Chloe Pearse Interview | “It’s A Great Setup We Have”

Munster co-captain Chloe Pearse and her UL Bohemian team-mates were enjoying an unbeaten season in the Women’s AIL before the season came to a premature end but their reaction to the setback has shown why they have enjoyed so much success over the years.

“We’ll just have to finish it next season I suppose!” says back-row forward Pearse, one of the key players in their 20-game unbeaten run. “We were disappointed but we’re all fit and we’re all healthy so life goes on. That’s the way we’re looking at it, hopefully we’ll kick on from where we left off in March.

“We were unbeaten and we really felt like we were pushing on and we hopeful that we would go on and win it. Things happen when you get to knock-out stages and it could have been the case where it didn’t go our way but we had a really good thing going.

“We’re back training three or four weeks now and they were really well organised in the club. It’s been enjoyable, even the first two weeks we weren’t allowed train with the ball so it was very fitness-based and I think Hayes enjoyed that!

“I don’t think anyone cared that it was all fitness, we were just delighted to be back out on the pitch and seeing each other so it was nice to be back.”

UL Bohs trio Chloe Pearse, Clodagh O’Halloran and Rachel Allen celebrate winning the 2018 AIL title.

UL Bohs won the All Ireland Cup in 2019 but were beaten in the league final with the squad setting new targets at the start of the 2019/20 campaign to regain the AIL title with developing more squad depth a key focus.

Pearse says: “We have a really big squad this year which has made a massive difference. Training really improved and at the start of the season we set our goals and we stuck to them.

“A lot of that came from management and the sessions we were doing, there was a big focus on fitness and putting our skills under pressure in those kind of situations, late in games when we’re tired. That really stood to us this year, along with the squad depth with a lot of good young girls coming through as well. Some of the young players who came up this year, the air of confidence and skill levels really pushed the senior girls on.”

Speaking of management, the coaching team at UL Bohs are two former Ireland internationals who need no introduction. Head Coach Fiona Hayes is assisted by Niamh Briggs with former Bohs, Munster and Ireland team-mate Niamh Kavanagh assisting Team Manager Sara Hartigan.

“Hayes and Briggsy bring so much experience and Sarah has been Manager for a number of years,” explains Pearse. “She also has experience with the Munster U18s and now she’s with the Munster senior team so it’s brilliant to have them behind us.

“It’s a good balance. For the younger girls coming through as well, to have the two of them showing the way and coaching – it’s a great setup we have.”

The season ahead will be much changed with full details yet to be confirmed but Pearse is itching to get back on the field.

“It’s going to be a shorted season with nine games, a semi-final and a final. From September to December it’s looking like regional leagues so I’d imagine we’ll be playing Tralee, Ballincollig, Thurles, Shannon and those kind of teams. It will be nice to have local derbies and with Ballincollig moving up to the AIL, I’m sure it will do them the world of good to get those games under their belt before the AIL starts.

“We’re all in this together. If you lined me up against the Richmond U8s, I’d probably play at this stage – just to get a jersey on my back and get the chance to pick up a ball again!”

Having fallen in love with the game as a 13-year-old at St Mary’s RFC in Limerick, Pearse made the move to Shannon and then UL Bohs as she looked to fulfil her ambitions of playing for Munster and Ireland.

Both of those dreams have been realised with framed Munster and Ireland jerseys taking pride of place in the sitting room of her home.

Pearse making her Ireland debut in November 2016.

“It’s my own Irish one and another player, Clodagh O’Halloran, lives here as well so it’s her Munster one. We’re looking for another jersey for the middle, if we had won the AIL with Bohs this season we might have put a jersey up there but that will have to wait until next year hopefully!”

Not only has she worn the red jersey, Pearse has also fulfilled another ambition in captaining her province.

“It’s brilliant, I’ve loved it. When you start playing rugby, it’s a dream to play for Munster and to put on a red jersey. I was co-captain with Eimear [Considine] this year, which was fantastic. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do for as long as I’ve played rugby the whole way up.

“I love it, I think it grounds me a small bit as a player because when you have to be the one talking to the ref, you can’t be the one losing the head so I think it suits me a little bit.”

Chloe Pearse touches down against Ulster last season.