Congratulations to our own Deirdre Whyte who has been appointed to the Connacht Rugby Board. This is a well-deserved honour and a moment of great pride for everyone associated with Ballina RFC.
Deirdre has a long and proud association with the club and famously set up the first ever female Youths team in Connacht when she set up a team in Ballina in 2010. That was the start of an amazing success story in Ballina and across the province, and female rugby has gone from strength to strength with numerous club players representing Connacht and Ireland over the years.
In 2021, Deirdre made history when she was the first female President of Ballina RFC and represented the club with great distinction across the island of Ireland. In 2024, she took on the role of Chairing the Connacht Women's Advisory Group and once again excelled in the role.
Deirdre has made a huge contribution to Ballina RFC and we're absolutely delighted to see her hard work and dedication being rewarded by today's announcement.
President of Ballina RFC, Ed Gunning was loud in his praise for Deirdre.
"The appointment to the Connacht Rugby Board is a richly deserved acknowledgement of Deirdre's decades of service, vision and leadership in rugby. We are honoured to have her as a member of our club and wish her every success in her new role."