Carole Ann Byrne has been captain of the Irish women's rugby team for the past two years. The 28-yearold outside centre has been playing the game for five years, having started out as a hockey player with Pembroke Wanderers in Ballsbridge, Dublin. She began playing rugby at the University of Ulster, Coleraine, before moving to Dublin to play with Blackrock, Leinster and Ireland. She has 21 international caps.

Membership: Blackrock have 400 or 500 male members and around 25 women. Players come from friends taking an interest, posters in other sports club, and this summer we will be seriously recruiting in schools around the place.

Status: We were founded in 1991 by Sue Gardiner Bachop, the wife of New Zealand player Steve Bachop, who played with Blackrock for a time.

Honours: We didn't have a great season in 1998, but we won the league and cup last year. We've won the first division league every year before 1997, except for the 1993 season.

Finest Hour: I've two finest hours. The first was gaining my first cap against Wales in Wales in 1997 - just the whole feeling of it which I will never forget. The second was the league final last year when I scored a try in the last second of play to win the match. I cried my eyes out.

Worst Moment: Never winning a Triple Crown match but knowing that we can if we can just get over that psychological barrier. We know we have the capability to win those matches, but so far have not been able to do it.

Club Hero: The first is Sue Gardiner Bachop. She started women's rugby in New Zealand and also in Blackrock and Ireland. Also Kim Donoghue. She has played since Blackrock was founded and has since had two kids - she has four in all. Kim is so committed and loyal. She still plays for the club but not for Ireland, where she was inside centre.

Arch Rivals: Traditionally it has been Creggs of Roscommon. Both clubs have been very strong in recent years but recently have slipped a little. But, out of our rivalry, we have grown very friendly.