Ireland to prepare for WXV 1 debut with Australia Test in Belfast
Ireland Women will warm up for their first taste of WXV 1 with a Test against Australia at Kingspan Stadium this September.
The Belfast fixture, which pits the WXV 3 2023 winners against the side ranked fifth in the current World Rugby Women’s Rankings, will be played on 14 September and will get Irish Rugby’s 150th anniversary celebrations under way.
The IRFU stated the kick-off time, broadcast arrangements and ticket details for the match would be announced "in due course".
Although on the receiving end of a chastening 88-10 defeat to England at Twickenham last month, Ireland have made impressive progress under coach Scott Bemand.
Having missed out on qualification for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand, Ireland booked their ticket to England 2025 – and WXV 1 in Canada – with a third-place finish in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
That came on the back of winning WXV 3, Bemand’s first tournament in charge, and was secured through victories against Wales and Scotland.
Last Saturday's win against Scotland was clinched by Dannah O’Brien’s late penalty in front of 7,468 fans at Kingspan and Belfast will have another opportunity to show its support for Ireland’s women when they run out against Jo Yapp’s Wallaroos in September.
Bemand said: “We are really pleased to add this Test match into our fixture list at the start of next season, providing the squad with a valuable preparation window ahead of our WXV campaign in September and October.
“Australia will be coming off the Pacific Four competition. It’s a great chance for us to play an opponent with a different game style."
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Come on, it's an open secret in world rugby that there's a steroid problem in Sth African rugby. That infamous photo of the Syringeboks with their jerseys off says it all.
Go to commentsThat absolute BS, when did you come up with this idea?
All three were well on track to being All Blacks. They simply decided it was smarter to take the money right now rather than slog on for another 3 or 4 years waiting for their opportunity to line up.
Many AB quality players have not even got the chance to earn a cap for heavens sake, it is simply as you suggest elsewhere, better utilization of global talent to have them qualify for another nation.
The only problem is that the ABs get all the best players, mostly because they pay more, and the island nations, even the home nations, just get those that can't make it or want a bit more limelight.
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