Enya Breen (born 23 April 1999) is an Irish rugby union player from Skibbereen, County Cork. She plays for UL Bohemians, Munster and the Ireland women's national rugby union team. She is physiotherapy student.
| Date of birth | 23 April 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Cork City, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 73 kg (161 lb; 11 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club career
editBreen's family originally lived in Cork city so she started rugby with the 'minis' in junior club Carrigaline RFC. Her family moved to Skibbereen when she was 10 and, with no underage girls' rugby locally, she joined Bantry Bay RFC. In 2018, when she moved to Limerick to go to college she joined UL Bohemians.[1]
In 2019 she won the Energia National League 's 'Rising Star' award.[2]
International career
editBreen was selected for the Munster Under-18 Development squad when she was just 15 and won the U18 interprovincial title with them in 2017.[3] She was also selected for the Ireland Under-18 Sevens team and for the Ireland Women's Sevens Development squad in 2019 who played in the Dubai Sevens.[4]
She made her Munster senior debut, against Connacht, in 2018. She was still a teenager when she got selected for the Ireland women's national rugby union team Autumn Internationals in 2018 but could not take part due to a shoulder injury.
Breen made her Ireland senior debut in the fourth round of the 2019 Women's Six Nations Championship, when she started at outside centre against France, aged 19. She also started against Wales in the final round.[5]
Injury ruled her out of the 2020 Women's Six Nations but she was recovered in time to play in the rescheduled final game against Italy.[6]
In the 2021 Women's Six Nations she was a replacement against Wales and Italy.[7]
Personal life
editShe is one of six siblings and, from a young age, Breen played ladies gaelic football with O'Donovan Rossa and basketball for Skibbereen Community School and her county Cork. Her last major football game was a victorious Cork junior final (replay) against Castlehaven.[8]
She is a physiotherapy student at the University of Limerick.
Honours
edit- 2019 Energia National League 'Rising Star' award
References
edit- ^ Foley, Cliona (27 April 2019). "'Girls and women absolutely love to play rugby because it's a game for everyone'". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ Farrell, Sean. "Flavin, Breen and Taylor among big winners at AIL awards". The42. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Unbeaten Munster Claim Their First U-18 Girls Interpro Title". Irish Rugby. 10 October 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Eddy Names Ireland Squads For Dubai Invitational Tournament". Irish Rugby. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "The only way is up for Munster and Ireland star Enya Breen". The Southern Star. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Enya Breen and Laura Sheehan included in Ireland women's rugby squad". The Southern Star. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Player". Six Nations Rugby. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Fun is the cornerstone of Enya's success". West Cork People. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.