TG4 is to broadcast live coverage of next month’s Women’s Rugby World Cup from France. This will include all three of Ireland’s pool matches against New Zealand, the USA and Kazakhstan, both semi finals and the Final from Paris on August 17th.
The Irish team, led by Fiona Coghlan, became Ireland’s only third ever Grand Slam winning team in 2012 and played their first home international at the Aviva Stadium against Italy earlier this year.
The success of the team has prompted a surge in interest with 63% of senior clubs now fielding a Women’s team and 4,000 players registered throughout the country, representing almost 25% of the number involved at senior level in the Men’s game.
The presence of only a Women’s team in the inaugural Olympic Rugby event at the Rio Games in two years will give yet more impetus to a sport that has attracted its own stand alone sponsor in Aon and which is accelerating rapidly in terms of popular interest.
This growth made it all the more surprising that the report of the annual IRFU accounts in Saturday’s Irish Times chose to highlight the cost of Women’s Rugby as a whole in comparison to age grade and development rugby on the Men’s side.
“Not included in this amount is women’s teams which cost €1,428,745 for the year. This was more than the under-19, schoolboy, youth, youth/schools, under-20s and Wolfhounds (emerging Irish team) combined. Those six groups cost €1,230,000.”
There is always a fear of change and while Rugby handled the transition from amateur to professional sport with incredible success there are those who might be looking on the Women’s games development as is some way taking away from other areas.
It should not be so and hopefully the forthcoming World Cup, followed by the Olympics and the strong growth at grassroots level will fuel the advance of the Women’s game without any discontent.
Schedule of live matches on TG4:
Friday 1st August
Ireland v USA, Pool B, Live from Marcoussis, Paris
TG4 coverage begins at 3:50pm, Kick-off: 4:00pm
Tuesday, 5th August
Ireland v New Zealand, Pool B, Live from Marcoussis, Paris
TG4 coverage begins at 4:50pm, Kick-off: 5:00pm
Saturday 9th August
Ireland v Kazakhstan, Pool B, Live from Marcoussis, Paris
TG4 coverage begins at 11:50am, Kick-off: 12:00pm
Wednesday 13th August
Live coverage of the Women’s Rugby World Cup Semi-Finals
5:00pm 2nd Seed v 3rd Seed Live from the Stade Jean Bouin
7:45pm 1st Seed v 4th Seed Live from the Stade Jean Bouin
Sunday 17th August
Live coverage of the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final
5:45pm Winner Match 23 v Winner Match 24 Live from the Stade Jean Bouin
