Mayo football star signs short-term contract with Galway United

THE sporting career of Rachel Kearns has taken another exciting twist.

The former Mayo Ladies football star who was also a national boxing champion, has been plying her trade in Australian Football with Geelong Cats in recent seasons. Now, home on a break from her AFLW exploits, Kearns has thrown her lot in with the Galway United team in the SSE Airtricity Women's National League.

The Crossmolina woman, who won two LGFA All-Stars in the green and red of Mayo and a Connacht club championship with MacHale Rovers, moved to Australia in 2022 and signed for Geelong, quickly becoming a household name for her performances. Last year she was one of three nominees for the prestigious “2024 Virgin Mark of the Year”.

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Prior to joining the Australian side, Kearns who won two All-Ireland boxing titles as a teenager, had a brief but impressive stint with Galway Women’s FC. Signing up for the 2021 season, she scored a hat-trick in the opening game of the season against Cork City before going on to score in the games against Bohemians, DLR Waves and Treaty United, earning her the SSE Airtricity Women’s National League Player of the Month award.

Commenting on Rachel’s signing, Galway's first team manager, Phil Trill said:

“Rachel is a player who lit up the league in her previous short spell, with a great work rate and eye for goal. She is a fulltime professional athlete that will add to our environment and culture within the group.”

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