Tipperary rugby player Beth Buttimer answers Ireland's call

Congratulations to Beth Buttimer who, at the tender age of 19, has been called into the Irish Rugby Camp ahead of the Women’s Six Nations Campaign.

Beth is a Clonmel woman, the daughter of Fergal and Suzanne Buttimer. Fergal is the Rugby Director of Clonmel RFC and their son Henry is having a great season as club captain, as he steers the troops through the tight competition in Division 2C of the All-Ireland League.

While Beth has had huge success in the game over the past few years, she is very candid about her love of sport and has spoken about her struggle to find a sport for girls that suited her.

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She grew up watching her dad and brothers play rugby and it was only when she went to Rockwell College that she found the platform to try it out.

It was a sport she knew well and quickly fell in love with it at the college. Fethard Rugby, under the coaching of Polly Murphy, gave her another footing to further her passion and from there she went from strength to strength. She quickly carved out a name in the game at hooker and hasn’t looked back.

Beth says rugby is about so much more than the competition. She developed her confidence through the game and cites the sport as a special place where friends are made and inclusivity and diversity is encouraged by all.

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“Rugby is a game that has a position for everyone. Not only does it help with health and fitness but it is great for mental health too,” she says. “Respect is massive in rugby”.

Beth has taken every chance that has come her way. And while she admits she struggled with the mental side of the game, she has worked really hard on her emotional mentality for the high level of competition she plays at.

She says, “It’s a very emotional sport,” and she cites the mental side of the game as being as important as the physical side. She loves that it’s a game that measures and improves strength, agility, speed and fitness. “There are so many benefits to the game,” she says, and she encourages any young girl to try it.

A student of University of Limerick, Beth has been in the National Talent Squad with Irish Rugby for some time now and she has previously been capped for the Irish Under 18s and Under 20s.

She has won Player of the Match on numerous occasions in both the Irish and Munster jerseys, most recently when she lined out for the Clovers for the Celtic Challenge before Christmas. She has been playing with the Munster Seniors for the last two years and last summer was the recipient of the Breakthrough Player of the Year Award for Munster.

She credits Niamh Briggs (a former Clonmel RFC player) and Lorna Barry in the National Talent Squad as her two most influential coaches in terms of her recent success.

“They run a tight ship in the programme and drive and hold me to high standards, as they always want me to achieve my full potential,” she says.

She was also delighted to win the All-Ireland League for UL Bohs with her team and coach Fiona Hayes earlier in the year. One of her team mates is Catriona Finn, another Tipperary woman with big Clonmel connections to get the call-up. Catriona is the granddaughter of Jim and Kay Finn of Rathronan and daughter of Clonmel man Kevin.

They will be joined in the Irish squad by fellow Tipperary women Dorothy Wall from Fethard and Amee-Leigh Costigan from Tipperary Town in the 40-player panel.

Beth has been a huge help to the young women in the Clonmel club, who train every Wednesday night. She has coached in the club and helped to promote the game.

All at Clonmel RFC wish Beth the very best in green and hope she continues to enjoy her great love of the game, as she togs out for the national side.