Cobh Ramblers announce plans for future women’s teams

Cobh Ramblers have reached an agreement with Springfield Ramblers which will see the club return to women’s football in 2021.

Under this agreement, the adults teams from Springfield will fall under the Ramblers umbrella, and play as Cobh Ramblers.

This will see the Springfield Ramblers teams from 2020 enter the the senior and u20 leagues in the Cork Women’s and Schoolgirls Soccer League (CWSSL) as Cobh Ramblers. In 2022 they aim to enter a Women’s National League senior team while continuing with the CWSSL teams. In 2023 Cobh hope to enter the U17 and U19 national league teams. 

Club Chairman Bill O’Leary welcomed the announcement, saying: “For us, to have women’s teams back at the club is a huge step for us. We are an inclusive club with a focus on increasing diversity at all levels, and a ladies’ national league team is a key initiative along that pathway. Ladies’ football is growing at an enormous pace in Ireland. It is opening up our club to a hugely influential demographic. We are delighted to give the best female talent in the region the chance to play nationally, just as we do with our male teams.

“We will provide an option for women in Cork to play at a level that suits their ability. We are an ambitious, proud, community club. Our ladies’ teams will engage further positive momentum and contribute to our upward trajectory as a club.”

Springfield Ramblers Women's Coach, Steve Mulcahy told the club’s media team: “As someone who has always coached girls and ladies teams, I think that this is a great step forward for football in Cobh and Cork as a whole. It gives a huge sense of achievement following the amount of work put into the Springfield Ramblers girls’ section over the last few years. Hopefully the girls will now see that we have a pathway available to rival their male counterparts and allow them to fulfill their potential playing at Ramblers.”

Such an intention has been in the club’s thought process for the last 18 months, a period which saw a number of Springfield Ramblers Women’s senior and U20 games take place at St Colman’s Park.

With Springfield Ramblers essentially a schoolgirls/schoolboys club, an agreement was reached to bring the adults teams under the Cobh Ramblers umbrella, and play as Cobh Ramblers.

The club also gave a detailed account of their plans for a women’s team. In 2021 the Springfield Ramblers teams from 2020 will enter the Cork Women’s and Schoolgirls Soccer League (CWSSL) team as Cobh Ramblers in both the senior and U20 leagues. In 2022 they aim to enter a Women’s National League senior team and also to continue with the CWSSL teams. In 2023 Cobh hope to enter the U17 and U19 national league teams. 

"We are familiar with the level of managing and coaching required and are in the process of putting management teams in place. Our main focus is to have a level of football available to all ladies who wish to play, and to introduce a pathway for elite players, while ensuring that the club keeps its ethos of being a club for the community.

"Our plan is that the CWSSL teams will be feeder teams for the national league teams, and welcoming to all players of all abilities," concluded the statement.

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— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) January 13, 2021