SPEAKING TO THE players who have driven Ireland into a World Cup semi-final in France, a repeated pattern swiftly emerges.
Several of this Irish squad are crossover stars, athletes who took up rugby after formative years spent playing other sports. This ambitious group is a case study in multilateral development, nowhere more strongly than in the case of Alison Miller.
The Laois wing is a former inter-county footballer and has competed in athletics [mainly 400m hurdles, heptathlon and long jump], basketball, hockey and volleyball, as well as practising ballet and gymnastics along the way.
Miller is firmly of the belief that the breadth of that sporting background stands her, and others, in good stead.
I definitely feel that playing other sports helps. From gymnastics, you’re flexible and that’s important in general movement and preventing injuries,”says the 29-year-old. “From athletics, you have that running technique, a more efficient running style.
“Playing Gaelic football improves your hand-eye coordination, basketball too. I think that’s the key for a lot of kids. They should try as many sports as they can. You might be a good Gaelic footballer, but even better at something else. You really do use all those skills in the future.”
Miller had “a first taste” of rugby in 2007 while studying at the Waterford Institute of Technology, playing in a team that also included Niamh Briggs. After a year-long break, she returned to the oval ball game with Portlaoise RFC and has not looked back since.
Ireland head coach Philip Doyle must count himself fortunate that Miller came back to rugby and worked her way towards international honours. The wing was superb in the pool victories over USA and New Zealand, before sitting on the bench for the win against Kazakhstan.
Miller, who plays provincial rugby for Connacht, and right wing Ashleigh Baxter are two of the most dangerous players in the entire tournament when in possession, but their work off the ball has been equally impressive. Vikki McGinn and Hannah Casey showed up similarly well out wide against Kazakhstan.
“I suppose we would try to be well-rounded as wingers, and enjoy doing the hard work just as much as the ‘pretty stuff’ wingers do,” explains Miller. “The more strings you can have to your bow, the better.
We just do whatever we need to do in each situation, whether it’s rucking or whatever.”
Miller, currently a student of History and PE at UCC, and Baxter often team up for ‘extras’ after squad training sessions, focusing particularly on their fielding and kick chase, “shortening our stride just before the tackle.”
The 29-year-old has also linked up well with fullback Briggs, someone she has “always had a good relationship with on and off the pitch,” from the very earliest days at WIT. There was no better illustration of that than Miller’s try against New Zealand [below].
“She’s a very dangerous player,” says Miller of Briggs. “You know when she gets the ball in her hands that something can happen. I work well off her and she’s very good to play off.
“I know that when she gets in space, I need to get with her because she can do something dangerous at any point. It’s brilliant for a winger that your fullback is like that.”
Miller admits that she tends not to follow coverage of Ireland’s World Cup progress back at home, instead concentrating on what she can do to affect their progress on the ground in France.
That said, she is hopeful that the interest in women’s rugby that was kick-started by 2013′s Grand Slam moves a step further after this World Cup. Miller’s experience in Portlaoise is that the game is continuing to grow all the time.
There’s a huge interest in the girls section, great numbers and it’s great to see that in the club.
“After we won the Grand Slam, there was an increase in the number of girls playing and it probably helped in our club that I was playing. It’s great that young girls have visible role models and they’re playing rugby, it’s on the television.”
How a win over England in tomorrow’s semi-final would accelerate the positive work done by Miller and her teammates in recent years.
To think that she took up rugby 7 years ago and is now one of the most capable wingers in her sport. Incredibly talent. Good woman Ali
It’s catch and run. Not that difficult as she was already a top athlete
Catch and run? If that was the case, we would all be playing in the world cup.
It’s a lot more than catch and run, if you knew anything about rugby, you’d know that. Scarlett for ya buddy!
Ailbhe, don’t rise to the pathetic efforts of wind up merchants/trolls. People like him that don’t play or have never played rugby have no idea the level of skill and intelligence involved to be a top level player.
Ah Gary, I was just going to challenge him to a game. See if he can handle being dump tackled by a girl ;)
I repeat. Catch and run
Ok John, come to our training tonight. I’ll throw you the ball. You just simply catch and run….see how you fair. Up for the challenge? Or another keyboard warrior?
The best of luck to the Irish Ladies Rugby Team in their semi final against England. They have given a great lift to everyone with their achievements.
Stop running them down, they’re all lovely girls and they all have lovely bottoms.
Yours etc,
Niamh Horan
Played against her yrs back she tore us apart brilliant player, I’ve everything crossed for tomorrow I’m hoping for a Ireland/Canada final
I played against her too. When I tried to tackle her, I subluxed my shoulder. Out for nore than a month. I didn’t slow her down and I doubt I even altered her course. Ouch
Fantastic player Ali Miller is, best of luck tomorrow girls
She’s the type of athlete that can turn her hand to any type of sport.. Well done miller!!!
Ballet????
You are a muppet
Best of luck Ali