Aoibheann Reilly
| Date of birth | 1 November 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Ballinasloe, County Galway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Ardscoil Mhuire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Colm Reilly (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Aoibheann Reilly (born 1 November 2000) is an Irish rugby union player. She represents Ireland at 15-a-side and Sevens rugby as a scrum-half.
Early life
[edit]Reilly began playing rugby for the Ballinasloe U12 Community Games team. She has been a long time teammate and friend of Beibhinn Parsons having attended primary and secondary school together before going on to play rugby for Ireland together.[1] Her brother Colm Reilly is a scrum-half for Connacht Rugby. Her father Stephen Reilly is a former principal of Garbally College.[2]
Career
[edit]Reilly played domestically for Connacht before impressing for Blackrock College RFC in the All Ireland League.[3][4]
She was named in the starting XV for Ireland for the first time in March 2022 in the Women's Six Nations Championship test match against Wales.[5] She was named as part of the Ireland sevens team for the Rugby Sevens World Cup held in Cape Town, South Africa in September 2022.[6]
Reilly suffered her first serious knee injury to her cruciate ligament in the autumn of 2023 and having come back to full fitness then suffered a second ACL tear in the 2024 SVNS Grand Final in Madrid, ruling her out of the 2024 Olympic Games. She returned to action in March 2025.[7] Reilly was named in Ireland's squad for the 2025 Six Nations Championship in March.[8][9] She made her comeback in an Ireland shirt as a replacement during Ireland’s opening Six Nations fixture against France in Belfast. The following week she returned to the starting line-up for their fixture away against Italy.[10]
Personal life
[edit]She is a qualified sports scientist.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "'It's something you dream of when you first start playing' - from rugby roots to Ireland's call". the42.ie. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "Ballinasloe nursery's supply line to Connacht rugby continues". Connacht Tribune.
- ^ "From AIL to the Six Nations: the pathway to an Ireland cap made clear". Irish Times. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "Debut for Aoibheann Reilly in new look Irish side". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "Ireland debutante Aoibheann Reilly buzzing to get going against Wales". punditarena.com. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "Ireland Squads Named For Rugby World Cup Sevens In Cape Town". Irishrugby.ie. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "Injury setbacks have built my resilience - Reilly". BBC Sport. 29 March 2025. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "Bemand Names Ireland Preparation Squad For Guinness Women's Six Nations". Irish Rugby. 11 February 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
- ^ "Bemand announces Ireland's squad for Guinness Women's Six Nations". Six Nations Rugby. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
- ^ Kelly, David (29 March 2025). "'Emotional moment' as Aoibheann Reilly makes her return from long-term injury". Independent.ie. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ Hannigan, Mary (4 February 2024). "Meet the women's Sevens stars opening new frontiers for Irish rugby". Irish Times. Retrieved 4 February 2024.