UCD RFC launch their annual Daffodil Day

Posted 19 February, 2024

^{Background: Members of Men's and Women's UCD RFC. Foreground (L-R): Dr Cormac Kilty (past Chair of the Irish Cancer Society Research Advisory Committee and at present Adjunct Professor of Medicine and Medicinal Chemistry at UCD), David Coen (UCD RFC President), Caoimhe and Naoise Kinnerk O’Leary, Amy Nolan (Director of Clinical Affairs with the Irish Cancer Society), Dr Maria Prencipe (Lecturer/Assistant Professor with UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science).}

UCD Rugby will host its annual Daffodil Day collection, in aid of the Irish Cancer Society on Thursday March 7th across the UCD Campus as well as online.

To launch this year’s event in the UCD Bowl, UCD RFC players past and present from Irish Rugby and Leinster Rugby, members of both the current UCD RFC Men’s and Women’s teams, and second year students from the UCD BSc Sport & Exercise Management programme, were on hand along with Amy Nolan (Director of Clinical Affairs with the Irish Cancer Society), David Coen (UCD RFC President) and Dr Cormac Kilty (past Chair of the Irish Cancer Society Research Advisory Committee and at present Adjunct Professor of Medicine and Medicinal Chemistry at UCD). Also supporting the event were Dr Maria Prencipe (Lecturer/Assistant Professor with UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science) and Philip Russell (Information Services Manager with UCD James Joyce Library). This year's Daffodil Day mascots were Caoimhe and Naoise Kinnerk O’Leary from Castlemore in Cork.

To date this annual event has raised over €90,000 of vital funds for Cancer Research. On Thursday March 7th UCD Rugby will be asking for your support once again and will be located throughout the UCD campus looking for donations. There will also be an online donation element once more this year, for those who may not be on campus, and we will be asking that you support UCD Rugby in their drive to raise vital funds for Irish Cancer Society.

Amy Nolan, Director of Clinical Affairs at the Irish Cancer Society, said: “For the last eight years, we have been blown away by the amazing work done by UCD Rugby to raise vital funds every Daffodil Day so that we at the Irish Cancer Society can be there to support families affected by cancer across Ireland. Your support helps provide our Support Line, free counselling, lifts to treatment, ground-breaking cancer research, funding to families facing a childhood cancer diagnosis, our free Night Nursing service and so much more.”

She added: “Some of that life-saving cancer research is happening in right here in UCD through our participation in Precision Oncology Ireland, our investment in the Women’s Health Initiative and our funding of a range of cancer researchers across all career stages. None of this would be possible without the support of fundraising initiatives like what UCD Rugby is doing, and we encourage everyone to get involved and go all in this Daffodil Day.”

UCD President Professor Orla Feely was also supporting the event and received her daffodil day pin from UCD Men’s RFC player Jeff Williams and UCD Women’s RFC player Rachel Murphy.

President Feely said: "I fully support UCD Rugby Club’s forthcoming Daffodil Day fundraiser for the Irish Cancer Society and I urge as many staff and students as possible to give generously on March 7th to this most worthy of causes."

The event is kindly being organised and run by the UCD BSc Sport & Exercise Management second year class – Please visit UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science to learn more about the range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in sports management, coaching and exercise science. 

To donate to this year’s fundraising initiative please visit the (opens in a new window)UCD RFC JustGiving page. 

To learn more about Daffodil Day, please visit (opens in a new window)cancer.ie. 

About Daffodil Day

The Irish Cancer Society's national Daffodil Day takes place on Friday 22nd March. Whether you want to get involved with your school, company, or in your community, there are lots of ways to go all in and support cancer patients across Ireland. Visit (opens in a new window)cancer.ie to get involved or learn more.

Photo Credit: (opens in a new window)Inpho Photography & Dominic Coyle