Róisín Rodgers hopeful final will show progress made by Donegal

Michael Bolton

After some difficult seasons for the Donegal ladies, promotion and a chance of silverware are signs of progress, says captain Róisín Rodgers.

Donegal finished second in Division Two and will face fellow Ulster side Cavan in the final on Saturday in Clones.

In a competitive division which also included senior championship sides Tyrone and Mayo, Donegal pipped them to second on the final day, gaining promotion back to face the best in the country.

Donegal last won Division Two in 2016, while they were Division One finalists in 2022, a year where they just missed out on the All-Ireland final.

As captain, Rodgers has seen it all and is proud of the progress Donegal have made so far this season.

"It is a big one for us. If you were to tell us in December that we would be promoted back to Division One and would have a chance to win the Division Two title, we would 100 per cent take it.

"It is nice to be in that position to be able to develop ourselves more in Division One and see what that holds next year."

Last season saw Donegal just about stay up in the senior championship, winning a relegation play-off against Leitrim.

In what has been a transition period in the last couple of years, young players have stepped up and now have game time under their belt, which is now showing its worth.

It may have started with some struggle, but Rodgers believes Donegal are growing as a team.

"We have really set a standard for ourselves and try to keep progressing. Sometimes it is about slowly taking steps forward.

"It takes time, that is something that we have looked more into. It is not going to happen overnight; it is going to be a time thing.

"Whether we win games or we lose games, it is what we can do to learn from those mistakes if we lose. Even if we do win, what can we do better to progress?"

It is an exciting time for football in Donegal, as the men's team won Division One after defeating Kerry in the final, with the always exciting Ulster championship on the horizon as well.

However, Rodgers says silverware would not define where this Donegal team currently stands

"It is really exciting that we are in a similar position too. That would be so special to Donegal in general if the men's and women's teams can bring two bits of silverware home.

"Having a bit of silverware is a lovely thing to have and, in a physical sense, shows what we've done over the years, but I don't think we can put down our progress as just winning silverware.

"Even behind the scenes of what we are doing in the gym and on the pitch, that is where progress is made. It is looking at ourselves as a whole and where we are making progress.

"If that means having a cup at the end of it or now, that is perfect too."