Scott Bemand is not quite sure exactly how many matches he’s watched, or miles he’s travelled, since Ireland’s agonising World Cup quarter-final defeat (18-13) to France last September, but both figures are considerable.
On the day when the IRFU announced that the Irish head coach had signed a contract extension that will keep him at the helm up to and including the 2029 World Cup in Australia, the 47-year-old Bemand unveiled a new-look extended Ireland squad for the upcoming Six Nations that includes nine uncapped players.
He’s been in charge since 2023, appointed about a month before Ireland travelled to the Women’s XV tournament looking to qualify for last year’s World Cup finals in England. The progress has been evolutionary rather than revolutionary, but the incremental rise in fortune has touched on some notable markers.
Bemand said: “The depth and breadth of the playing group that we now have is significantly diffedifferent from it was. There’s a lot more contenders, the squad is eminently more competitive to get into. You’ll notice that we’ve left out some very good players, and they will continue to stay ready should anything happen.”
He pointed to the growth in depth, and the hustle in getting as many matches as possible in terms of the Celtic Challenge, but also Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) in England. He continued: “We’re bringing in some IQ (Irish qualified) players, and we’ve brought in some new players coming up through the pathway within Ireland.”
That influx of youth will overlap with the senior squad as a three-round Under-21 tournament will run concurrently with the senior one. On Saturday April 18th, the Ireland women’s team will play a first Six Nations game in the Dexcom Stadium, Italy the opposition, and the curtain raiser will be the Under-21 international between the countries. That’s a landmark and milestone rolled into one.
“I was there last Sunday when they [Under-21s] played Canada. Bits of that they got right, bits of it were a little bit chastening,” explained Bemand, who has named five players from that age-grade in the senior squad. If they’re not required for matchday squads they will revert to the 21s.
When Bemand took stock after the World Cup, depth was a pivotal issue. Tournaments place a huge wear and tear on frontline players and those countries that are successful are able to rotate personnel.
Ireland women’s head coach Scott Bemand has signed an extension to his contract up to the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
“We need more people coming through so that the burden of work can be absorbed in a better way. You don’t always have to pick your strongest [team],” he explained. Other lessons included being more ruthless in the opposition 22, and more robust in the maul, attack and defence.
Erin King will captain the Ireland team. Bemand had no qualms about handing the leadership baton to a 22-year-old, citing Sam Warburton as an example. “Erin leads with energy. She role-models every session. She’s somebody that people want to follow. She tries to get better every single session, whether that be rugby, gym, [or] analysis.
It’s quite inspiring. We saw somebody [in Erin] role-modelling those behaviours and that would try and take people along with her. Clearly, she’s got growth to go in terms of the leadership, but it’s how you support leaders. You put people on either side. We call it a leadership triangle, put people on either side of her who will be able to support her both emotionally and/or tactically on a pitch.
“And she’s going to grow over the next three and a half years. By the time we get to the next World Cup, we’ve got somebody that’s got three years of [leadership] experience and has put her own stamp on how to lead. It doesn’t have to be perfect now, but people must be able to grow into that space.”
There are nine new faces in the squad, forwards Beth Buttimer, Jemima Adams Verling, Eilís Cahill, Aoibheann McGrath and Sophie Barrett, along with backs Alana McInerney, Caitríona Finn, Niamh Gallagher, and Robyn O’Connor. The influx means that a similar number that were there last year missed out.
Amee-Leigh Costigan is expecting twins, Edel McMahon and Claire Boles are injured, while Eimear Corri Fallon and Nicole Fowley have retired. Although based in New Zealand, Molly Scuffil-McCabe was available for selection, as were Méabh Deely, Siobhán McCarthy and Ivana Kiripati. The quartet remain players of interest.
Ireland open their Six Nations campaign against England at Twickenham in their first game since winning the World Cup at the stadium. It is on course to attract a crowd of 80,000 plus. Bemand’s charges take Italy at the Dexcom Stadium on Saturday, April 18th (kick-off 5.40pm), while Ireland’s second home match will be played at the Affidea Stadium in Belfast on Saturday, May 9th against Wales (kick-off 6.30pm).
The Irish side face France at Clermont’s Stade Marcel Michelin on Saturday, April 25th (kick-off 8.10pm Irish time) while the final home match will be another little slice of history when they host Scotland for the first time as a standalone fixture at the Aviva Stadium. Over 15,000 tickets have already been sold for the match.
Ireland squad for 2026 Women’s Six Nations
Forwards (21): Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen/Cooke/Ulster)*, Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian/Munster)*, Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian/Munster)*, Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian/Munster), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Erin King (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(capt), Aoibheann McGrath (Ballincollig/Munster)*, Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster), Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby), Niamh O’Dowd (Gloucester-Hartpury), Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Ailish Quinn (Galwegians/Connacht), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster), Jemima Adams Verling (Galwegians/Connacht)*, Aoife Wafer (Harlequins), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs).
Backs (15): Enya Breen (Blackrock College/Munster), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow/Leinster), Caitríona Finn (UL Bohemian/Munster)*, Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster), Niamh Gallagher (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby)*, Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Munster), Anna McGann (Railway Union/Connacht), Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby), Alana McInerney (UL Bohemian/Munster)*, Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Robyn O’Connor (Old Belvedere/Leinster)*, Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College/Connacht), Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College/Connacht).
* denotes uncapped
Fixtures (all times Irish)
Round 1
Saturday, April 11th
France v Italy, 12.25pm, Stade des Alpes
England v Ireland, 2.45pm, Twickenham
Wales v Scotland, 4.40pm, Principality Stadium
Round 2
Saturday, April 18th
Scotland v England, .30pm, Murrayfield
Wales v France, 3.35pm, Cardiff Arms Park
Ireland v Italy, 5.40pm, Dexcom Stadium
Round 3
Saturday, April 25th
England v Wales, 2.15pm, Ashton Gate
Italy v Scotland, 4.30pm, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
France v Ireland, 8.10pm, Stade Marcel-Michelin
Round 4
Saturday, May 9th
Italy v England, 2pm, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Scotland v France, 4.15pm, Hive Stadium
Ireland v Wales, 6.30pm, Affidea Stadium
Round 5
Sunday, May 17th
Wales v Italy, 12.15pm, Cardiff Arms Park
Ireland v Scotland, 2.30pm, Aviva Stadium
France v England, 4.45pm, Matmut Atlantique
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