Ireland target Women’s Six Nations success after World Cup heartbreak
Ireland will open their 2026 Women’s Six Nations campaign against England on 11 April, driven by a determination to banish the memory of their recent World Cup quarter-final exit.
Six months have passed since a heartbreaking 18-13 defeat by France in Exeter ended their global ambitions.
Head coach Scott Bemand now wants his squad to use that lingering disappointment as fuel to reach new heights in the upcoming championship.
The girls in green have secured back-to-back third-place finishes under their current boss.
However, closing the substantial gap to tournament heavyweights England and France remains the ultimate objective.
New leadership and fresh faces
To facilitate this upward trajectory, the management team has introduced nine uncapped players into a revitalised 36-player panel.
Former captain Amee-Leigh Costigan and co-captain Edel McMahon have both been omitted from the latest squad.
The captain’s armband has consequently been handed to returning back-row forward Erin King.
The 22-year-old recently recovered from a serious knee injury that cruelly forced her to miss the summer tournament.
Bemand, who recently extended his contract until 2029, believes the new skipper embodies the resilient future of Irish rugby.
Closing the gap on European heavyweights
Securing an elusive victory over the French side is a primary target following several agonisingly close encounters.
That challenge will be formidable given that both crucial fixtures against France and the dominant Red Roses are away from home.
England are current world champions and have remarkably won seven consecutive Six Nations titles without losing a single match since 2018.
“We’ve always said we don’t want to be afraid to talk about winning; winning games and competitions.”
The head coach acknowledged the progress made during the World Cup but stressed the need for continuous improvement.
“We pushed France close, but we have to be another school better.”
King shares this ambitious mindset, insisting that being highly competitive against the top two nations is a completely realistic goal.
The newly appointed captain noted that her side led the French 13-0 at half-time during their summer meeting.
She also recalled trailing the English by just two points at the break in Cork last year before fading in the second half.
