CAOIMHE Murphy has had several pinch-me moments in her rapid rise through the rugby ranks.

The Rossmore woman only started playing rugby in the autumn of 2023, yet within three years she had been selected for the Munster senior women’s squad, lined out for the Ireland U21 team and won an All-Ireland League title with UL Bohemians.

‘It really is kind of pinch-me stuff when I think about it,’ Murphy says, reflecting on her remarkable story.

‘Last year I was sitting at home watching the AIL final on TG4 and thinking the standard looked unbelievable. I remember thinking I’d love someday just to get a few league matches or maybe a cup game at that level. I never imagined a year later I’d actually be starting in the final myself. When you look at it like that it does feel kind of surreal.’

Murphy started as UL Bohs beat Blackrock College 32-29 in the recent AIL final at the Aviva Stadium. In her first season with the club, the Mary Immaculate College student made enough of an impression to earn a starting spot in the final. The Clonakilty Rugby Club woman exceeded her own expectations.

‘It was a massive step up at the start, I won’t lie,’ she says.

‘Going from Clonakilty, which is a junior club, into an AIL club was already a big jump, but then you’re going into probably the best AIL club in the country as well. I definitely struggled at the start to reach the standards they expected.

‘Over time though it just got easier and easier. I kept learning and adjusting and by the end of the season I definitely felt like I belonged there and had reached the standard.’

What makes Murphy’s rise even more remarkable is that she only started playing rugby when she was 19 years old. It’s been an accelerated learning process ever since, absorbing as much as she can from coaches and teammates, and watching as much rugby as she can.

‘Sometimes you definitely feel like you’re trying to catch up because a lot of girls you’re playing with have been involved in rugby since they were kids, whereas I only started when I was 19,’ she says.

‘There’s stuff that’s just second nature to them that’s still new to me, so I’m constantly trying to learn as much as I can. I’m 22 now and you only have so many years playing at a high level, so I feel like I’m trying to fast-track everything a bit.

‘I watch loads of rugby, I ask coaches constantly for feedback and I’m always trying to improve different parts of my game. To be fair, the coaches in Clonakilty and UL Bohs have been brilliant with me. They’re always helping me and pointing out little things I can improve on.’

Caoimhe Murphy after her Ireland U21 debut.

Lining out in the UL Bohs back row alongside the hugely experienced Chloe Pearse, a former Ireland international, has also helped.

‘I love playing in the back row. I love the tackling, the work-rate and all that side of it. But what really helped me too was playing alongside people like Chloe Pearse,’ Murphy says.

‘At the start especially she’d constantly be talking to me through games – “Hit this ruck”, “Get over here”, “Be in this position”. Having someone with that experience beside you makes such a difference because you can trust what they’re telling you. 

‘Over time then you start understanding situations yourself and your confidence grows. But having players like that around me definitely helped me settle in.’

It all led to that moment at the end of the AIL final when Murphy got to lift the cup. It’s the latest proof that she’s moving in the right direction.

‘I was definitely nervous before the final. Walking out into the Aviva was crazy. It’s a long way from the local pitches down here that you’re used to playing on in bad weather and muck. The pitch up there was unbelievable and the whole occasion was just completely different,’ she says.

With Castletownshend's Abbie Salter-Townshend also starting, it meant two local women were keeping West Cork rugby in the spotlight. 

Murphy’s plan is to keep pushing forward. She also lined out at number six for the Ireland U21 team against Canada in March, another amazing moment in her story.

‘Honestly, if you told me a few years ago I’d be starting for an Irish team I never would have believed you,’ she says.

‘Hopefully now the next step is trying to push on again with Munster over the summer. We’ve been training with the development squad already and the interpros will be starting up soon enough.

‘I’m really determined to try and get my first Munster cap this year. Whether that’s starting or coming off the bench, I just want to keep pushing on and see how far I can go with it.’

Considering what Murphy has achieved in less than three years, there could be many more pinch-me moments ahead.