Whelan using every chance to prove she can make Ireland breakthrough
While doing her utmost for the Leinster cause is very much top of the agenda, Ireland hopeful Katie Whelan is also looking upon this year’s Women’s Interprovincial Championship as an opportunity to show what she can offer on the international stage.
Despite remaining uncapped to date, Whelan was part of the Ireland squad for the Six Nations Championship earlier this year – which saw them securing a third-place finish and qualification for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Before that, the Wexford native was also part of the travelling Irish party that secured the inaugural WXV 3 title in Dubai last October.
A scrum-half by trade, Whelan found herself behind Aoibheann Reilly and Molly Scuffil-McCabe in the pecking order for both of the above tournaments. Yet with this year’s interpros – which starts today for Leinster against Connacht at Energia Park – being followed by a test against Australia in Belfast and a three-game series at WXV 1 in Canada, Whelan is looking to prove she is ready to make the cut for at least one of these encounters.
“Every time I get out onto that pitch, even training, I feel like it’s an opportunity to showcase what I can do. I’m just trying to back myself now and I’ll use every minute to show what I can do. Try to put my best foot forward, but ultimately I just want to have a good season with Leinster and enjoy it as well. That is the end goal,” Whelan remarked.
“I’ve kind of just put it in my head that it’s something that I really, really want [an Ireland breakthrough], but I just have to be patient I suppose. There’s a lot of really talented girls there and it is such a specialised position. I’m just putting the head down, working away and just hopefully my day will come for that Irish jersey.”