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RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Enya Breen: Eight-year wait makes World Cup special
Enya Breen was there at one of the lowest points in Irish rugby and that makes the upcoming World Cup all the more special for the Cork woman. The Ireland centre was injured for the qualifier play-off defeat to Scotland in Parma in 2021 but was among the extended squad who cut stunned and dejected figures strewn across the pitch when the final whistle blew that evening, the team losing to a last-minute converted try. There was to be no trip to New Zealand for the 2022 World Cup. Some of the pain many of the players felt came from knowing that was their last chance, while others knew their time would come; seven of the 15 starters that evening have retired or are injured this time around. But the gap to the last time Ireland ran out for World Cup action will be eight years by the time they face Japan on 24 August in Northampton. A third-place finish in the 2024 Six Nations, after a winless 2023 campaign, meant that Scott Bemand's side avoided a potentially tricky play-off route and qualified automatically for the tournament, where they will also face Spain and New Zealand in Pool C. "It's huge. We didn't make it in 2022 and that was devastating at the time, but it probably put a bit more importance on this one," Munster centre Breen told RTÉ Sport's Michael Corcoran. "We've been building for this for eight years now at this stage since the last one was held here. "It's really important to us as a group, we know it's really important for the country. "It's the pinnacle of the rugby calendar for us and we're loving the build-up, we're loving every second of it." Ireland have been training all summer with an extended preparation squad named last May. Most of the work is being done at the HPC in Blanchardstown, Dublin, while they also decamped to Ennis for a two-day stint. It's all building up to two 'Summer Send Off' warm-up games against Scotland in Cork on Saturday week and against Canada in Belfast seven days later as Bemand and his fellow coaches whittle the squad down to 32 players. "We're not rugby players to be training, everyone is buzzing to get into games now," added the 26-year-old, who has 29 caps, speaking at the Canterbury and Elverys launch of the new Ireland kit. "It'll probably show what we've done over the last few months. We've been training hard but you never know what's going to come out until you step into a Test game, into that cauldron. "Once the pressure is on, we'll see how it goes. "It's important to put ourselves in a good light, but everyone is putting the team first. "We back everyone to put in a shift and do the job the best they can. "It's going to be tough, the squad is smaller and selection is tight. It's been a tough summer but it's been great as well. "It's the longest block we've had together as a team without games so to be able to bring that intensity through the summer and bring that intensity that we need building into a World Cup. "We've hard some really hard sessions and we're pushing each other bloody hard. "There's been plenty of bite to everything. "Everyone is blowing all the time but we are chasing quality as well. We are growing every day and taking small steps in the right direction." For second row Fiona Tuite, it will also be a maiden World Cup campaign. The Dubliner, who plays with Ulster, made her Ireland bow at the victorious WXV3 tournament against Colombia in 2023. "Playing in a World Cup is absolutely huge, one of the best competitions in the world, in any sport," said the 28-year-old, who has been capped 15 times. "It's absolutely phenomenal. "Some of our girls have gone through heartbreak before and not qualified for the World Cup so this is huge. "This is massive for us and really exciting, a huge competition and we're looking forward to continuing the success that we've been building the last couple of years."
The 42
7 days ago
- Business
- The 42
Here are the jerseys Ireland will wear at the Women's Rugby World Cup
THE IRELAND JERSEYS for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup have been unveiled. Canterbury of New Zealand launched the kit, in partnership with the IRFU and Elverys, today ahead of it going on sale this Friday, 25 July. Prices start from €80/£66. Advertisement Ireland will debut the new home jersey in their World Cup opener against Japan on Sunday, 24 August at at Franklin's Gardens, Northampton. Scott Bemand's side also face Spain and New Zealand in Pool A. They return to the showpiece tournament for the first time since hosting in 2017, having missed out on qualification for 2021, and they do so after an impressive upturn: from a strong showing at last year's WXV1, including a famous win over the Black Ferns, to striking Six Nations progress. 'At Canterbury, we are incredibly proud to launch the official kit for the Irish Women's Team,' said Simon Rowe, SVP of Canterbury of New Zealand. 'This summer feels like a very important time for Irish women's rugby, with the team looking to build upon a set of fantastic results last year. Under the banner of 'Ireland's Calling,' we are inviting fans everywhere to rally behind these exceptional players as they take to the world's stage.' 'This Rugby World Cup campaign represents a defining moment for women's rugby in Ireland, and we're proud to mark it with the launch of such a meaningful jersey and campaign,' IRFU Head of Commercial Jessica Long added. ''Ireland's Calling' is more than a campaign line — it's a rallying cry to fans across the country to get behind this team as they inspire a new generation on and off the pitch.' The kit was launched at a special event at Lansdowne FC, Dublin, today, where Canterbury also unveiled a 12-metre tall jersey which will tour Ireland from 24 July to 10 August. Fans can sign it with messages of support at rugby clubs and Elverys stores across the country, before it's presented to the squad ahead of departure for England. Ireland face Scotland and Canada in send-off games in Cork and Belfast on Saturday, 2 and 9 August.
