By Sports Editor Erin Miller.
This Wednesday, the 24th of March, DCU’s Glasnevin Fresher B hurling team will host a charity match in aid of Rape Crisis Ireland.
The match will take place in St Clare’s sports ground from 4-6pm in partnership with UCD’s Fresher B football team.
The idea for an end of year charity match was pre-determined, but Rape Crisis Ireland was picked after the recent protests over the scandal in UCD surrounding the alleged rape of a student.
1 in 4 Irish female students experience sexual violence in college, according to a 2022 CSO Survey.
Second years Rob Little and Leo Barry are a part of the management over the Fresher B’s, as per tradition. They would have been first years last year, and then later selected to manage the team and incoming freshers in the next academic year.
What started as a joke, their TikTok account for the team exploded, with their first video sitting at half a million views. The account has over two thousand followers, and has allowed for the team to reach out and create ‘rivalry’ between colleges and other DCU freshers teams.
The account has also allowed for promotion of the match and collaborations with UCD Fresher B football team, who also use TikTok as a way to keep players engaged.
The match is set to be a wildcard, with management keeping tight-lipped about just who is getting involved.
Little hopes that by inviting in non-students and influencers, the message will spread further.
“We’ve got a few special guests lined up, few names are definitely in the works. Influencers, all that kind of stuff, they’d be getting involved.
“If we can get just 2 or 4 people to post on their stories, it just does so much, for such a great cause.”
What we do know is that the ladies HEC team and St Pats Ashling Murphy team will be making an appearance, with coaches and management getting stuck in.
Speaking from a female point of view, HEC manager, Aoibheann O’Connor, believes the event will do more than just raise money for charity, encouraging people to come forward.
“It’s one in four women, we don’t know how many women on campus today have experienced it [sexual assault]. Especially on the team, that’s three of our starting fifteen.”
The event’s importance was also stressed by Sarah Maher, a manager of St Pats Camogie team.
“The amount of sisters on our team for camogie, my twin managing and playing, and there were two sisters from Roscommon as well. It’s hard to think that that could be your sister in that situation, you just don’t know.”
This won’t be DCU’s first experience with raising awareness for gender based violence. In November of last year, they ran 16 days of #OrangeTheWorld activism across their platforms.
The Fresher B’s hope to raise €2000 for Rape Crisis Ireland through their GoFundMe Page, donations can be made here.
There will be a host of activities taking place on the day, including an 11-a-side soccer tournament.
Rape Crisis Ireland have a 24hr helpline at 1800 77 8888, and more information can be found on their website rapecrisisireland.ie.
