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18th August 2025
11:30pm BST
Scott Bemand’s Ireland will start their 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup this Sunday against Japan in Franklin’s Gardens. It will be Ireland’s first appearance at the competition since hosting it in 2017, where Ireland placed eighth after group wins against Australia and Japan.
The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup takes place in England. It is the 10th staging of the tournament. It will be played across eight locations; Twickenham Stadium, Stadium of Light, Franklin's Gardens, Ashton Gate, Sandy Park, Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium, Salford Community Stadium and York Community Stadium.
It will run from the 22nd August to the 27th September. The tournament begins on Friday night with hosts England playing USA in the curtain-raiser.
RTÉ will provide live coverage of all three of Ireland’s group games, with six more pool games also being shown, while offering an additional nine games on the RTÉ player. The remaining games will be shown on TG4.
Ireland was in band two of the Rugby World Cup draw, seeded sixth (in line with the World Rankings of October 2024). They were drawn in pool C alongside Japan, Spain and New Zealand.
Ireland starts against Japan on August 24 (kick-of, 12.00) at Franklin's Gardens before facing Spain in the same venue a week later (kick-off, 12.00) before the almighty test of facing New Zealand in their final group game at Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium on September 7 (kick-off, 14.45).
The competition includes 16 teams, made up of four teams in each of the four groups. Group A consists of England, USA, Australia and Samoa. Group B includes Canada, Scotland, Wales and Fiji. Ireland is in the third group, Group C, with Japan, Spain and New Zealand. The final group, Group D, is made up of France, Italy, South Africa, and Brazil.
The top two in each group earn qualification into the quarter-final stage. The quarter-final stage commences on September 13.
England are the tournament favourites to lift the trophy, closely followed by six-time and current champions New Zealand. Canada, who recently beat Ireland 47-26, are third favourites, with Ireland currently priced at 50-1 to win the competition.
Many people predict that Bemand’s team will be good enough to progress into the final eight, with their most difficult fixture coming against New Zealand, and they will take encouragement from their 29-27 victory over the Black Ferns last September in their WXV 1 campaign.
Scott Bemand selected a 32-player squad for the competition. Hooker Beth Buttimer is the only debutant in the squad after impressing for the Irish U-20s during the summer series. Ivana Kiripati, Nancy McGillivray and Ellena Perry all made the squad, having made their debuts during the warm-up games. Full list below:
Forwards:
Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC / Ulster) (6)
Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian / Munster)*
Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster) (8)
Eimear Corri Fallon (Blackrock RFC / Leinster) (6)
Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster) (48)
Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC / Ulster) (34)
Neve Jones (Gloucester Hartpury) (37)
Ivana Kiripati (Creggs RFC / Connacht) (2)
Siobhán McCarthy (Railway Union RFC / Munster) (9)
Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC / Ulster) (16)
Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs / Connacht) (34) Co-Captain
Clíodhna Moloney MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs) (45)
Sam Monaghan (Gloucester Hartpury / IQ Rugby) (23) Co-Captain
Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women / IQ Rugby) (22)
Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster) (17)
Ellena Perry (Gloucester Hartpury / IQ Rugby) (1)
Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC / Ulster) (17)
Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC / Leinster) (15)
Backs:
Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC / Munster) (31)
Amee Leigh Costigan (Railway Union RFC / Munster) (19)
Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster) (24)
Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC / Connacht) (14)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC / Leinster) (20)
Nicole Fowley (Galwegians / Connacht) (14)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC / Leinster) (28)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC / Munster) (17)
Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC / Connacht) (11)
Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs / IQ Rugby) (1)
Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster) (26)
Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC / Connacht) (28)
Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC / Connacht) (16)
Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Manawatū RFC / Leinster) (22)
The injuries
Ireland are without two of their biggest ball-carrying threats for this tournament. The loss of Exeter Chief’s second row Dorothy Wall and Olympian and World Rugby's Women's 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2024, Erin King. While backrow Aoife Wafer is said to be still recovering from knee surgery. Her inclusion in the squad would suggest she’s on track to play during the tournament.
The new caps
Ex-England prop Elena Parry switched her allegiance to green, getting her debut during the warm-up window. 22-year-old Kiripati broke into the squad this summer after some solid performances in the Celtic Challenge with the Clovers.
The Ballinasloe contingent
As Ballinasloe celebrate their 150th year, they have three players included in the squad. Béibhinn Parsons, Aoibheann Reilly and Méabh Deely are all making their local community proud.
Ireland’s history at the Women’s World Cup
Ireland made their debut at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 1994 with an 18-5 victory over Scottish students XI. Their best finish at the World Cup came in 2014 when they finished fourth after a historic first win against New Zealand in the group stage to finish top of Pool B.
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