UL-Bohs women claim 12th All-Ireland League title

UL-BOHEMIAN were crowned Women's All-Ireland League champions for the first time since 2013, ending Old Belvedere's recent dominance of the competition with a 10-3 final win at Donnybrook on Saturday night.

It was UL-Bohs' 12th league crown, adding to their 11 previous successes between 2001 and 2013, and a richly deserved triumph for Fiona Hayes and her team-mates who topped the table by a clear 16 points this season.

Mike Storey's UL-Bohs side  opened the scoring with a 16th minute try from number 8 Chloe Pearse via a dominant maul. 

Ireland Sevens international Claire Keohane, who featured prominently from scrum half, fed Pearse on the blindside for a well-taken unconverted score.

The Limerick side's second try came after a break in play for an injury to Belvedere's Jackie Shiels, entering the final quarter. 

UL-Bohs moved the ball quickly from a scrum to Considine who used her pace from the Sevens game to score in the corner.

Belvo's centre Shiels fired over a penalty in the 68th minute for the Dublin side's only points.

Victorious UL-Bohs captain Fiona Hayes said: “We're absolutely delighted to win. We've been training hard all season. You can be at the top (of the table) and be ahead by however many points, but when it comes to semi-finals and finals, it's a whole different ball game.”

SCORERS: UL-Bohemian: Tries: Chloe Pearse, Eimear Considine. Old Belvedere: Scorers Pen: Jackie Shiels

UL-BOHEMIAN: Aine Staunton; Liz Burke, Syphonia Pua, Niamh Kavanagh, Eimear Considine; Rachel Allen-Connolly, Claire Keohane; Fiona Hayes (capt), Gill Bourke, Fiona Reidy, Aoife O'Sullivan, Sara Hartigan, Ciara Griffin, Anna Caplice, Chloe Pearse. Replacements: Lisa Anglim, Valerie Mitchell, Cassandra Iannucci, Edel Murphy, Michelle Ring, Rachael O'Brien, Claire McDermott.

OLD BELVEDERE: Maria Kenny; Franziska Klappoth, Aine Donnelly, Jackie Shiels, Lesley Ring; Nora Stapleton, Kathryn Dane; Ruth McElroy, Aurelie Lemouzy, Fiona O'Brien, Sheena Moore, Marie Louise Reilly, Linda Djougang, Oonagh Hynes, Sharon Lynch. Replacements: Stephanie Barman, Sharon Barrett, Rachel Healy, Ailbhe  Dowling, Grace McCormack, Millicent  Croman, Aisling McCaffrey.