Ireland head coach Scott Bemand with players and representatives of sponsors AON at yesterday’s announcement
Richard Bullick
A quarter of the Ireland squad for the forthcoming Guinness Six Nations have yet to pull on the green jersey at senior level but the uncapped contingent of nine players doesn’t include Ulster skipper India Daley.
The 36-player squad was announced at sponsor AON’s Dublin headquarters on Wednesday by Ireland supremo Scott Bemand following the welcome news earlier in the morning that he has signed a new contract to remain at the helm until the 2029 World Cup in Australia.
Ireland’s fortunes have been transformed under the energised Englishman, who was brought in on the back of the emphatic whitewash in the 2023 Six Nations and has since steered the girls in green to two third-placed finishes.
The first of those secured qualification for last year’s World Cup along with a ticket to the WXV1 competition and unfancied Ireland famously upset the then world champions New Zealand at that tournament in Vancouver.
After the squad get-together in January, 22-year-old former World Rugby Breakthrough Award winner Erin King was announced as Ireland’s new captain in succession to Edel McMahon and Sam Monaghan, a bold appointment made with an eye to the future.
The contract extension for boss Bemand is another important piece of the jigsaw on the road to Australia 2029 and, having won 13 of his 23 matches in charge to date, the head coach is confident his largely youthful squad can keep progressing.
Despite the influx of fresh talent, with a few exceptions most of this Six Nations squad is along fairly predictable lines given that several previous regulars were out of the picture for various reasons and the strong claims some of the young hopefuls have been making.
Wolfhounds hooker Daley is one of four notable omissions along with unlucky Clovers fullback Aoife Corey, who was also overlooked for last year’s World Cup, loosehead prop Siobhan McCarthy and New Zealand-based scrumhalf Molly Scuffil-McCabe.
Hooker Daley’s Enniskillen clubmate Sophie Barrett is one of two uncapped tightheads along with Eilis Cahill of UL Bohs in a panel which contains 23 members of the squad that reached last September’s World Cup quarter-finals.
Among the absentees this time is another Fermanagh woman, Claire Boles, who is sidelined by injury along with her fellow openside flanker McMahon, while winger Amee-Leigh Costigan has recently revealed she is pregnant with twins.
Lock Eimear Corri-Fallon, who has opted to concentrate on her career as a hospital doctor, and outhalf Nicole Fowley, the oldest member of the World Cup squad, have announced their retirements from international rugby since that tournament.
Along with McCarthy and Scuffil-McCabe, the other two World Cup players not selected this time are back-up fullback Meabh Deely and young back row Ivana Kiripati, both of whom – like Fowley – were unused at the World Cup.
Especially with Aoibheann Reilly carrying an injury, it is perhaps surprising that just two scrumhalves have been named, with no place for either experienced exile Scuffil-McCabe nor Katie Whelan, who has been on the fringes for some time.
Bemand did indicate at the team announcement press conference that they are already trying to think ahead to restricted numbers scenarios for future trips, including ultimately that 2029 World Cup, which appeared a hint that some innovation may be considered.
That could conceivably extend, in this case, to young Wexford fire-cracker Robyn O’Connor, although ostensibly selected as a back three option also been seen as an emergency scrumhalf, a position she plays in sevens and when younger in XVs.
The dropping of Deely hasn’t opened the door for Corey, who won her only cap to date in the final fixture of the 2025 Six Nations, with two members of last summer’s Ireland Under 20s squad, Niamh Gallagher and Robyn O’Connor, being picked instead.
Goal-kicker Gallagher has caught the eye for Ealing Trailfinders in the English Premiership and sparkling prospect O’Connor, who can also play on the wing, has been on fire for Wolfhounds, but Corey can nevertheless feel rather hard done by.
The newly-qualified teacher from Ennis has been a real rock for Clovers, playing the full 80 minutes in nine Celtic Challenge games this season and coming off the bench in the other one, but her contributions haven’t been enough to get her the nod from Bemand.
