Linda Djougang (born 17 May 1996) is an Irish rugby player and nurse from Balbriggan, Co Dublin.[5] She plays for Old Belvedere, Leinster and Ireland women's national rugby union team. She works fulltime as a nurse in Dublin and is a brand ambassador for Energia Group.[5]
 Djougang with Ireland in 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 17 May 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Cameroon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg (181 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Trinity College Dublin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Rugby player, nurse | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Background edit
Djougang moved to Ireland from Douala[6] in Cameroon at the age of 9.[5] She grew up in Rush, Dublin where she attended Rush and Lusk Educate Together National School.[7][8][9][10] She studied general nursing at Trinity College Dublin from 2015 to 2020. She worked as a part-time care assistant from 2016 to 2020. She also worked as an intern at Grant Thornton International.[7] In 2020, she began working at Tallaght University Hospital.[11][9] Djougang speaks English and French fluently.[12][6]
Rugby career edit
Djougang began playing rugby at the age of 17[13] when a friend invited her to a game of tag rugby.[10]
It was not until she was in university at Trinity College Dublin, while on a work placement, that she first encountered rugby. She was spotted playing ‘tag rugby’ in Wanderers RFC whose team manager Michelle Byrne invited her to join the club.
A year after starting with Wanderers she got a trial with Leinster. She took a year out of college in 2017 to concentrate on rugby and moved to All Ireland League club Old Belvedere in order to get experience at the top level. In 2018 she made her inter-provincial debut for Leinster, versus Ulster.[citation needed]
She soon began playing for Wanderers Rugby Club before moving to Old Belvedere.[14] She has also played for the Dublin University Football Club.[15]
In December 2019 she scored a try for Leinster against Harlequins in the first women’s club game to be played in Twickenham.[16]
In August 2021, the Irish Rugby Football Union announced that Djougang would move from Leinster Rugby to ASM Romagnat rugby féminin.[17] Djougang originally played as a blindside flanker before moving to loosehead prop and then tighthead prop.[14][18] As of 2021, she has 12 caps for Ireland. She has scored 1 Six Nations try and a total of 5 Six Nations points.[19]
Awards edit
References edit
- ^ "'I send pictures to my Mum in Cameroon - 'oh my God, I'm representing Ireland' '".
- ^ "Linda Djougang: 'I love rugby so much because when I am out there I can just be me'".
- ^ "From leaving Cameroon as a child to tag rugby to the national team - Meet the student nurse turned Ireland prop". Irish Independent. 15 February 2020.
- ^ "Trinity Graduate Linda Djougang to Join ASM Romagnat".
- ^ a b c "'I want her to play a part in my life' – Linda Djougang reunited with her mother for first time in 18 years after travelling back to Cameroon". www.independent.ie. 6 April 2024.
- ^ a b ""I'm so proud of the opportunities Ireland gave me and of the woman I am today" - Linda Djougang". SportsJOE.ie. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ a b "From Cameroon to Leinster Rugby: Linda Djougang tells her story". Leinster Rugby. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ Bailey, Ryan. "'I send pictures to my Mum in Cameroon - 'oh my God, I'm representing Ireland' '". The42. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
- ^ a b OSullivan, Jessica (17 June 2020). "'You fight twice as hard' - Irish rugby star Linda Djougang on her experience of racism". EVOKE.ie. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
- ^ a b "Trinity Graduate Linda Djougang to Join ASM Romagnat". universitytimes.ie. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
- ^ "'I just want to be the best I can be for Clermont and Ireland' - Linda Djougang relishing her new French adventure". independent. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "IRFU Broker Clermont Switch For Linda Djougang". Irish Rugby. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
- ^ Duffy, Emma. "'It shows you that nothing is written, you write your own story. And my story is just beginning'". The42. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ a b Bailey, Ryan. "'I send pictures to my Mum in Cameroon - 'oh my God, I'm representing Ireland' '". The42. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Linda Djougang On Bench for Six Nations Opener". universitytimes.ie. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Match Report: Harlequins Women 47 Leinster Rugby Women 26". Leinster Rugby. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "'Moving to France is natural for me, I didn't really have to think about it too much' - Linda Djougang on her Clermont move". independent. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "From leaving Cameroon as a child to tag rugby to the national team - Meet the student nurse turned Ireland prop". independent. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Linda Djougang". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
- ^ a b "Trinity Graduate Linda Djougang to Join ASM Romagnat". universitytimes.ie. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ ""I had a bit of imposter syndrome, eating beside Cian Healy or Johnny Sexton" - Caelan Doris". SportsJOE.ie. Retrieved 14 September 2021.