Sunday was a memorable day for Maybole and Carrick RFC as they hosted their first ever women’s fixture. The Carrick Ladies 1st XV put in a huge shift, competing well in their debut fixture against a strong and more experienced Irvine side who went on to secure the win.

However, beyond the tries and tackles, women’s sport secured the win. The touchline was evidence of this, full of supporters - members and non-members; young and old - who chose to be a part of this moment. As each player on that pitch delivered their all, the sense of solidarity and excitement for this new female side starting out on their rugby journey was something everyone was celebrating, home and away.

It was only in March of this year that a casual enquiry was sent to members asking whether there was any interest in forming a women’s team. We never could have imagined what would unfold since the first training session in early April. Sunday’s fixture was the culmination of a fiercely keen, driven and determined bunch of women learning and putting in the graft week in and week out since then. This lively new section of the club is growing by the week, and beyond their own training sessions (and now, matches) many are joining the men’s team players in committing even more of their time to mentoring our younger teams. Individually and as a collective they bring an inspiring new element to the club, further enhancing the community rugby family we are so proud of.

We would like to extend a special thanks to #IrvineRFCLadies for coming down and being a part of Carrick history!

Mon the Rick LADIES!