In fairness, the competition for squad spots was probably great among the outside backs than any other area, with Olympian Amy Larn and Katie Corrigan – scorer of a try in each of Ireland’s home matches in the 2024 Six Nations – also left out.
The other two uncapped backs selected are Corey’s versatile best buddy Alana McInerney, who can play right across the three-quarter line, and hugely promising outhalf Caitriona Finn, who is currently working her way back from a quad muscle tear.
Ulster skipper India Daley and Clovers fullback Aoife Corey are both unlucky to miss out on Ireland squad spots
Teenager Jemima Adams-Verling and fellow 19-year-old Aoibheann McGrath have been included in the Six Nations squad on the back of their strong showings for Clovers, while hooker Beth Buttimer remains uncapped despite being in the World Cup squad.
It had been wondered whether Buttimer’s involvement in the incident that sparked the brawl which marred this month’s Celtic Challenge Irish derby might help swing a close call for the third hooker spot in favour of Daley.
Having returned this season from long-term injury, Daley is the sole player to have made nine starts for Wolfhounds in the current Celtic Challenge and also the only one to have featured in all 10 regular league games.
But Bemand has stuck with the 20-year-old firebrand Buttimer as back-up to the experienced pair of exiled Ulsterwoman Neve Jones, who made the official Team of the Championship for last year’s Six Nations, and Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald.
Moloney-MacDonald scored a hat-trick of tries on her return from injury for Exeter Chiefs at the weekend, while Jones is expected to be fit for the Six Nations despite having been out of action for Gloucester-Hartpury recently.
So Barrett alone will be flying the flag for Fermanagh in this Six Nations on the back of Enniskillen clubmate Rob Balouconune’s impressive impact in the men’s equivalent, though the powerful prop may have to bide her time for an opportunity in a matchday squad.
Ireland’s most capped present international, the legendary Linda Djougang, is set to retain the green No 3 jersey with young Donegal woman Sadhbh McGrath continuing as bench back-up after a strong run of impactful performances for Clovers.
Although the English-based duo of Gloucester’s Jones and Sale Sharks loose forward Brittany Hogan are from the northern province, there are just three current Ulster players in this squad in props McGrath and Barrett plus Dublin-born back five forward Fiona Tuite.
With the post-World Cup moves as well as Gallagher breaking though, 11 of this squad ply their trade across the water, which is in contrast to the Ireland men’s side for whom only home-based players can be considered.
Leinster have nine representatives, Munster eight and Connacht five while, in terms of the Celtic Challenge breakdown, Clovers have 14 players compared to a dozen from Wolfhounds, who have recently finished top of the table.
This Six Nations squad is very similar to the group of 37 assembled for the January training camp, with Daley, young Ulster prop Cara McLean and Rosie Searle the trio not involved this time and the two fresh faces being Cahill and Aoibheann McGrath.
Despite being a relative unknown a few months ago, young Waterford woman McGrath has really grabbed her chance to impress in the Celtic Challenge with Clovers, picking up two Player of the Match awards and twice bagging a brace of tries.
In terms of the 21 forwards named, there is a sense that Bemand’s strongest matchday combination will come from a core contingent of 14, with the other third of the group comprised of the five uncapped players plus Ailish Quinn and Jane Clohessy.
Connacht flanker Quinn won her first cap as a teenager off the bench against Scotland in last August’s World Cup warm-up match in Cork and Munster back five forward Clohessy had done likewise against the same opposition in the final fixture of the 2025 Six Nations.
Gloucester Hartpury pair Niamh O’Dowd and former English international Ellena Perry are set to continue competing for the loosehead starting jersey with the other on the bench, with Jones and Moloney-MacDonald having the hooker spots in the 23 sewn up.
New captain King, likely to be deployed at openside in McMahon’s absence, should be joined in a very fluid and formidable first choice back row by last year’s Player of the Six Nations Aoife Wafer, now with Harlequins, and Ulsterwoman Hogan.
