Munster Rugby v Ospreys Match Programme

Dorothy Wall
FROM FETHARD
BEGINNINGS TO THE
INTERNATIONAL STAGE
It’s safe to say that the last few weeks and
months have been an incredibly busy time for
Munster and Ireland’s Dorothy Wall.
The talented Tipperary back-row has enjoyed
a whirlwind year which has seen her establish
herself as a fully-fledged Ireland international.
The 20-year-old put in a typically physical
performance for Ireland in their clash with Italy
in the Women’s Six Nations in recent weeks.
This match was particularly special for Wall
as it was her first start for her country in 15s
after making three appearances from the bench
at the beginning of the year before Covid-19
brought a shuttering halt to the rugby season.
Although Wall is only four appearances into her
Ireland career, her impressive performances
this year alongside the likes of other fresh
faces such as Beibhinn Parsons, Judy Bobbett
and Victoria Dabanovich-O’Mahony have
contributed to a lot of excitement surrounding
this Irish team.
Wall is currently in her third year of studying
Radiography in UCD, a huge challenge for any
young student but for the 20-year-old, she
needs to balance her studies with training as
a full-time high-performance athlete. No mean
feat.
“I’ve been doing radiography for the last three
years. It’s been up and down, a lot of learnings.
It was an adaptation after being in school
and your Mom telling you when to study, to
playing a professional sport. I had been in the
7s for the last three years, we trained four days
a week and you have to fit your lectures around
that. It was a bit hard but there’s a lot of doctors
(in the squad) so it’s not as if it can’t be done.”
Wall’s hectic schedule is nothing new. In her
teenage years, horse-riding and basketball, the
latter of which saw her compete at a regional
level, were major parts of her life before rugby
caught her eye. Growing up five minutes outside
Fethard, Co. Tipperary, Wall tells us how an
innocent appearance at Fethard & District RFC
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