FORMER Ireland international Maz Reilly has been added to the Ulster/Leinster Wolfhounds coaching ticket for the upcoming Celtic Challenge league, running from December to March.
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has also announced former internationals Larissa Muldoon and Leah Lyons as part of the Connacht/Munster Clovers coaching team.
Muldoon, Women’s National Talent Coach for Connacht, and former Ireland international Lyons will join Denis Fogarty’s coaching staff with the Clovers while Reilly will join Neil Alcorn’s Wolfhounds coaching team.
Reilly, who won 54 caps for Ireland, was part of the Ireland team’s coaching staff at the WXV1 as a World Rugby Coaching Intern. She has also had coaching roles with Leinster, MU Barnhall and Wesley College.
In addition to her role in Connacht, Grand Slam winner Muldoon has worked as Head Coach with the Ireland U18 Girls, backs coach of the Ireland U20 Women’s team and is recently returned from a 12 week stint in New Zealand working with the Crusaders Women’s team.
Lyons who played for Munster, Harlequins and Sale Sharks, worked in a number of age grade coaching roles during her time with Munster and more recently has been involved as Lead Coach at Sale Sharks England Rugby Centre of Excellence.
Fogarty and Alcorn are returning to their Head Coach roles for the tournament which this year will have an expanded home and away format.
Both head coaches have been working in the Irish system for years, with Fogarty the current scrum coach with the Ireland Women’s side, and Alcorn the current IRFU Women’s National Talent Coach for Ulster.
Commenting on his re-appointment with the Wolfhounds, Alcorn said: “The recent release of the new Strategy for Rugby in Ireland clearly demonstrates that the Women’s game is a huge priority for the IRFU so we are delighted with the expanded format of the Celtic Challenge for this season.
“Last year’s tournament saw some exciting players emerge such as Katie Corrigan who went on to get her international cap during Six Nations last year. We are hoping more players can follow Katie’s path while the Wolfhounds challenge for the Celtic Challenge again.”
Fogarty added: “I am really excited about this season’s Celtic Challenge on the back of a hugely successful period for Women’s rugby in Ireland with World Cup qualification secured through the Six Nations and a second place finish at WXV1 in Vancouver.
“The ongoing work of the Women’s National Talent Squads in unearthing new and exciting talent makes me really eager to get going.”
The 2024/25 Celtic Challenge will feature six teams from Ireland, Wales and Scotland, each playing five home and five away matches, for a total of 30 games. The team with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned champions.
Full fixtures for the competitions will be announced in due course along with squads
