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Ireland women's national rugby union team

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For the men's team, see Ireland national rugby union team. For the women's sevens team, see Ireland women's national rugby sevens team.
Ireland
Shirt badge/Association crest
EmblemShamrock
UnionIrish Rugby Football Union
Head coachScott Bemand
CaptainEdel McMahon
Sam Monaghan
Home stadiumVirgin Media Park
RDS Arena
Kingspan Stadium
First colours
Second colours
World Rugby ranking
Current6 (as of 28 October 2024)
Highest2 (11 August 2014)
Lowest9 (2024)
First international
 Scotland 10–0 Ireland 
(Edinburgh, Scotland; 14 February 1993)
Biggest win
 Ireland 109–0 Kazakhstan 
(Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 13 October 2023)
Biggest defeat
 England 79–0 Ireland 
(Worcester, England; 17 February 2002)
World Cup
Appearances7 (First in 1994)
Best resultFourth, 2014
Websitewww.irishrugby.ie

The Ireland women's national rugby union team represents Ireland in international women's rugby union competitions such as the Women's Six Nations Championship and the Women's Rugby World Cup. They have also represented Ireland in the FIRA Women's European Championship. Ireland won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. In 2013 they also achieved both a Triple Crown and Grand Slam. They finished fourth in the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup after defeating New Zealand in the pool stages. Ireland hosted the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. The team was originally organised by the Irish Women's Rugby Football Union. However, since 2009, it has been organised by the Irish Rugby Football Union.

History

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Early years

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The Irish Women's Rugby Football Union was established in 1991.[1] Ireland made their international debut on 14 February 1993 with an away friendly against Scotland. This was also Scotland's first international. The match was played at Raeburn Place in front of a crowd of over 1,000. The Ireland team was coached by Alain Rolland while the Scotland coaches included Sandy Carmichael. Scotland won 10–0 with two tries from their captain, Sandra Colamartino. Ireland's first captain was Jill Henderson. A year later, on 13 February 1994, Ireland made their home international debut when a return match was played at Ravenhill. This time Scotland won 5–0.[2][3][4] In 2001 the IWRFU became affiliated to the Irish Rugby Football Union, in 2008 it effectively merged with the IRFU and since 2009 the IRFU has managed the women's national team.[1][4][5]

Rugby World Cup

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Ireland have competed in every Women's Rugby World Cup since making their debut in the second tournament in 1994. They made their World Cup debut on 13 April 1994 with an 18–5 win against a Scottish Students XV. This was also Ireland's first competitive match in any competition.

Ireland's best performance at a World Cup tournament came in 2014 when they finished fourth after defeating New Zealand and winning Pool B. After defeating the United States 23–17 in their opening pool game, Ireland faced New Zealand, the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup winners in their second game. With tries from Heather O'Brien and Alison Miller and two conversions and a penalty from Niamh Briggs, Ireland defeated New Zealand 17–14. It was just the second match New Zealand had lost in a World Cup tournament. It was the first time the Ireland women had played New Zealand and they became only the second Irish team, after Munster in 1978, to defeat a New Zealand national rugby union team.[6][7][8] The result has been described as "one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history".[9] Ireland subsequently qualified for the semi-finals with a 40–5 win against Kazakhstan.[10][11] Ireland eventually finished fourth in the tournament after losing 18–25 to France in the third place play-off.[12]

They failed to qualify for the 2022 Rugby World Cup, after ending in third place of the qualifying round of September 2021 in Italy.

Six Nations Championship

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National anthem line-up during the 2015 Women's Six Nations Championship

Ireland made their debut in the Women's Six Nations Championship, then known as the Women's Home Nations Championship, in the inaugural 1996 competition. They played their first game against Scotland on 21 January 1996.[2] During the 1990s and early 2000s, Ireland never challenged for the championship. They regularly finished in the wooden spoon position at the bottom of the table. Before winning their first championship in 2013, the highest position they ever finished in the competition was third. They did not enter in 2000 and 2001 and were replaced by Spain. When Ireland returned in 2002, the competition became known as the Six Nations for the first time. In 2002 Ireland also suffered their biggest ever defeat when they lost 79–0 to England. Ireland won their first Six Nations match in 2005 when they defeated Wales 11–6.[1] Ireland defeated Scotland for the first time on 10 March 2007 with an 18–6 win at Meggetland.[2] In 2009 Ireland defeated France for the first time.[13]

