Ireland women’s fifteens rugby team deserving winners of the inaugural WXV3 competition

THE Ireland women’s fifteens team were successful in the inaugural WXV3 competition and took home silverware from Dubai last week. Ireland won the third division of this new world tournament designed with the intention to increase international test opportunities in women’s rugby. 

A positive move for women’s rugby globally as the World Cup 2025 will increase from 12 teams to 16 teams for the first time ever.

Each division of WXV welcomed six teams with three matches for each team across three weeks. 

Ireland’s poor results from the 2023 Six Nations tournament meant that they were seeded in the lowest division of the new tournament and therefore headed to Dubai along with Kazakhstan, Colombia, Kenya, Fiji and old rivals Spain.

Ireland have a new coach in the form of Scott Bemand who has taken on the main job after working as an assistant coach with fully professional and world number 1 team England. 

Bemand had a good opportunity to select his team from the competitive and entertaining women’s inter-pro series where Leinster emerged victorious despite losing to Connacht in the opening round and after two bruising encounters with Munster. 

His initial selection raised a few eyebrows when he omitted some senior players from the squad in favour of young blood, but he insists his approach is the long term development of his squad.

It’s always a great occasion for young Irish players to be awarded their first caps. 

It’s a huge moment of celebration for families and rugby clubs who have supported players on their journey to see it rewarded with the green jersey. 

However, for Ireland, these new caps awarded at the beginning of this journey with new management need to hold on to their jerseys. We need to be seeing these players hit 30-40 caps in a few years. 

There are far too few Irish players who have hit the 50 cap mark, and that needs to change. 

With the beginnings of professionalism in the women’s game in Ireland I’m excited to see what this squad can achieve.

If this squad is looking to fill its potential, they will have to make sure they qualify for WXV2 next season. 

Sure, it was a good challenge for this squad to play some international test games, especially with so much youth involved, and the squad deserved some good days out following a very heavy and draining six nations campaign last year. 

The squad will have enjoyed that winning feeling and getting over the try line after 109-0 and 64-3 victories over Kazakhstan and Colombia respectively. 

The third game was probably a welcome experience of grinding out a win versus Spain where they just about held out to take the WXV3 trophy by winning 15-13. 

Two try-fests and a gritty win will serve up many lessons to this squad and they probably got everything they could out of the tournament hosted at the Dubai Sevens Stadium in the blistering heat.

If this squad wants to progress, however, they have got to perform in the Six Nations tournament in 2024. 

Given that the rest of the six nations teams are fresh out of the WXV 1 and 2 tournaments, which both presented a higher standard of rugby, Ireland will face a tough battle to find a win next year. 

Ireland will have the advantage of hosting Scotland, Italy and Wales at home, while travelling to France and England, where they will take on arguably the best women’s team in the world in the home of rugby at Twickenham Stadium. 

It will be a huge occasion for all involved as England are aiming to host a record-breaking crowd once more.

Ireland need to have all guns blazing by the time the 20th of April comes around next year and a win or two under their belts beforehand would be hugely positive for their preparation.

England took the WVX1 trophy in Auckland on Saturday night against a ferocious New Zealand side who were looking to get under the skin of their old rivals once again since beating them in the World Cup Final almost a year to the day before.

England were looking to put old demons to rest after losing to the Black Ferns in one of the greatest world cup finals I have ever seen. After emerging victorious on this occasion, their captain and World Rugby 15s Player of the Year, Marlie Packer, addressed the media saying that she was disappointed with the crowd numbers that came out to watch. 

She was right. After the incredible spectacle of last year’s world cup, why were there so many empty seats in the stadium? 

New Zealand rugby are often criticised for resting on their laurels and not doing enough for the women’s game and their world champion team. 

If they want a lesson in how it’s done, I suggest they take notes on how England and the RFU prepare for hosting the 2025 World Cup.