Meet the 32-strong Ireland squad heading to the Rugby World Cup

Irish Times

5 hours ago

Aoife Wafer
Club:
Blackrock/Leinster
County:
Wexford
Age:
22
Position:
Flanker
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Wafer had been an injury concern after knee surgery, but is thankfully included in the
World Cup
squad. She won the 2025
Six Nations Player of the Tournament
, was part of the 2024 World Rugby Dream Team, and was player of the match in the victory over New Zealand at the WXV1 tournament last year. Following the World Cup, she's set for a move to Harlequins.
Ireland's Amee-Leigh Costigan in Cork for a warm-up match against Scotland. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Amee-Leigh Costigan
Club:
Railway Union/Munster
County:
Tipperary
Age:
30
Position:
Winger
Perhaps best known for her
Sevens
antics, having been part of the Ireland team at the Paris Olympics, Costigan (formerly Murphy Crowe) is the Irish record-holder for most tries and was a try-scorer against England in this year's Six Nations.
Ireland's Anna McGann scores her side's second try in Belfast despite McKinley Hunt of Canada. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Anna McGann
Club:
Railway Union
County:
Westmeath
Age:
26
Position:
Outside centre
Another Sevens recruit, McGann was unlucky to miss out on the Olympics due to injury. She came back to the 15s to score a hat-trick of tries against Italy in the Six Nations and touched down twice in the warm-up game against Canada.
Ireland's Aoibheann Reilly in Belfast. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Aoibheann Reilly
Club:
Blackrock/Connacht
County:
Roscommon
Age:
24
Position:
Scrumhalf
Two ACL injuries within nine months haven't prevented Reilly from returning to full strength and earning a spot on the plane to England. The Roscommon native has been part of the Sevens system since 2021 and got her first 15s cap in 2022, amassing a further 16 since.
Ireland's Aoife Dalton during a warm-up match with England in Cork. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Aoife Dalton
Club:
Old Belvedere/Leinster
County:
Offaly
Age:
22
Position:
Inside centre
Named in the 2025 Six Nations Team of the Tournament, and player of the match in Ireland's win over Italy, Dalton finished last season with a Women's Player's Player of the Year at the Rugby Player Ireland Awards. One to watch.
Ireland's Béibhinn Parsons tackled by Canada's Karen Paquin. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Beibhinn Parsons
Club:
Blackrock/Connacht
County:
Galway
Age:
23
Position:
Winger
Despite her youth, Parsons is already a stalwart of the team, making history in 2016 as the youngest player to play a senior game for Ireland at 16. Back in form after injury, she scored two tries against Canada in the warm-up game.
Ireland's Beth Buttimer in Belfast. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Beth Buttimer
Club:
UL Bohemian/Munster
County:
Tipperary
Age:
19
Position:
Hooker
Buttimer, who turns 20 later this month, is the only uncapped player on the squad, having impressed in the recent u20 Summer Series. She has played with the Clovers in the Celtic Challenge and Munster at both underage and senior level.
Ireland's Brittany Hogan during the warm-up match with Scotland. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Brittany Hogan
Club:
Old Belvedere/Ulster
County:
Down
Age:
26
Position:
Flanker
Having missed out on the 2017 World Cup, Hogan has featured consistently
Scott Bemand
took the reins in 2023. Played in each of Ireland's Six Nations games this year and scored a try in the win over Italy.
Ireland's Claire Boles training at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Claire Boles
Club:
Railway Union/Ulster
County:
Fermanagh
Age:
27
Position:
Flanker
Boles travelled to the Olympics as a travelling reserve for the Sevens and was called on after Parsons and Lucy Mulhall were injured. She made her 15s debut in 2019, amassing four caps to date and was named in the squad for the game against Canada earlier this month.
Ireland's Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald training in Dublin. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Cliodhna Moloney MacDonald
Club:
Exeter Chiefs
County:
Galway
Age:
32
Position:
Hooker
Almost three years exiled from the Irish team after a low point in the Irish women's team's relationship with the IRFU, she returned following Bemand's appointment. Playing her rugby full-time with Exeter Chiefs since 2022 after a move from Wasps, the Galway native has extended her contract for the 2025/2026 season.
