Over €71,000 raised by UCD Rugby Football Club for Irish Cancer Society
17 April 2025
UCD RFC president Barry Sheehan; UCD RFC club manager Ciara O'Connor; UCD WRFC captain Emma Kelly; John Hammond of UCD RFC; Sinead Gillespie of Irish Cancer Society, UCD President Professor Orla Feely; UCD Sport Management students Caithlin Walsh and Scarlett Herron; and UCD Director of Student Services Dominic O'Keeffe Credit: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
UCD Rugby Football Club (RFC) has raised €71,434.64 for the Irish Cancer Society during their annual Daffodil Day campaign.
The figure was described as “unprecedented” by John Hammond, who volunteers with the club.
It contributes to the total amount of €190,000 that the club has raised for the charity in the last number of years.
Launched on 25 February, the official UCD RFC Daffodil Day took place on 6 March, accompanied by various events, both on campus and online.
Second year students of UCD’s BSc Sport, Health and Exercise Science course helped to organise the RFC’s Daffodil Day for their event management module, working since September to plan the fundraising activities.
Events included a pub quiz and raffle at the UCD Clubhouse, a darts tournament and fitness challenges in the UCD Sports Centre.
🌼🏉UCD Rugby Daffodil Day 🏉🌼
— UCD Rugby Football Club (@UCDRugby) (opens in a new window)April 3, 2025
And that’s a wrap🎉
Thanks to your incredible generosity, we’ve raised an amazing €71,434.64 for (opens in a new window)@IrishCancerSoc! 💛
Huge thanks to everyone who donated, volunteered & supported us—this wouldn’t have been possible without you! 💛🎗️ (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/krAX68465c
Volunteers were also situated across campus to take donations from passers-by.
EY, the sponsors of the UCD RFC, sent around 30 of its employees to campus on Daffodil Day to help sell daffodil pins.
“That makes a huge difference to what we do,” said Hammond. “The more people we have collecting on campus, the more people will contribute.”
Subsequent events in the weeks that followed included the annual Daffodil Day Ladies’ Lunch in UCD’s Astra Hall.
Sport, Health and Exercise Science students volunteered their time to wait tables for the event. The total income from the Ladies’ Lunch alone was over €30,000.
In addition, the club held an online raffle, which students could enter to win signed rugby jerseys from the Ireland, New Zealand and England teams.
Gate receipts from a UCD vs. Landsdowne FC match also contributed to the fundraiser.
The club showed their gratitude via social media to those who took part, saying: “A huge thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered, and supported us along the way – your kindness and generosity will make a real difference.”
By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
