A record crowd at the Aviva. A massive lift in visibility. Real belief building around the Irish women’s team. Then the awkward question: why doesn’t a big moment automatically turn into a big jump in participation?
I’m joined by Lynne Cantwell, Head of Women’s Strategy at the IRFU, to take a clear-eyed look at year one of the women and girls rugby strategy. We talk about what is genuinely working, especially the build-out of provincial pathways for 16 to 23-year-olds that give motivated players weekly access to better coaching and development while they stay rooted in their clubs, schools and universities. If we want athletes arriving at senior level ready to go, the preparation has to happen in those teenage and early adult years.
We also dig into event delivery and why it matters. The Women’s Six Nations day at Aviva Stadium is treated as an eight-month project, with fan zones, music, hospitality, and the details that signal welcome and accessibility, from buggies to breastfeeding rooms. Lynn shares how Rugby World Cup learnings shape planning and debriefs for what comes next, including WXV and future Six Nations fixtures.
From there, we go straight to the hard stuff: participation growth of 4% against a 10% target, the resourcing and staffing required to help clubs, and the central role of volunteers. We talk schools rugby, the fight for space in curricula, what sponsorship from Vodafone and Dublin Airport signals to corporate Ireland, and why broadcast access still needs real pressure, especially when women’s internationals miss out on linear TV.
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