As pre-tournament vibes go, the 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations feels gloriously different for many reasons for Ireland.
Why?
Because there’s a real sense of optimism that had been notable by its absence in the build-up to previous championships.
Because for the first time since 2017, this is a Women’s Rugby World Cup year that crucially involves Ireland.
Because Ireland’s second-place finish in the WXV1 tournament in Canada last autumn - which included a stunning 29-27 victory over defending World Cup champions New Zealand - showed the breath-taking progress this team has made over the last year.
If there was a gong at the end of 2024 for most improved national team, it would have gone to the Irish women’s rugby team. There might not be much of a change in the official world rankings - they started last year ranked 10th and finished ranked seventh – but that numerical rise doesn’t tell the full story.
Here’s a quick recap of the last 24 months. After finishing bottom of the 2023 Six Nations table on zero points after a tumultuous and dispiriting campaign, former England women’s assistant Scott Bemand took over as Ireland head coach in August 2023 and they won the newly-created WXV3 competition in Dubai. In the 2024 Six Nations, Ireland lost their opening games away to France and at home to Italy but a huge turning point came with their 36-5 win over Wales in Cork.
England’s general superiority in the women’s game was underlined in Ireland’s 88-10 loss to them at Twickenham in round four but this championship was always going to boil down to the final game with Scotland in Belfast. Ireland fought back from a poor first half when they trailed 0-5 but second half tries from Katie Corrigan and Clíodhna Moloney (who was dramatically recalled to the squad during the Six Nations after a few years not included) and a decisive Dannah O’Brien penalty in the 73rd minute sealed a 15-12 win.
Not only did that victory secure third place in the table but also their ticket to this year’s World Cup.
So where did it all go right?
The biggest leap in Ireland’s transformation came last autumn. There were changes in the coaching team with the addition of new staff like Alex Codling (who was briefly seconded to the Munster men’s squad) as the new forwards coach and Hugh Hogan as new defence coach. One of the biggest changes in this set-up has been their culture thanks to Seán Ryan and the new bond and tightness this team has been evident on the pitch. For example, they have a buddy system whereby each player is teamed up with a team-mate who they particularly look out for. Players reference this a lot which shows how beneficial it is to them.
As well as showing an overall improvement in their skills and continuity play in their 36-10 win over Australia in Belfast last September in a game to mark the IRFU’s 150TH anniversary, the reintroduction and inclusion of the sevens players from the Paris Olympics elevated the standard to a whole new level. While dual players Béibhinn Parsons, Aoibheann Reilly and Eve Higgins played in last year’s Six Nations, more of them made the switch to 15s after the Olympics and their impact was stunning.
While former 15s players Amee-Leigh Costigan (nee: Murphy Crowe) and Stacey Flood showed their class, newbie Erin King made an immediate impression. She wasn’t just a rookie when she made her debut against the Wallaroos, she’d previously only played three senior 15s games which were for her club Old Belvedere. You might remember the shots of her going viral during the Paris Olympics when she showed her strength as she lifted and held up Emily Lane at a restart.
King took the WXV1 tournament by storm. She came on as a sub against the Black Ferns and scored two tries and last November was named World Rugby’s Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year. Edel McMahon will have something to say but a backrow of King, Aoife Wafer and Brittany Hogan will be an incredible force on the pitch. It’s sacrilege really that this is the first mention of Wafer in this article! She’s one of the most exciting prospects to come on the Irish rugby scene after she played her first full season of Six Nations last year which ended with her inclusion on the shortlist for player of the championship.
Ireland’s cover is blown going into this 2025 Six Nations after that second place in WXV1. Speaking recently, Bemand said of his team that “the speed of ascent is somewhat surprising” but they’re not getting carried away. They can’t afford to. In many ways, this could be a more difficult Six Nations than last year because they play their toughest opponents at home – England and France – and the rest away.
The Women’s Six Nations opener against France in Belfast on Saturday, March 22 will have been circled in the players’ calendars from months ago. They were beaten 38-17 by France in the opener last year in Le Mans but this is a home game they will really target.
Ireland will want to show that their wins last autumn weren’t one-offs, that anything is possible with them. Bring it on.
Sinéad Kissane, Irish Independent.