What a warrior!
By Ciaron Noble
Maeve Óg O’Leary is off to a winning start as Munster captain for the 2025 Vodafone Interprovincial Championship, defeating current champions Leinster 22-33 on Saturday.
Munster made it two wins out of two as they defeated Ben Martin’s squad at Energia Park in a statement performance by the girls in red.
The veteran Chloe Pearse crossed the line twice before Chisom Ugwueru added to her hat-trick from the first game before halftime.
At halftime, the score was 19-10, with Vicky Elmes Kinlan of Leinster scoring on her debut after covering the length of the ground.
Kate Flannery and Aoife Corey scored Munster’s second-half tries, which Catriona Finn converted to secure the bonus point.
Leinster captain Molly Boyne and Katie Whelan’s late tries made the final score 22-33, and Munster now leads the table after defeating Connacht 44-5 in the first round.
Speaking to SportsJOE, O’Leary acknowledged her excitement with the results of the first two games.
She stated, “It’s been a fantastic start to the season for us in Munster; it’s always nice to get off to a good start.
“It’s a short game block, I think, with four back-to-back games, so you have to get started right away. We’ve had a great summer of training, building, growing, and connecting as a team; getting our first two wins has been extremely encouraging.
“Ultimately, we want to develop on every performance; that is the purpose of the Interpros. We only have a limited amount of time between matches to grow and improve as rapidly as possible.
“While we are pleased with the results, we must now focus on Ulster this weekend and, of course, the finals weekend back in Dublin.
“Our focus will turn to that now and preparing and learning from our first two performances and continuing to build the squad.”
The 25-year-old has recovered from two knee surgeries to lead the Munster red in this year’s championship.
O’Leary won back-to-back Interpro titles with Munster in 2021 and 2022 before being sidelined due to injury.
The Irish international makes a welcome comeback to the Munster backrow after some strong performances for her side Blackrock College near the conclusion of last season. Her work rate around the breakdown and ball-carrying ability benefit whatever squad she is a part of.
O’Leary provided an honest appraisal of her arduous return to the playing field, saying, “It’s definitely been quite a journey over the past couple of seasons.”
“My ultimate goal was to get back to playing and enjoying rugby, which I’m thrilled to be able to accomplish.
“I remind myself before important games that there was a period when there was uncertainty about my comeback due to injury.
“I think the fact that I was able to return and play in a Munster shirt is the nicest feeling. The way the women’s Interpro season is arranged currently, putting on your provincial shirt is a rarity; you only get that opportunity four times a year.
“Being able to put on a Munster shirt again and represent my province while playing with such talented players. It’s incredibly amazing, and I’m just thrilled to be back playing and enjoying rugby again. It’s an excellent game.”
She went on, “I think I, along with the entire nation of Ireland, can’t wait to see the girls kick off this weekend at the World Cup.” I’m excited to watch how this tournament goes for them.
“For the last 18 months/two years, this team has been putting together something extraordinary and moving forward. It will be quite intriguing to observe how things progress.
“They’ve put in some incredible performances over the last few months and years, and I believe this is going to be a very exciting time for the squad and women’s rugby in Ireland.”
“The fact that the World Cup is so near to home, with so many relatives, friends, and Irish supporters able to attend, makes it even more meaningful. I can’t wait to see what they can contribute and how they go through the pool stage and, ideally, into the quarterfinals.”
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