Ireland won their first championship in 2013, winning both a Triple Crown and a Grand Slam at the same time. In their opening match of the campaign, Ireland beat Wales 12–10. Then on 9 February 2013 they defeated England for the first time. Alison Miller scored a hat-trick of tries as Ireland won 25–0. On 23 February 2013 they clinched their first Triple Crown with a 30–3 win against Scotland.[14][15][16] On 8 March 2013 Ireland effectively won the championship after they defeated France 15–10. It was confirmed the following day after Italy failed to defeat England.[17][18] Ireland eventually finished four points clear of runners-up France.[19] Ireland secured the Grand Slam with a 6–3 away win against Italy on Saint Patrick's Day. Two penalties from Niamh Briggs gave Ireland their fifth win in a row.[19][20][21]

In 2015, Ireland won their second championship and second Triple Crown in three years. They won the championship on points difference over France, after both teams had won four of their five matches. Ireland had to win their final game, against Scotland, by a margin of 27 points or more to win the title and achieved this with a 73–3 win. The result is also Ireland's biggest ever win.[22][23][24]

FIRA Women's European Championship

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Ireland has also competed in the FIRA Women's European Championship. They first played in the tournament in 1997. Their best performance in this tournament was a third-place finish in 2008. In 2004 they won the Plate competition after defeating Spain 20–12 in the final.

Players

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Current squad

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On 17 September 2024, Ireland announced their 30-player squad for the WXV 1 competition in Canada.[25][26]

Player Position Date of birth (age) Caps Club/province
Sophie Barrett Prop (2004-01-27)27 January 2004 (aged 20) 0 Ireland Railway Union RFC / Ulster
Ruth Campbell Second row (2003-06-27)27 June 2003 (aged 21) 1 Ireland Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster
Linda Djougang Prop (1996-05-17)17 May 1996 (aged 28) 38 Ireland Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster
Brittany Hogan Back row (1998-09-19)19 September 1998 (aged 26) 24 Ireland Old Belvedere RFC / Ulster
Neve Jones Hooker (1998-12-26)26 December 1998 (aged 25) 27 England Gloucester-Hartpury / Ulster
Erin King Back row (2003-10-21)21 October 2003 (aged 20) 1 Ireland Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster
Siobhán McCarthy Prop (1995-09-05)5 September 1995 (aged 29) 1 England Worcester Warriors / Munster
Sadhbh McGrath Prop (2004-08-30)30 August 2004 (aged 20) 13 Ireland Cooke RFC / Ulster
Edel McMahon Back row (1994-03-25)25 March 1994 (aged 30) 29 England Exeter Chiefs / Munster
Cliodhna Moloney Hooker (1993-05-31)31 May 1993 (aged 31) 35 England Exeter Chiefs / Connacht
Grace Moore Back row (1996-05-21)21 May 1996 (aged 28) 15 England Ealing Trailfinders / Leinster
Deirbhile Nic a Bháird Number 8 (1995-09-22)22 September 1995 (aged 29) 9 Ireland Old Belvedere RFC / Munster
Niamh O'Dowd Prop (2000-04-21)21 April 2000 (aged 24) 8 Ireland Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster
Andrea Stock Prop (1999-08-09)9 August 1999 (aged 25) 0 England Ealing Trailfinders / Munster
Fiona Tuite Second row (1996-12-27)27 December 1996 (aged 27) 7 Ireland Old Belvedere RFC / Ulster
Aoife Wafer Back row (2003-03-25)25 March 2003 (aged 21) 8 Ireland Blackrock College RFC / Leinster
Dorothy Wall Second row (2000-05-04)4 May 2000 (aged 24) 29 England Exeter Chiefs / Munster
Enya Breen Outside-half (1999-04-23)23 April 1999 (aged 25) 22 Ireland Blackrock College RFC / Munster
Eimear Considine Wing (1991-05-08)8 May 1991 (aged 33) 27 Ireland UL Bohemian RFC / Munster
Aoife Dalton Centre (2003-05-03)3 May 2003 (aged 21) 15 Ireland Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster
Vicky Elmes Kinlan Wing (2003-02-21)21 February 2003 (aged 21) 1 Ireland Wicklow RFC / Munster
Caitríona Finn ?? (2006-06-04)4 June 2006 (aged 18) 0 Ireland UL Bohemian RFC / Munster
Stacey Flood Outside-half (1996-08-05)5 August 1996 (aged 28) 11 Ireland Railway Union RFC / Leinster
Nicole Fowley Outside-half (1992-12-23)23 December 1992 (aged 31) 12 Ireland Galwegians RFC / Connacht
Katie Heffernan Centre (1998-09-08)8 September 1998 (aged 26) 0 Ireland Railway Union RFC / Leinster
Eve Higgins Centre (1999-06-23)23 June 1999 (aged 25) 18 Ireland Railway Union RFC / Leinster
Emily Lane Scrum-half (1999-01-10)10 January 1999 (aged 25) 7 Ireland Blackrock College RFC / Munster
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe Wing (1995-04-26)26 April 1995 (aged 29) 10 Ireland Railway Union RFC / Munster
Molly Scuffil-McCabe Scrum-half (1998-03-15)15 March 1998 (aged 26) 17 Ireland Railway Union RFC / Leinster
Dannah O'Brien Outside-half (2003-09-22)22 September 2003 (aged 21) 16 Ireland Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster

