Ireland's women's shake‑up
Ireland named a new-look Guinness Women’s Six Nations squad led by Erin King — the group includes nine uncapped players, signalling a youth-heavy selection ( ). Demand is strong too — more than 15,000 tickets have been sold for the first standalone women’s match at Aviva Stadium and Twickenham final tickets are moving fast ( ).
Ireland’s head coach Scott Bemand signed a contract extension on 18 March 2026 that keeps him in the role through the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup. (irishrugby.ie) Bemand unveiled a 36-player panel at a Squad Announcement and Media Day held at the Aon Ireland HQ following a three-day connection camp at the IRFU High Performance Centre. (irishrugby.ie) Five forwards — Jemima Adams Verling, Sophie Barrett, Beth Buttimer, Eilís Cahill and Aoibheann McGrath — and four backs — Alana McInerney, Caitríona Finn, Niamh Gallagher and Robyn O’Connor — were named as the nine uncapped players called into the squad. (sixnationsrugby.com) Ireland open the Championship away at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday 11 April 2026 with kick‑off listed at 2.45pm. (irishrugby.ie) Round 2 is scheduled for 18 April 2026 at Galway’s Dexcom Stadium against Italy, and the tournament concludes for Ireland with the Aviva Stadium fixture against Scotland on 17 May 2026. (sixnationsrugby.com) The IRFU reported that 12,500 tickets for the Aviva Stadium fixture had been sold by 13 January 2026, a milestone the union highlighted when confirming the standalone Dublin date. (irishrugby.ie)
