#MunsterStartsHere Video Series | The Hehirs

The #MunsterStartsHere video series has returned for this season and once again highlights the fantastic work that goes on behind the scenes to develop the game across the province.

The videos showcase the key roles played by clubs, schools, volunteers and development officers when ensuring the growth of age-grade structures and community programmes.

The Hehirs from Limerick feature in our second #MunsterStartsHere video of the season.

This season’s campaign focuses on families in Munster who are involved in grassroots rugby from either a playing or volunteering point of view (or both).

The Hehirs are heavily involved in the sport.

Rita Hehir has long been a volunteer with her coaching roles including underage teams in Shannon RFC while she is current head coach of Ardscoil Mhuire’s Junior and Senior Cup teams. Rita coached Ardscoil Mhuire to the inaugural Munster Schools Girls Junior Cup title last season.

Her children Hannah and Katie were on that Junior Cup team and are now competing at Senior Cup level. The duo are also involved in Munster’s U18 Girls squad while also representing their club Shannon at age-grade level.

Katie and Hannah Hehir

Rita’s two other children, Aisling and Aran both play for Shannon’s senior women’s and men’s teams, respectively with Aran having represented his country with the Ireland Clubs side.

“They’re all in it,” Rita says of her children’s involvement in rugby.

“At the moment we have Aran who is in the seniors in Shannon and he would also be a coach at underage. He would have been involved in Munster U16s and U18s and the Irish Clubs. My daughter Aisling, over the last few years, she joined the senior women’s team and is also playing with them and enjoying it.

“Hannah and Katie were involved at U14s and U16s, now in U18s with Shannon. They’re a part of the current Munster U18 Interpros and getting on very well there.”

Participation in the sport has provided plenty of life skills for her children as Rita explains:

“Massive. It creates a bond, we’re either watching it, discussing it on the side of a pitch, on the pitch. It creates a big bonding there but it also allows us to keep healthy, fit. It’s fun.

“There will be times when you have to cope with wins, losses, injuries but it brings those life skills. But a big thing is I would feel is that it’s social, it’s friendship and it’s both physically and mentally healthy for them and for us all.”

#MunsterStartsHere Video Series | The Hehirs

Volunteerism is crucial to the success and continued growth of age-grade sport and Rita says that it brings huge benefits, not only to the volunteers themselves but to the players.

“Volunteerism has always been in my family. From my parents I learnt it as well, they were involved in sport too. So I’ve continued that.

“I also think that it’s a privilege to coach these girls whether it’s in Shannon or in school. It also allows you to develop a friendship or a trusting relationship with an adult who is there for you no matter what just in terms of being able to learn from your mistakes.

“It’s positive. I can’t emphasise the benefit of girls being involved in sport both for confidence, self-esteem, friendships. All of that. Being connected. For me, it’s an easy thing to volunteer because an awful lot of it is based around, yes being a coach but also having that good player/coach relationship so that it’s fun.”

Katie Hehir in action for Ardscoil Mhuire in last season’s inaugural Munster Girls Schools Junior Cup final ©INPHO

The growth of girls and women’s rugby has been a big success in Munster and throughout the country in recent years and Rita sees it herself with how Ardscoil Mhuire has grown from having a tag rugby team 10 years ago to where they now have three squads at different age-grades competing.

“We started way back,” Rita explains. “2012 was when we started playing tag rugby under the development of Amanda Greensmith and it grew from there, really. It was tag rugby, we would have played blitzes etc. So there was a small foundation there but in the last five years, it has dramatically changed with the school playing opposition schools from Bandon Grammar to St Anne’s. All the ones and more that have come along in the last few years.

Pictured at the launch of the Munster Schools Girls Senior Cup is Hannah Hehir of Ardscoil Mhuire and Munster Women’s Committee Chairperson Wendy Keenan
©INPHO

“I really do think girls rugby in schools, the Junior Cup, the Senior Cup, the first in the country last year, it has just allowed the growth to continue, cause momentum. At this moment in time we have an U14s team, a Junior Cup team and a Senior. Did I think that was going to happen you know 10 years ago?”

Rita continues:

“It’s reaching girls in their teenage years where this is a need to keep them in sport. Having that competition which they know from their brothers who have played in Junior Cup and Senior Cup, now it can be a choice for them. We have now found ourselves where we have three teams in the school compared to what we had 10 years ago.”

Katie, Hannah and Rita Hehir of Ardscoil Mhuire after last season’s Munster Schools Girls Junior Cup final in Musgrave Park ©INPHO

For Hannah and Katie, rugby has been a major part of their lives and the important role that their mother and other volunteers have played in their journey is something which they greatly appreciate.

“Every time we have training there’s always a lift that we can get with her,” Katie says of her mother.

“She always takes the time out to talk to us about our games and talk to us before trainings, trying to get us ready trainings and yeah, she’s a big part of getting ready for everything.”

Hannah adds:

“It is really important. They’re doing everything behind the scenes that no one else really thinks about. They’re bringing you there, they’re getting things set up before training, they’re the things that no one really sees that gets people to play.”