Paige begins new chapter

Paige begins new chapter

28 August 2024

DOWNPATRICK has a new rising rugby star.

Paige Smyth first picked up the sport less than 12 months ago and amazingly, the 21 year-old currently boasts two Ulster caps to her name.

Already a proven winner with the Down Ladies squad which won the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship, Paige attempted a new challenge off the recommendation from a friend and opted to join Ballynahinch Women.

Immediately her natural talent for the game was recognised and not long after, she received the call-up to Kingspan Stadium in Belfast.

“There’s just been opportunity after opportunity this past couple of months and I am overwhelmed with how much has happened in such a short space of time,” said Paige.

“I never knew a lot about rugby, I just thought it was quite an intense sport and I am quite an intense player when it comes to competing in Gaelic Games.

“I got in contact with Ballynahinch through a friend and, to be honest, I didn’t know they even had a women’s team. However, they ended up being the best group of girls I could have met.”

Paige, who recently finished her studies at Ulster University, instantly impressed in her Ballynahinch colours, which included scoring a try on her debut just a few days after her first ever training session. 

The club’s connections to the Ulster squad made scouts aware that Paige was one to watch and from this point, it was suggested that she compete in trials for the Ireland University Sevens team. 

This consisted of weekly matches against various universities across Ireland with the best players being selected to represent the nation in a tournament that was held in France.

She was able to play with the likes of international player Ashleigh Orchard and Paige was also presented with an award for her efforts.

“After that I travelled to Dublin and trained in the IRFU High Performance Centre, which were amazing facilities,” reflected Paige.

“They put me up in a hotel the night before to save me travelling and I completed a couple of camps with them, training for two days at a time.

“It was class, even to get down to Dublin for that experience, and then the Sevens in France, it was one of the best experiences I have had so far.”

This firmly put her on the radar for Ulster selection and it wasn’t long before she was afforded her Ulster debut in the first round of the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship on August 10, against Munster.

“I was very fortunate to get selected for the panel to make the trip to Munster and even more fortunate to get 20 minutes at the end of the match,” said Paige.

“Just knowing my family where at home, watching on the television and supporting me was surreal.

“The supportive messages I received that morning contributed to a fantastic build-up. After the game had finished I knew I had enjoyed the experience, it was a great feeling.”

And those big game feelings are something Paige has grown somewhat accustomed to, having previously walked out into Croke Park.

“Winning the All-Ireland with Down was out of this world, I can’t describe the feeling of it,” she remarked.

“That was the start of the real feeling of success and that is what drives me now, that sense of achievement. 

“Especially with a group of girls who with we all shared the same goal – I want to take that attitude and mentality into the Ulster squad.”

However, Paige hasn’t fully evaluated if her playing days with Down are permanently put behind her but noted that she had the blessing of managers Caoibhe Sloan and Peter Lynch to pursue her Ulster dream.

On the back of her success to date, Paige wishes for more young women to pick up the sport of rugby to further progress the game further.

“Growing up I always looked up to the likes of Kyla Trainor, locally, for what she has done in her GAA playing career,” she said.

“Having had opportunities at a similar level, I realise how big of a deal this is and the impact it can have on the younger generation, especially for girls.

“Being able to interact with them and share this experience, I think that’s my favourite part about it all.”