Dorothy Wall’s return from the ruptured achilles which forced her to miss the World Cup increases competition for places in the second row alongside outgoing co-captain Sam Monaghan, young Clovers skipper Ruth Campbell and Tuite.
Tuite has arguably been Ireland’s most improved player over the past couple of years, initially as a second row but also proved very effective when switched to blindside flanker coming into the World Cup.
Treating Tuite as a backrow could facilitate the inclusion of all four frontline locks in the matchday squad, but that would be a tough call on big Trailfinders flanker Grace Moore, who had a good tournament herself.
On the assumption that Aoibheann Reilly has recovered in time from the lower leg injury which forced her off against Clovers earlier this month, Bemand could field nine of the 10 backs who were on duty for last September’s World Cup quarter-final.
Anna McGann seems the obvious replacement for the unavailable Costigan on the wing, with Beibhinn Parsons switching from right to left, and there is a strong case for the rest of the backline continuing unchanged.
Halfbacks Reilly and Dannah O’Brien along with world-class centre combo Eve Higgins and franchise captain Aoife Dalton – who made the 2025 Team of the Six Nations – have been playing together the past few months for Wolfhounds along with fullback Stacey Flood.
The experienced Enya Breen will always be aiming for a starting spot but had fallen behind Higgins and Dalton last autumn, has only recently returned from injury and can cover outhalf so seems set for the No 22 jersey at this stage with Emily Lane as bench scrumhalf.
So all that would have a very familiar look but – assuming Ireland don’t opt for a 6:2 split on the bench – there should be exciting competition for the No 23 jersey which has become available thanks to McGann’s elevation to the starting term.
With Breen covering outhalf and centre, that might go to back three player O’Connor, or the capacity of Higgins to deputise at fullback if required, could open the door for either Vicky Elmes-Kinlan or McInerney, both of whom can cover across the three quarter-line.
Paris Olympian Elmes-Kinlan is primarily a winger but has had a couple of outings at inside centre for Wolfhounds this season, while the uncapped McInerney appears comfortable in any of the four positions and has been in good form for Clovers.
The fourth option would be Nancy McGillivray, who switched allegiance from England to Ireland last summer ahead of the World Cup, though she is another specialist centre so that would mean Higgins having to cover all of the back three positions.
Her recent injury may have complicated matters but, given the impressive Finn’s form for Clovers in the first half of the Celtic Challenge, it will be interesting to see whether Bemand may have her on the bench at least once, perhaps against Italy or Wales.
Of course, injuries could upset the best-laid plans, especially for a campaign featuring five Test matches in a period of just 36 days which commences on April 11 with a daunting trip to face new world champions England in front of well over 60,000 at Twickenham.
Ireland then welcome Italy to Dexcom Stadium for the first women’s Six Nations match ever to be held in Galway, with a tough trip to tackle World Cup conquerors France completing the opening block of three back-to-back matches.
After the competition’s only down weekend, Bemand’s side will tackle Wales at Ravenhill on May 10 before finishing by hosting Scotland in the first-ever standalone women’s match at the Aviva Stadium eight days later.
IRELAND (Six Nations squad): (backs): Niamh Gallagher, Stacey Flood, Robyn O’Connor, Beibhinn Parsons, Anna McGann, Vicky Elmes-Kinlan, Alana McInerney, Nancy McGillivray, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Enya Breen, Caitriona Finn, Dannah O’Brien, Aoibheann Reilly, Emily Lane; (forwards): Niamh O’Dowd, Ellena Perry, Linda Djougang, Sadhbh McGrath, Sophie Barrett, Eilish Cahill, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Neve Jones, Beth Buttimer, Ruth Campbell, Sam Monaghan, Aoibheann McGrath, Dorothy Wall, Fiona Tuite, Jane Clohessy, Grace Moore, Brittany Hogan, Aoife Wafer, Jemima Adams-Verling, Erin King (capt), Ailish Quinn.
Young Donegal woman Sadhbh McGrath is one of three Ulster players in Ireland’s 36-strong Six Nations squad