Award winners

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World Rugby Awards

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The following Ireland players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:[27][28]

Six Nations Awards

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The following Ireland players have been recognised in the Women's Six Nations Awards since 2020:[29][30][31]

Records

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Women's
World Rugby Rankings
Top 20 rankings as of 25 November 2024[32]
Rank Change* Team Points
1 Steady  England 97.56
2 Steady  Canada 89.31
3 Steady  New Zealand 88.64
4 Steady  France 85.11
5 Steady  Australia 78.10
6 Steady  Ireland 78.03
7 Steady  Scotland 76.82
8 Steady  Italy 74.75
9 Steady  United States 74.20
10 Steady  Wales 72.58
11 Steady  Japan 66.41
12 Steady  South Africa 66.18
13 Steady  Spain 65.42
14 Steady  Russia 61.10
15 Steady  Samoa 60.56
16 Steady  Netherlands 60.20
17 Steady  Fiji 59.14
18 Steady  Hong Kong 56.20
19 Steady  Kazakhstan 55.23
20 Steady  Sweden 52.72
*Change from the previous week


Overall

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See List of Ireland women's national rugby union team matches

Full internationals only

Correct as of 11 October 2024[33]

Against First game Played Won Drawn Lost Win %
 Australia 1998 5 2 0 3 40%
 Canada 2002 4 1 0 3 25.00%
 Colombia 2023 1 1 0 0 100.00%
 England 1996 32 2 0 30 6.25%
 France 1993 32 3 1 28 9.38%
 Germany 1997 3 3 0 0 100.00%
 Italy 1997 23 19 0 4 82.61%
 Japan 1994 7 5 0 2 71.43%
 Kazakhstan 1998 7 4 0 3 57.14%
 Netherlands 1998 3 3 0 0 100.00%
 New Zealand 2014 3 2 0 1 66.67%
 Samoa 2002 1 0 0 1 0.00%
 Scotland 1993 33 16 0 17 48.48%
 South Africa 2006 1 1 0 0 100.00%
 Spain 1997 11 5 0 6 45.45%
 United States 1994 9 4 0 5 44.44%
 Wales 1996 31 14 0 17 45.16%
Total 1993 206 85 1 120 41.26%

World Cup

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Rugby World Cup
Year Round Position GP W D L PF PA
Wales 1991 Did not compete
Scotland 1994 7th place playoff 7th 5 2 0 3 32 125
Netherlands 1998 Bowl final 10th 5 2 0 3 57 82
Spain 2002 13th place playoff 14th 4 1 0 3 18 97
Canada 2006 7th place playoff 8th 5 1 0 4 72 96
England 2010 7th place playoff 7th 5 3 0 2 94 90
France 2014 3rd place playoff 4th 5 3 0 2 105 101
Ireland 2017 7th place playoff 8th 5 2 0 3 89 115
New Zealand 2021 Did not qualify
England 2025 Qualified
Total 7/9 4th 34 14 0 20 467 706
  Champions   Runners-up   Third place   Fourth place Home venue


