"It's an exciting time for the football club" - Danielle Griffin
Waterford FC's Danielle Griffin pictured during the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division Launch 2025 at Mansion House in Dublin. Photos: Sportsfile/Stephen McCarthy
History will be made at the Markets Field in Limerick on Saturday next, March 8, as Waterford FC will play their first ever game in the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division when they take on Treaty United in what promises to be an occasion to remember.
After the club teamed up with the Hess Group to bring Women’s football to Waterford, it will be a special moment when the Blues enter the field for their first competitive match before facing Shelbourne in their first home game at the RSC on Saturday, March 15.
For Danielle Griffin and the rest of her teammates, they’ll be now looking forward to the challenge of representing the club in the highest league in the country where they’ll be looking to do their very best with a young squad, but it’s a challenge that Griffin is relishing.
Speaking ahead of the new season, Danielle Griffin said: “It’s really exciting and it’s an honour to play professional football with my local club. We’ll have a young team going into the season, but I think that our goal is to compete especially with some of those newer teams.
“It will be no mean feat stepping up to face some of the bigger teams, but I think that we worked hard in pre-season and having Gary (Hunt) with us is big. He brings that that level of professionalism and he has a lot of experience with both the men’s and the women’s game.
“We’re just excited. As a team I think that we’re all just really excited to play our first game in the league and also our first ever game in the RSC. We just want to put our best foot forward for the season ahead and we’re looking forward to it.
“It’s definitely important to have a Women’s senior team in Waterford. I think that it has been a long time coming if I’m honest. Waterford is a big footballing county and obviously myself and a few other of the girls have come up through the academy.
“It’s good to have that pathway there to play senior football and also to play at the highest level in the country. It’s really important to have a senior team. We have Treaty away in our first game before our first home game against Shelbourne at the RSC.”
Griffin added: “I think from our point of view, it would be great to see some of the home supporters at our first game at the RSC. We’re really excited to get to play on the pitch and we’re also really excited to represent the club in what is going to be a special occasion.
“We hope that people will come out and support us in that first game. Like I said, it’s a big day for the club and for all the girls. Both my brothers, Killian and Oisin, would have played in the academy with Killian making his senior debut in 2017.
“I’ve grown up watching my two brothers playing for Waterford so now I’m looking forward to getting the chance to play at senior level for the club. To play at the RSC will be a special day for myself as well and I’m looking forward to representing the club.”
