SACRED Heart Secondary School are determined to maintain their status as Munster’s leading girls’ rugby school, but they are fully aware of the size of the challenge ahead.

After completing Munster senior and junior cup doubles in both 2024 and 2025, the Clonakilty school would love to make it a hat-trick of titles at both grades.

Sacred Heart kick off the defence of their Munster Schools Junior Cup title with a quarter-final against Kerry school Coláiste na Sceilge from Cahersiveen next Tuesday (12pm). The seniors will be in action in a few weeks’ time.

Understandably, head coach Jack Phelan is looking forward to another busy season, starting with that junior cup quarter-final.

‘The excitement is building inside in school. It has come around very quickly. It doesn’t seem that long ago we were talking about last year, but everyone’s excited to get going again,’ Phelan told The Southern Star.

‘The girls are looking forward to what will be a true test of their character. Having won it last year and the year before, obviously all eyes are on us. It’s important we go into it level-headed, not take anything for granted, and see how we get on.

‘The junior and senior squads are looking forward to the season, as well as myself.’

At the launch of this season’s Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup are the reigning champions, Christian College Cork (CBC) captain David McCoitir and Sacred Heart Clonakility captains Leonora Arra and Ciara O’Driscoll. (Photo: Ryan Byrne/INPHO)

As is the case with every school, there is a constant cycle of players moving on and new players coming through. Despite that, Clonakilty will have a target on their backs for this campaign.

‘We’re under no illusions that people are eyeing us up and looking at us as top dogs, if you will, having won the competition in the last two years. There is definitely added pressure with that. Knowing the girls we have in both our squads, they’ll definitely be up for that challenge,’ Phelan explained.

‘It would be fantastic to win them again but we’re under no illusions. I know it’s going to be tough to do it again. The girls know that too.

‘What I want to get out of it, as their coach, is to see that progression and for them to enjoy playing rugby. If we win, fantastic. If we don’t, they still get to play a part in big competitions. They’ll remember that far beyond their school days.’

The junior grade is on the rise across the board. This year, more schools have entered the competition and while that may make it tougher for Clon to win, it’s positive for the development of women’s rugby.

Skibbereen Community School and Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí are both in quarter-final action this week, while Bandon Grammar School also fielded a team.

Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí's Sophie O'Shea and Lara Twomey of Sacred Heart Clonakilty battle for the ball in the 2025 junior cup final. (Photo: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO)

‘I’m strongly interested in growing the women’s game as well. In the junior grade this year, 15 teams entered – that’s fantastic. That shows that in the next few years the senior competition will have far more teams. It will be a lot more competitive,’ Phelan said.

‘In terms of the senior competition, a lot of the girls in school playing rugby dream of winning the senior grade. We have been fortunate enough to win it the last couple of years. We hope to continue that success.’

Phelan, in his second year teaching in the West Cork school, is quick to acknowledge the work of local club Clonakilty RFC. The main driver behind rugby success in the town, the club ensures the conveyor belt of talent shows no sign of slowing down.

‘It all boils down to the club really, they are just fantastic. They had a great crop of girls coming in and even the first years we have at the minute,’ Phelan said.

‘We have girls on the senior panel who played junior last year, and they are of an excellent calibre as well. The rugby club is really putting in the foundations.

‘To be honest, I’m just the person in the school who is lucky enough to lead them into the school competitions and reap the rewards.’

The culture in the school is strong right now. Even the first years who are new to the school know how high the bar has been set.

‘They know about our rugby calibre now. They saw the media attention last year and all the success. They look forward to coming into the school and those who arrive are even more excited to play rugby. People are starting to recognise us as a very strong force in rugby and long may it continue,’ Phelan added.

Elsewhere in the junior cup quarter-finals, Skibbereen Community School lost Ardscoil Mhuire of Limerick by 37 to 5, while Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí face Coláiste Mhuire, Ennis this week.