Emily Valentine

Emily Galway

Birth name	Emily Frances Valentine[1]
Date of birth	ca. 1878
Place of birth	County Fermanagh, Ireland
Date of death	1967[citation needed]
Place of death	London, England[2]
School	Portora Royal School
Occupation(s)	Nurse[3]
Rugby union career
Position(s) wing Youth career 1887-? Portora Royal School Wasps

Emily Frances Valentine, designated the first lady of rugby and "female William Web Ellis" by the media,^[4] is the earliest documented female rugby player (at the age of 10) in 1887, and provides the only confirmed record of a woman playing in the nineteenth century.^[5] Prior to the discovery of Valentine, the earliest named female rugby player was Mary Eley in 1917, who at the age of sixteen played for the Cardiff Ladies.^[4]

Valentine, born in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland circa 1878, was the youngest of six brothers and sisters.^[3][4][5] She played her first match of rugby union at the Portora Royal School, three years after her father William Valentine was named Assistant Headmaster.^[5] According to her memoirs, in the winter of 1887, she removed her hat and overcoat to play alongside her two brothers (William, aged 16, and John, aged 10 or 11)^[6] as their team was a man short.^[3][5][7] Valentine first kicked place, but then scored a try in her first game after moving to the wing alongside her brothers in the backline.^[5][7] Valentine would continue to participate with the team in practices and intra-school matches according to the school's records which also includes correspondence from Valentine in 1951.^[5]

Valentine moved to South Africa in the late 19th century.^[1] She became a nurse and changed her name to Galway after marrying military doctor Major John Galeway OBE in 1909.^[3][5] Valentine moved to India until about 1915^[3] (and possibly Canada)^[6] before settling in England.^[5][8]

One of Valentine's eight grandchildren is named Catherine Galway.^[4][5]