toronto Arrows Academy, one of the bedrocks of MLR in North America. 

Coming from a big rugby family, James also praises his family for the support he has been given growing up. His father Norman has been with James every step of the way from their beginnings in Oughterard to managing his first game at senior level for Galwegians. 

James also highlights his mother as a significant inspiration for his career and having done so much for him. 

“My mother has done so much for me. She would fly under the radar but even when we played in Oughterard, I remember a time when the pitch was closed and there were 18 lads training in our garden. When we came back inside, she fed every one of them and she has always backed us no matter what, making sure we were well fuelled”.

“She has been absolutely massive for me, and has always backed no more than my auld lad. The two of them just backed me the whole way if I wanted something done”. 

James’ first AIL cap against Bangor recently was a momentous occasion for his rugby career. He not only represented his club at senior level for the first time, but he also added to Galwegians history by playing alongside his brother Rob as one of only six sets of brothers that have played alongside each other for the First team.

James and Rob obviously developed their skills together from a very young age in Oughterard and played together throughout the youth age grades until they both joined Galwegians. They often played together as a scrum-half/fly-half combo as a fierce partnership, although Rob now plays in the centres.

“Having Rob outside me put me at ease when I got to come on for my AIL debut. With Andrew Sherlock at 9 and Rob at 12, it makes it so much easier once you play with lads that have been there with you for a long time”. 

“I have trained with this AIL senior squad for three years now. To be able to get an AIL cap alongside Rob is something that so many would love to do. I was very lucky to do it, especially in the fashion we did it”.

This season, James has been at the forefront of Galwegians Seconds success with an unbeaten run in the league phase of the J1C division and victory in the Curley Cup that doubled as his grandfather’s Memorial Cup match in the Sportsground. He has previously captained Galwegians sides at U18.5 and U20s, but to lead one of the adult squads was a huge honour.

“To captain any Wegians team is huge. I got to captain the U20s and I thought we were really successful. Many of those players went on to play and start in AIL. To captain the Seconds was huge, and it is a massive feeder system for the AIL. If you’re not playing on the Saturday, you are playing on the Sunday with the Seconds”. 

“This year, the Seconds has turned out to be a very club-oriented team. We had people come down from the Firsts to play, and there have been guys trying to get into the Firsts by grinding it out. The U20s are coming in if they aren’t getting game time and the Thirds have been giving us a dig-out. I think the Seconds have really brought the club together this year”. 

It is true that there have been many players from across the club that have contributed to the ambition of the Men’s Seconds this season. Players like Ronan Kennelly coming in from Connemara, Sam Feely, Nicky Lawless, and even head coach Brendan Guilfoyle who is still putting in a shift for the Blues at 39. Hugo Gens and Mike McColgan who play off the bench for the Firsts can still wake up every Sunday for the Seconds.

“The success definitely isn’t down to me as a captain, not at all.  I might just get to lift something at the end. It’s a 20-23 man game”.

It was a bitter blow for the Seconds to not get automatic promotion despite a flawless league campaign after their loss in a promotion play-off against Creggs RFC. But, true to their spirit, they dusted themselves off and came back to re-energise as a stronger unit in a redemption game against Corrib.

“We knew we were not a J1C team and we deserved to be in J1B. There were a few fragile men on Paddy’s Day after the Races on Friday, but the defensive set was massive. We went up to Corrib with sixteen men, and I don’t think you could fault anyone on the day. We were 7-0 down at half-time and everyone put their bodies on the line. We were able to seal the deal and I never met a set of players that deserved it more”. 

James is off to Canada next September to begin another chapter in his career. He is always keen to latch onto an opportunity when it arises and is looking forward to another journey abroad.

“I’m really enjoying the rugby I’m playing with the group of lads that I’m with now. I’ve made some great friends in Canada and I’m really excited to go back”. 

“Will  I stay there? God knows! I will be over there for a while but I have no doubt that I will definitely, definitely be back in a Wegians jersey in the future. Alongside Rob, again”.

Ireland U20s have enjoyed a successful Six Nations campaign thus far, with plenty of exciting talent within the ranks. Two of our own have made an impact on this year’s championship and hope to put on another sterling performance in the final game against Scotland in their pursuit of the title.

Hugh Gavin and Finn Treacy have shined in this year’s tournament with this year being Hugh’s second tournament under Richie Murphy where he played an integral part in their Grand Slam win and World Rugby U20 Championship campaign. 

Meanwhile, this is Finn’s debut in a green jersey and has certainly stepped up to the plate with some strong performances throughout the competition.

Their Six Nations journey began in the Stade Maurice David where they got their revenge over the French after defeat in the U20 Championship final in 2023. Both Wegians etched their name on the scoresheet with Hugh taking the lead in the 52^nd minute with a line break. Finn would score Ireland’s fourth with some clever footwork to kick the ball into the try zone and would help secure vengeance over the French. Ending 37-31, it was a cracking game of rugby and a star-making performance from Hugh who won the Player of the Match award. 

Their game against the Italians would be even tighter with a narrow 23-22 win over tricky opposition. Both players started and had to dig deep to win with a late 74^thminute winner sealing the game for the Irish. 

Thankfully, it was a less stressful affair for the lads when they took on Wales in round 3 of the championship with a 43-7 victory. Both Hugh and Finn played their part with Hugh scoring Ireland’s second try of the game while Finn assisted Ben O’Connor’s late try with a superb line break and carefully weighted pass to put Ben over. 

Their greatest challenge came against the English who led the way with three bonus point wins in succession. After finding themselves 10-3 down in the first ten minutes, Treacy brought the Irish back into the game. On the end of a perfect cross-field kick, he burst past the English fly-half and dotted down behind the posts for his second of the tournament. Both teams gave it their all in a nailbiter, and the Irish snagged a last-minute try to secure a 32-all draw in Bath.

The Irish are one point behind England who will play France in the Six Nations finale. Meanwhile the Irish will finish their campaign at home to Scotland.  Both players had played their part in this championship, scoring two tries and Hugh in the top 5 for carries and metres for the tournament. Having started every single game, they will certainly be in action this weekend as they look for a third U20s Six Nations in a row.