BBC News
23-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
World Cup has come 'sooner than I thought'
Ireland head coach Scott Bemand believes his side are further along in their journey than he anticipated they would be at this stage of his is preparing his side up for the Rugby World Cup in England next month, with Ireland drawn against Japan, Spain and New Zealand in Pool pleased with their success, which includes qualifying for the tournament, beating New Zealand in the WXV1 and finishing third in the Women's Six Nations, he has been surprised by their quick progress."Whatever happens in this World Cup, when I was sat in the interview for this job two years ago, I was talking about Australia World Cup in 2029," he told BBC Sport NI's Orla Bannon."I'm not surprised with the level of performance the girls have got to, but with where we have got to, it is a bit sooner than we thought, but we won't fight it."Bemand dismissed the notion that the World Cup is "a free hit" and is hoping his players can perform to their potential as they aim to reach the knockout stages."We have earned the right to be here and we're not under the radar now, we want to deliver on the world stage and if the time is now, it is now and there's an internal pressure to deliver on what we are capable of," he added."We have two warm-up games and by the time we get to the shores of England, we will be ready. We're concentrated on getting our best performance out there and if we do, the results will take care of themselves."We believe we have the capability to get to London [where the semi-finals are being held], so why not dream?"
BBC News
16-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ireland's Wafer a doubt for World Cup after surgery
Ireland forward Aoife Wafer is a doubt for the Rugby World Cup after undergoing surgery on a knee who was named 2025 Six Nations Player of the Championship, is set to miss Ireland's two warm-up games against Scotland and Canada next faces a race against time to be fit for Ireland's World Cup Pool C opener against Japan in Northampton on 24 Bemand's side face Spain on 31 August and holders New Zealand on 7 September in their remaining pool 22-year-old, who will join Harlequins from Leinster after the tournament in England, scored four tries for Ireland in the Six Nations, but missed the last game of the championship after damaging knee ligaments against fitness has become increasingly significant for Ireland following injuries to back rowers Dorothy Wall and Erin King, who will both miss the World Cup.
The Irish Sun
10-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Ireland hit with yet another injury blow which may rule Six Nations star out of World Cup in August
IRELAND have been hit with another injury blow as Aoife Wafer has again sustained a knee injury in the lead up to the World Cup. Ireland's Six Nations stand-out performer is now racing to get fit in time for the World Cup opener against Japan on August 24 in Northampton. Advertisement 3 Ireland had a bright start to the Six Nations but a heavy defeat to England ruled out winning chances 3 Wafer was their top performer throughout the competition 3 Scott Bemand will have a smaller pool of players to choose from for the World Cup The former Leinster backrower looks set to miss the World Cup warm-up games against Scotland on August 2 and August 9. The knee injury occurred during Despite missing the final round, the Wexford native's performances in the competition earned her Women's Six Nations Player of the Tournament. Advertisement Read more on Irish sport It was announced in May that Wafer would join up with Harlequins at the end of the Rugby World Cup. She has been with Leinster her whole professional career having led the Wolfhounds - a Leinster and Ulster combined team - to back to back Celtic Challenge Cups. The Quins were impressed with the former Enniscorthy RFC player as she was named in the 2024 World Rugby XVs Team of the Year. The 22-year-old joins key players Erin King and Dorothy Wall on the growing Ireland injury list. Advertisement Most read in Rugby Union King was ruled out of both the remainder of the Six Nations and the World Cup when suffering a knee injury - which required surgery - in Ireland's Wall World Cup dreams were also shattered during the Six Nations, sustaining an Achilles tendon injury in the final Six Nations game against Scotland. Craig Casey shares hilarious 'fear' weighing on him before captaining Ireland for first time vs Georgia Ireland's pack will be heavily weakened without three of their star players if Wafer fails to reach match fitness. Scott Bemand's side finished third in the Six Nations table for the second year in a row following a last place finish in 2023 with no points on the board. Advertisement Ireland bettered last season's Six Nations points tally by one point but saw a significant change in score difference as they went from -71 in 2024 to +5 in 2025.
