History is being made this week with news that 29 players have now been contracted to the Irish Rugby Women’s High Performance Programme which marked its launch on Tuesday including with ten players from the XVs squads signing full-time contracts.
Tullow’s Dannah O’Brien, who put in a good showing with the Irish team on their tour to Japan earlier this summer, was among the first ten recruits with the IRFU also signing Dorothy Wall, Linda Djougang, Enya Breen, Natasja Beehan, Méabh Deely, Leah Tarpey, Kathryn Dane, Maeve Óg O’Leary and Kayla Waldron to full-time contracts.
The Women’s XVs High Performance Programme will operate out of the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin. The full-time programme will be overseen by Irish women’s head coach Greg McWilliams. The 29 players represent both the XVs and 7s players.
Next year’s Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship will also be held in January with kick-off dates brought forward two weeks and will run in advance of the 2023 TikTok Six Nations.
2023 Interprovincial Fixtures
- Round 1: January 7th/8th – Leinster v Connacht; Munster v Ulster.
- Round 2: January 14th/15th – Munster v Leinster; Ulster v Connacht.
- Round 3: January 21st/22nd – Connacht v Munster; Ulster v Leinster.
Where TV coverage is concerned, the IRFU have also confirmed that this year’s Energia AIL Women’s Division FInal will be broadcast on Friday 9 December by TG4 with a 7.45pm kick-off.