Ireland's Dannah O'Brien at a warm-up match in Dublin. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Dannah O'Brien
Club:
Old Belvedere/ Leinster
County:
Carlow
Age:
21
Position:
Outhalf
Called into the senior squad for the inaugural women's summer tour in Japan aged 19, the former Tullow player has gone on to score 136 points in the Six Nations. She was the Celtic Challenge's top points-scorer in 2025 with 74.
Ireland's Edel McMahon and France's Charlotte Escudero at a warm-up match in Belfast.
Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Edel McMahon
Club:
Exeter Chiefs
County:
Clare
Age:
31
Position:
Flanker
Co-captaining the team, McMahon is one of the more senior players in the Irish squad and has played in the English Premiership since 2019, when she moved from Connacht to Wasps. Now plays with Exeter since a move in 2022.
Ireland's Eimear Corri Fallon training at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Eimear Corri Fallon
Club:
Blackrock/Leinster
County:
Laois
Age:
27
Position:
Lock
Balancing her burgeoning rugby career with studying medicine, the Laois woman was part of the Leinster team that defeated Munster in the 2024 Interpros and was Player of the Match in Leinster's victory over Ulster.
Ireland's Emily Lane at the Affidea Stadium in Belfast. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Emily Lane
Club:
Blackrock/Munster
County:
Cork
Age:
26
Position:
Scrumhalf
Lane made her Sevens debut in 2018, followed by her 15s debut in 2021. At the Paris Olympics, where Lane was the fifth most capped Irish player, she went viral when Erin King brought her safely to ground despite nearly tipping backwards over her team-mate's head during a lift.
Ireland's Enya Breen at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Enya Breen
Club:
Blackrock/Munster
County:
Cork
Age:
26
Position:
Outhalf/centre
A physiotherapist by trade, Breen has been a veteran of the 15s squad since her debut as a teenager in 2019 against France. She captained Ireland during their successful WXV1 campaign.
Ireland's Eve Higgins at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Eve Higgins
Club:
Blackrock/Munster
County:
Kildare
Age:
26
Position:
Inside centre
Higgins has been involved in Irish rugby for a decade now having been brought into the Sevens game at 16 before earning her first contract at 18, all while playing 15s for Railway Union. She's scored nine tries over her 27 caps at international 15s level and also featured at the Paris Olympics.
Ireland's Fiona Tuite at the Affidea Stadium in Dublin. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Fiona Tuite
Club:
Old Belvedere/Leinster
County:
Dublin
Age:
28
Position:
Second row
A former Dublin footballer, Tuite was introduced to rugby through the Sevens set up. She first took up 15s in college where she studied physiotherapy. Despite being unlucky with injuries, she has amassed 17 caps with the senior team.
Ireland's Grace Moore at the warm-up match against Canada. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Grace Moore
Club:
Trailfinders Women
County:
IQ/London
Age:
29
Position:
Back row
Scouted by the IQ Programme while playing for Richmond in the Premiership, Moore has played for Ireland in both Sevens and 15s. She played for Saracens before moving to Trailfinders for the 2024/2025 season. Moore has scored three tries in the Six Nations over her 20 appearances.
Ireland's Ivana Kiripati during a warm-up match against Canada in Dublin. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Ivana Kiripati
Club:
Creggs/Connacht
County:
Westmeath
Age:
23
Position:
Number 8
Kiripati got her first two senior caps in the recent World Cup warm-up games. She played with Connacht at underage level before moving to the US for college, where she played both Sevens and 15s, and was part of the first Ireland under-20s panel.
Ireland's Linda Djougang playing against Scotland in a warm-up game. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Linda Djougang
County:
Dublin
Club:
Old Belvedere/Leinster
Age:
29
Position:
Prop
The most capped player on the squad with 48, Djougang has been a constant for Ireland since her first cap in 2019. She's scored 45 Six Nations points and was named Player of the Year at the 2025 Leinster Rugby awards.
Ireland's Molly Scuffil McCabe training at the IRFU High Performance Centre. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Molly Scuffil McCabe
County:
Dublin
Club:
Manawatu RFC/ Leinster
Age:
27
Position:
Scrumhalf
Encouraged to take up rugby by her then teacher, former Ireland player Fiona Coghlan, Scuffil McCabe has played both Sevens and 15s. She divides her time between Ireland and New Zealand, doing a pre-veterinary course in Massey University and playing with Manawatu Cyclones.