Six Nations

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 England  France  Ireland  Italy  Scotland  Spain  Wales
Tournaments 29 26 27 18 29 7 29
Outright Wins 18 6 2 0 1 0 0
Grand Slams 16 5 1 0 1 0 0
Triple Crowns 22 — 2 — 1 — 1
Wooden Spoons 0 0 5 3 9 2 8

Head coaches

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Coach Years
Alain Rolland[3] 1993
Johnnie Neary 1998
Philip Doyle 2003–2006
John O'Sullivan 2006–2008
Steven Hennessy[13] 2009–2010
Kevin West 2010–2012
Philip Doyle 2012–2014
Tom Tierney 2014–2017
Adam Griggs[34][35] 2017–2021
Greg McWilliams[36][37] 2021–2023
Scott Bemand[38] 2023–

Honours

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "'Women who participated in other traditional 'male' sports used to be regarded as some sort of sexual deviants'". The Irish Independent. 6 August 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Ireland and Scotland celebrate 25 years". scrumqueens.com. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Pioneers celebrate 25th anniversary of first Scotland women's international". theoffsideline.com. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Women's Teams Reunite To Mark 25th Anniversary". irishrugby.ie. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Ireland's new Call". The Irish Independent. 30 July 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Black Ferns lose historic match to Ireland". allblacks.com. 6 August 2014. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Women's Rugby World Cup 2014: Ireland stun four-time champions New Zealand". The Daily Telegraph. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  8. ^ "Irish women's rugby team record historic win over New Zealand". The Irish Independent. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Women's Rugby World Cup: The story so far". rwcwomens.com. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  10. ^ "Ireland crush Kazakhstan to book World Cup semi-final spot". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  11. ^ "The history makers: behind the scenes with Ireland's women". BBC. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  12. ^ "France too strong for Ireland in playoffs". emeraldrugby.com. 18 August 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Women Secure First Ever Victory Over France". irishrugby.ie. 6 February 2009. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Miller hat-trick hands Ireland historic win over England". sixnationsrugby.com. 9 February 2013. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  15. ^ "Women's Six Nations: Ireland beat Scotland to win Triple Crown". BBC. 23 February 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  16. ^ "In pictures: Ireland's women capture first ever Triple Crown". the42.ie. 23 February 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  17. ^ "Ireland sink France to close in on RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam". sixnationsrugby.com. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  18. ^ "Ireland v France – Women's Six Nations Rugby Championship Photos". sportsfile.com. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  19. ^ a b "Women's Six Nations: Champions Ireland complete Grand Slam". BBC. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  20. ^ "Grand Slam Glory For Ireland Women". irishrugby.ie. 17 March 2013. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  21. ^ "Narrow win secures Grand Slam for Irish women". The Irish Times. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  22. ^ "Women's Six Nations: Ireland hammer Scotland to clinch title". BBC. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  23. ^ "Biggest Ever Win Seals Six Nations Title For Ireland Women". irishrugby.ie. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  24. ^ "Ireland Women Crowned 6 Nations Champions". leinsterrugby.ie. 22 March 2015. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  25. ^ "Bemand Names 30-Player Ireland Squad For WXV1 In Vancouver". Irish Rugby Football Union. 17 September 2024. Archived from the original on 17 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  26. ^ Perkins, Bruce (23 September 2024). "All 18 squads for the 2024 WXV". 4 The Love Of Sport. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  27. ^ "Awards Roll of Honour - World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  28. ^ "Erin King: Irish flanker wins World Rugby women's breakthrough player of the year in Monaco". BBC Sport. 24 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  29. ^ "Women's Six Nations Player of the Championship". Six Nations Rugby. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  30. ^ "2022 TikTok Women's Six Nations Team of the Championship revealed". Six Nations Rugby. 14 May 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  31. ^ "Revealed: The Fans' 2024 Team of the Championship". Six Nations Rugby. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  32. ^ "Women's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  33. ^ "Fixtures & Results". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  34. ^ "Griggs Appointed Ireland Women's Head Coach". irishrugby.ie. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  35. ^ "IRFU Update On Ireland Women's Head Coach Position". irishrugby.ie. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  36. ^ "Greg McWilliams". irishrugby.ie. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  37. ^ "Irish Rugby | Greg McWilliams Vacates Role".
  38. ^ "Irish Rugby | Scott Bemand Appointed Ireland Women's Team Head Coach".
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