IRFU Statement On Women’s Rugby

IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne wishes to acknowledge the Union’s role in causing unintentional concern and confusion around the future of the Women’s game in Ireland.

The IRFU is fully committed to developing and growing Women’s rugby in Ireland and has already commenced a strategic review process involving volunteers and senior IRFU staff from both the high performance and grassroots participation areas of the game. 
 
As part of that process, it is intended to create a focused steering group co-chaired by Mary Quinn (IRFU Committee) and Su Carty * to review the current strategy for the Women’s game and to make recommendations about the direction of future strategies for the development and growth of the game in Ireland from the ground up.
 
Carty (pictured below) has agreed to co-chair this group which will engage all key stakeholders about the future direction to be taken in the Women’s game. Working in partnership with Rugby Players Ireland, players within the Women’s rugby programme will be among the key groups consulted and they will help shape the future direction of the game in Ireland. 

 
The work carried out by the steering group, allied with the review of the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup, will contribute to building a framework for a long term strategic plan on the future of the Women’s game in Ireland delivering into the next Women’s Rugby World Cup cycle and beyond.
 
* Su Carty is a former president of the Irish Women’s Rugby Football Union and held the position of Women’s Development Manager at World Rugby for over seven years.