Shamrock Rovers have announced they intend to compete in the 2023 Women’s National League, subject to a successful licence application to the FAI.
This will be the second time the Hoops will enter the WNL, having played in the inaugural season back in 2011, they have had a strong history in the league but folded at the end of the 2013-14 season.
Collie O’Neill has been confirmed as the Hoops head coach, the former UCD manager won the First Division title in 2018, but has had spells in Dundalk, Shelbourne and with Dublin City all as head coach.
Rovers have two teams in the underage WNL setup, at U17’s and 19’s level, having just started a girls development academy the addition of a senior team is a leap forward for the Tallaght outfit.
Head of Women’s football at Rovers, Jason Carey said “My job is to put the best structures and people in place so that the Shamrock Rovers Women’s teams can be successful, we want to make a big impact on the game in Ireland and having somebody of Collie’s calibre certainly gives us a great chance to do so. I would like to thank Academy Director Shane Robinson, U19 Men’s Coach Aidan Price and the Board of SRFC for their support in getting to this point.”
“Collie is someone who commands great respect within the game. He has everything we want our first team manager to be. He has a fantastic pedigree in terms of winning trophies developing young players and playing a very attractive style of football. We feel that this appointment sets out where the club wants to be in relation to the development of the women’s game in Ireland.”
“We are very ambitious about what we want to do here. The facilities and support structures at the club are amongst the best in the country, we have seen what the club has accomplished on the boys/men’s side, and we want to replicate that success in women’s football.”
New Head Coach, Collie O’Neill said: “It’s a great privilege to be at the biggest club in Ireland. I’m looking forward to the challenge of delivering on the expectation that comes with managing at such a big club. It’s an exciting challenge to put a new team together, but it’s made easier by some of the work that has gone into Rovers’ women’s section over the last few years, these players are our future. I’ll be looking to bring an attractive style of play along with an intensity to help us dominate games with and without the ball.”
Following Galway’s announcement yesterday, they could become the eight team to have a male and female side with Athlone Town, Bohemians, Cork City, Shelbourne, Sligo Rovers, Treaty United and now Galway United already having both teams in active competition.
Diarmuid Kearney
Diarmuid Kearney is a freelance Sports Journalist based in Co Kerry. He has more than 5 years experience covering domestic and international soccer for different media organisations, while also working for local and national print and digital organisations covering GAA.