| Date of birth | 26 February 1987 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | South Shields, Tyne & Wear, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 87 kg (192 lb; 13 st 10 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Brinkburn Comprehensive | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Teesside University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Teacher / Sports lecturer / Sports coach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sophie Spence (born 26 February 1987) is a former Ireland women's rugby union international. Spence represented Ireland at the 2014 and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cups. Spence was a member of the first Ireland teams to defeat England and New Zealand. She was also a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. Spence is a British Nigerian who qualified to represent Ireland through her mother, who was originally from Lisburn, County Antrim.
Spence is the daughter of Myrtle Spence, who was originally from Lisburn, County Antrim. Her father was a Nigerian marine engineering student. Myrtle Spence moved to South Shields, Tyne & Wear in the early 1980s, when she was in her mid-twenties, and subsequently met and had a relationship with Sophie's father. Sophie Spence was born and raised in South Shields, where she attended Ashley Road Primary School and Brinkburn Comprehensive. [2] [3] As a child she regularly spent holidays with her mother's family in Belfast. [4] [5] In her youth, Spence initially played netball. [6] [5] Between 2005 and 2010 she attended Teesside University, where she gained a BASc in sports and exercise coaching science, a master's degree in sport psychology and a PGCE. [1] [7]
Spence began playing women's rugby union while at Teesside University. She played with Darlington before joining Darlington Mowden Park Sharks who played in the Women's Premiership. Her teammates at Sharks included the England international captain, Katy McLean. [3] [7] [8] [9] Spence subsequently made her debut for both Ireland and the Ireland Sevens while a Sharks player. [10] [11] In 2013, after moving to Dublin to further her Ireland career, Spence began playing for Old Belvedere. [6] [8] [12] [13]
In August 2011 Spence tried out for the Irish Exiles. [4] [7] [8] [10] [14] Spence has also played for Leinster in the IRFU Women's Interprovincial Series. [6] [12] [15] [16] In addition to playing for Leinster, Spence has worked for Leinster Rugby in various coaching and community development roles. [2] [1]
In March 2018 Spence played for the Barbarians against a British Army XV. [17] [18]
Between 2012 and 2017 Spence played for Ireland. [19] [20] [21] After Spence attended an Irish Exiles trials in August 2011, Philip Doyle decided to fast track her into the Ireland team. Doyle recognised her potential and was keen to claim her for Ireland before England came calling. [4] [7] [8] [14] She subsequently made her debut for Ireland on 3 February 2012 against Wales. The match was abandoned at half-time because of a frozen pitch. [22] [23] [24] Spence went on to represent Ireland at the 2014 and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cups. Spence was a member of the first Ireland teams to defeat England [25] and New Zealand. [26] [27] [28] She was also a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. In 2015 she was a nominee for the IRB Women's Player of the Year, the RTÉ Sports Person of the Year and was named the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Women's Player of the Year. [5] [1] [13] [29] [30] [31] Spence retired as an Ireland international after failing to make the squad for the 2018 Women's Six Nations Championship. [9] [32] [33]
Spence played for the Ireland women's national rugby sevens team in the 2013 European Women's Sevens Grand Prix Series. [11]
Spence has worked in various teaching, coaching and development roles. Between 2010 and 2013 she worked at Hartlepool Sixth Form College, where she managed the netball academy. [1] [3] After moving to Dublin, Spence worked for Leinster Rugby in various coaching and community development roles. [1] [2] Between 2014 and 2017 she worked as a rugby union development officer with Dublin City University. [2] [4] [31] [34] She also worked as a brand ambassador for both Nissan [29] and the Bank of Ireland. [6] [9] In April 2016 she launched the Sophie Spence Rugby Academy. [1] [8] [6] [5] [35]
 | This section includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations .(April 2022) |
Old Belvedere R.F.C. is a senior Irish rugby union club based on Anglesea Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland. Old Belvedere was originally founded in 1918–19 by former pupils of Belvedere College. Old Belvedere enters senior men's teams in the All-Ireland League, the Leinster Senior League and the Leinster Senior Cup. In 2010–11 they were All-Ireland League champions. Between 1940 and 1946 the club won the Leinster Senior Cup seven times in a row. This remains a competition record. Old Belvedere also enters men's and women's teams in various senior, junior and youth leagues.
The Ireland women's national rugby union team represents Ireland in international women's rugby union competitions such as the Women's Six Nations Championship and the Women's Rugby World Cup. They have also represented Ireland in the FIRA Women's European Championship. Ireland won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. In 2013 they also achieved both a Triple Crown and Grand Slam. They finished fourth in the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup after defeating New Zealand in the pool stages. Ireland hosted the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. The team was originally organised by the Irish Women's Rugby Football Union. However, since 2009 it has been organised by the Irish Rugby Football Union
The IRFU Women's Interprovincial Series, previously known as the IWRFU Interprovincial Championship, is the top level women's rugby union competition in Ireland. It is organised by the Irish Rugby Football Union. It is the women's equivalent of the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. The competition takes place every December and features four teams representing Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. The competition effectively acts as a selection trials process for the Ireland women's national rugby union team that competes in the subsequent Women's Six Nations Championship. Since 2016 the IRFU has also organised a similar under 18s competition.
The Irish Exiles is a rugby union representative team featuring players selected from the Irish diaspora, many based in Great Britain. The team was established in 1989 by Tom Kiernan. It was officially recognised by the Irish Rugby Football Union and during the 1990s was effectively a fifth provincial team along with Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht. Between 1992 and 1993 and 1995–96 the Irish Exiles entered the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. The Irish Exiles also acts as an academy system for players from the Irish diaspora who wish to play for the men's national team and other IRFU national teams including the women's national team, the men's sevens team and the women's sevens team.
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