Ireland Women will begin a new international rugby cycle on home soil this autumn, with Scott Bemand’s side confirmed for five Test matches across September and October, including the opening fixtures of World Rugby’s inaugural WXV Global Series.

The schedule will see Ireland play three times at home, in Dublin, Galway and Cork, before travelling to Cape Town for a two-match series against South Africa.

It comes on the back of a history-making Guinness Women’s Six Nations campaign and offers Ireland a further opportunity to build momentum around a team that has captured public imagination over the past year.

Tallaght Stadium will stage its first Women’s Test match on Sunday, September 20th, when Ireland face the USA in the opening round of the WXV Global Series.

A week later, on Sunday, September 27th, Ireland will host Japan at Dexcom Stadium in Galway, continuing the spread of major women’s rugby fixtures around the country.

There will then be a third home international, outside the WXV Global Series window, with Japan again providing the opposition at Virgin Media Park in Cork on Saturday, October 3rd.

That sequence of fixtures will give Irish supporters in three different provinces the chance to see the team in action, and it reflects the IRFU’s continued effort to bring the women’s game to a wider audience.

The autumn programme will then conclude in South Africa, where Ireland will face the Springbok Women in Cape Town on successive weekends.

Athlone Stadium will host both Tests, on Saturday, October 24th and Saturday, October 31st, with each game kicking off at 3pm local time, 2pm Irish time.

It will be the first Women’s Test series between South Africa and Ireland. The countries have met only once before, at the 2006 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Canada, when Ireland won 37-0.

The new WXV Global Series will see the top 12 teams in the world compete in a home-and-away touring model during the September and October international window. For Ireland, it provides a more structured run of fixtures against varied opposition and a valuable platform for squad development.

“We’re delighted to have our Autumn schedule confirmed, with five Test matches forming an important part of our ongoing development and growth as we look to build on the Guinness Women’s Six Nations campaign and continue to grow our Green Wave,” said Ireland Head Coach Scott Bemand.

“We’re really excited by the opportunities these fixtures present for the squad. To have three home matches across Tallaght Stadium, Dexcom Stadium and Virgin Media Park gives us the chance to connect with our supporters right across the country again and build momentum as a group heading into the season ahead.

“Japan and the USA are quality international teams who will challenge us in different ways, and those experiences are invaluable as we continue to grow and develop. We look forward to welcoming them to Ireland.

“Our Autumn programme then culminates in a two-Test series against South Africa in Cape Town, which will provide another excellent challenge in a demanding environment and is exactly why the addition of the WXV Global Series is invaluable for us.”

Kick-off times and broadcast details for the three home fixtures will be confirmed in due course.

For Irish rugby, the announcement provides another marker of the growing place of the women’s national team in the sporting calendar. Tallaght Stadium has become an important venue for women’s sport in recent years, while Galway and Cork will also offer strong regional stages for the team.

The challenge now will be to build on the energy of the Six Nations campaign, deepen the squad, and maintain the sense of connection that has grown around the team.

Ireland Autumn Fixtures

WXV Global Series
Sunday, September 20th: Ireland v USA, Tallaght Stadium, Dublin
Sunday, September 27th: Ireland v Japan, Dexcom Stadium, Galway

Test Match
Saturday, October 3rd: Ireland v Japan, Virgin Media Park, Cork

WXV Global Series
Saturday, October 24th: South Africa v Ireland, Athlone Stadium, Cape Town, 3pm local / 2pm Irish time
Saturday, October 31st: South Africa v Ireland, Athlone Stadium, Cape Town, 3pm local / 2pm Irish time
 

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Image Credit: Irish Rugby

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