Emily Valentine facts for kids
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| Birth name | Emily Frances Valentine | ||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | ca. 1878 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||
| Date of death | 1967 | ||||||||||||
| Place of death | London, England | ||||||||||||
| School | Portora Royal School | ||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Nurse | ||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||
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Emily Frances Valentine is known as the first recorded female rugby player. She played rugby way back in 1887 when she was just 10 years old! People even called her the "first lady of rugby" because she was the only woman known to play the sport in the 1800s. Before Emily, the earliest female player we knew about was Mary Eley, who played in 1917.
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Emily's Early Life and Rugby Debut
Emily Valentine was born around 1878 in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. She was the youngest of six children. Her father, William Valentine, became the Assistant Headmaster at Portora Royal School.
Playing Rugby at School
In the winter of 1887, when Emily was about 10, she played her first game of rugby union. Her two brothers, William (16) and John (10 or 11), were playing, but their team was one player short. Emily quickly took off her hat and coat and joined the game!
She started by kicking the ball. Then, she moved to the wing position, playing alongside her brothers. In that very first game, Emily scored a "try," which is like scoring a touchdown in rugby. After this, Emily kept playing with the school team. She joined their practices and played in games against other students. School records from that time, and even letters from Emily in 1951, confirm her amazing story.
Emily's Life After Rugby
Later in her life, Emily Valentine moved to South Africa. This was in the late 1800s.
Becoming a Nurse and Marriage
Emily became a nurse, helping people who were sick or injured. In 1909, she married a military doctor named Major John Galway. After they got married, Emily changed her name to Emily Galway.
The couple then moved to India, where they lived until about 1915. It's possible they also lived in Canada for a time. Eventually, Emily settled in England. She passed away in 1967 in London. Emily has eight grandchildren, and one of them is named Catherine Galway.
