Ireland head coach Scott Bemand has included four uncapped players in a 30-strong Ireland squad that will depart for Vancouver on Friday ahead of the WXV1 tournament where they will face New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
Props Sophie Barrett and Andrea Stock, Mullingar’s utility back Katie Heffernan and outhalf Caitríona Finn are the four uncapped players. Barrett and Finn produced some eye-catching performances in the Under-20 Six Nations Summer Series, which was staged in Italy.
Ireland enjoyed an impressive 36-10 victory over Australia in Irish rugby’s 150th anniversary Test match at the Kingspan stadium at the weekend, a game in which Ruth Campbell, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Siobhan McCarthy and Erin King all made impressive debuts, copper-fastening their selection for the tournament in Canada.
Unfortunately, tighthead prop Christy Haney, who played against the Wallaroos, has been ruled out through injury. Cooke and Ulster frontrow Sadhbh McGrath’s return to fitness is timely. Ireland will also be without wing Béibhinn Parsons, scrumhalf Aoibheann Reilly and secondrow Sam Monaghan.
Parsons picked up a leg injury in the Irish Sevens team’s defeat to Australia in an Olympic quarter-final in Paris while Monaghan sustained an ACL injury in last season’s Premiership final in England and is unfortunately likely to miss the Six Nations.
Reilly also suffered a second ACL, a different knee, in the Madrid Sevens, but is making good progress. Parsons and Reilly will be available for the Six Nations.
Bemand said: “We are delighted to confirm our 30-player squad to travel to Vancouver for our debut appearance at WXV1. We have spoken consistently about building strong squad depth within the group, and the performance against Australia and training intensity of the last two weeks, presented the coaching team with a number of difficult selection decisions.
“The performance and result on Saturday was a really pleasing start point for our season and as we re-assemble for camp in Dublin, the focus now turns to WXV1, preparing well for the challenges ahead and continuing to grow our wave moving towards the tournament opener against the Black Ferns.”
Ireland won the WXV3 tournament last year but by virtue of finishing third in the Six Nations jumped straight into elite level. It’s a good opportunity to benchmark the obvious progress that Bemand’s side has made and hopefully provide impetus in development terms heading into the 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations and next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Ireland will continue their preparations for WXV1 at their IRFU High Performance Centre base this week, before travelling to Canada on Friday ahead of their campaign opener against New Zealand at BC Place on Sunday week.
Bemand’s side then go head-to-head with hosts Canada in their second outing at Langley Events Centre, before concluding the tournament against USA at BC Place. All of Ireland’s matches will be available to stream live on RugbyPass TV.
Ireland: (Backs 13) – E Breen (Blackrock College/Munster), E Considine (UL Bohemian/Munster), A Dalton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), V Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow), C Finn (UL Bohemian/Munster),* S Flood (Railway Union), N Fowley (Galwegians/Connacht), K Heffernan (Railway Union/Leinster),* E Higgins (Railway Union), E Lane (Blackrock College), Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster), M Scuffil-McCabe (Leinster), D O’Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster). (Forwards 17) – S Barrett (Railway Union/Ulster),* R Campbell (Old Belvedere/Leinster), L Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster), B Hogan (Old Belvedere/Ulster), N Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), E King (Old Belvedere), S McCarthy (Worcester Warriors/Munster), S McGrath (Cooke/Ulster), E McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht), C Moloney (Exeter Chiefs), G Moore (Ealing Trailfinders/IQ Rugby), D Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere/Munster), N O’Dowd (Old Belvedere/Leinster), A Stock (Ealing Trailfinders/IQ Rugby),* F Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster), A Wafer (Blackrock College/Leinster), D Wall (Exeter Chiefs/Munster).
Fixtures
Sunday, September 29th: Ireland v New Zealand, BC Place (3.0am, Irish time)
Saturday, October 5th: Ireland v Canada, Langley Events Centre (23.45, Irish time)
Friday, October 11th: Ireland v USA, BC Place (8.30pm, Irish time)