Ireland's Neve Jones during a warm-up match against Canada. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Neve Jones
County:
Antrim
Club:
Gloucester Hartpury
Age:
26
Position:
Hooker
Jones has been playing in the Premiership since 2022, having signed for Gloucester Hartpury. The 2020 Energia Women's AIL Rising Star, she captained Ireland in their warm-up defeat to Canada.
Ireland's Eve Higgins and Niamh O'Dowd during a warm-up in Dublin. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Niamh O'Dowd
Club:
Old Belvedere/Leinster
County:
Wexford
Age:
25
Position:
Prop
Set to shine brighter after consecutive, consistent appearances in last year's WXV1 tournament and this year's Six Nations, where only Aoife Wafer and Stacey Flood had more carries. Nominated for Women's 15s Players' Player of the Year at the Rugby Player Ireland Awards.
Ireland's Nicole Fowley at the IRFU High Performance Centre. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Nicole Fowley
Club:
Galwegians/Connacht
County:
Galway
Age:
32
Position:
Outhalf
Last year's Connacht Player of the Year, Fowley earned her first international cap in November 2016 against England. Absent from the international set up from 2019 to 2023, she returned in the WXV3 tournament, coming off the bench to make six conversions against Kazakhstan. Scored 52 points in this year's Celtic Challenge.
Ireland's Ruth Campbell comes up against Claire Gallagher of Canada. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Ruth Campbell
Club:
Old Belvedere/Leinster
County:
Kildare
Age:
22
Position:
Second row
In her first international game, Campbell started against Australia in September 2024, lasting the full 80 minutes. Her first Six Nations start came in March against France. Previously played for Naas before moving to Old Belvedere.
Ireland's Sadhbh McGrath during a warm-up in Cork. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Sadhbh McGrath
Club:
Cooke RFC/Ulster
County:
Donegal
Age:
21
Position:
Prop
McGrath has had a rapid rise to the senior international squad, having got into rugby when she was 14. Since then, she's played under-18s for Ulster and Ireland, and captained the Clovers against Byrthon Thunder.
Ireland's Sam Monaghan breaks past Tyson Beukeboom of Canada. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Sam Monaghan
Club:
Gloucester Hartpury/Ulster
County:
Meath
Age:
32
Position:
Second row
Former Meath footballer, Monaghan offers leadership and experience in this young side. In 2024, she co-captained the team for the Six Nations with Edel McMahon but was unlucky to miss out on this year's campaign due to injury.
Ireland's Siobhán McCarthy at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Siobhán McCarthy
Club:
Railway Union/Munster
County:
Clare
Age:
30
Position:
Prop/second row
McCarthy picked up rugby after Ireland's Grand Slam in 2013, joining Shannon RFC before eventually persuading her twin Kate to do the same, later playing together for Railway Union. Got her first international cap in 2024 in a 36-10 victory over Australia in Belfast.
Ireland's Stacey Flood playing in Belfast. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Stacey Flood
Club:
Railway Union/ Leinster
County:
Dublin
Age:
29
Position:
Back/outhalf
Flood has played Sevens rugby for more than a decade having started in 2013. Another Paris Olympian, she returned to the 15s set-up for the Six Nations after the Celtic Challenge Cup, in which she was one of the leading carriers and kickers for the Wolfhounds.
Ireland's Meabh Deely at the IRFU High Performance Centre. Photograph: INPHO/ Laszlo Geczo
Meabh Deely
Club:
Blackrock/Connacht
County:
Galway
Age:
24
Position:
Fullback
Deeley was one of six Irish debutantes during the Japan Test Series in 2022. A college student at the time, she had a rugby scholarship from Trinity College Dublin and is a Geoscience graduate.
Ireland's Nancy McGillivray with her first cap after the game against Scotland in Cork. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Nancy McGillivray
Club:
Exeter Chiefs RFC
County:
IQ
Age:
22
Position:
Centre
Irish-qualified McGillivray first played rugby in Hong Kong at eight years old, where she went on to be involved in both the 15s and Sevens sides. She now plays for Exeter Chiefs in the English Premiership and was in the training camp for England for 2024/2025.
Ireland's Ellena Perry applauds the fans after the game against Canada. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady
Ellena Perry
Club:
Gloucester Hartpury RFC
County:
IQ
Age:
28
Position:
Prop
A late addition to the squad, Perry qualifies for Ireland through her maternal grandfather. She has 11 caps for England, the last earned in November 2020. Made her Ireland debut against Canada this month, replacing Niamh O'Dowd off the bench.