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Ireland women's national rugby league team

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Not to be confused with Ireland women's national rugby union team.

Ireland
Team information
Governing bodyRugby League Ireland
RegionEurope
Head coachMatt Kennerson
CaptainStorm Cobain
Top try-scorerAli Coleman 5
Storm Cobain 5
Top point-scorerStorm Cobain 46
(5 tries, 13 goals)
Home stadiumEnergia Park
IRL ranking 8 Steady (31 December 2025)[1]
Uniforms
First colours
Team results
First international
 Ireland 26 – 24 Wales 
at Colwyn Bay, 17 October 2021
Biggest win
 Ireland 42 – 6 Netherlands 
at Sassenheim, 4 October 2025
Biggest defeat
 Ireland 4 – 44 Wales 
at Dublin, 8 October 2022

The Ireland women's national rugby league team is organised by Rugby League Ireland and represents Ireland in international rugby league.

Ireland first fielded a women's Rugby League team in October 2021, winning their inaugural Test Match against Wales.

Head to head records

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Opponent FM MR M W D L Win% PF PA Share
 Wales 2021 2024 3 1 0 2 33.33% 40 96 29.41%
 Italy 2022 2022 1 1 0 0 100.00% 30 6 83.33%
 Canada 2022 2025 2 1 0 1 50.00% 14 42 25.00%
 Netherlands 2024 2024 2 2 0 0 100.00% 58 18 76.32%
 Greece 2024 2024 1 1 0 0 100.00% 42 6 87.50%
 France 2025 2025 1 0 0 1 0.00% 4 34 10.53%
 Nigeria 2025 2025 1 0 0 1 0.00% 0 10 0.00%
Totals 2021 2025 11 6 0 5 54.54% 188 212 47.00%

Notes:

  • Table last updated 29 October 2025.
  • Share is the portion of "For" points compared to the sum of "For" and "Against" points.

Coaches

[edit]

The inaugural head coach of the Ireland women's national rugby league team was John Whalley.[2]

In January 2024, Rugby League Ireland announced the appointment of Matt Kennerson as the Head Coach.[3]

Players

[edit]

The table below lists the extended squad named by Rugby League Ireland ahead of the 2025 World Series Qualifier for the 2026 World Cup.[4] The squad of 33 included the 19 players that were previously selected for the match against France on 12 July 2025. Orlaith McAuliffe was named captain for that match.[5]

A squad of 20 players for the match against the Netherlands was announced on 1 October ahead of their fixture on 4 October 2025. On social media the team was listed in alphabetical order of the players' given names, from Aifric Ni Ghibne to Storm Cobain.[6] Amelia Newtown was added to the extended squad for the Netherlands match.

Jersey numbers reflect, and tallies in the table include, the match against the Netherlands on 4 October 2025.

J# Player Age Position(s) Club Profile Debut M T G P
1 Aimee Clarke – Fullback, Wing Dublin City Exiles Yes 2025 2 0 0 0
2 Lena Kibler – Wing, Scrum-half Dublin City Exiles Yes 2025 1 0 0 0
3 Stephanie Carroll – Centre, Wing Mount Pritchard Mounties No 2021 3 2 0 8
4 Mollie Young 23 Centre Leigh Leopards Yes 2022 4 1 0 4
5 Cliodhna O'Sullivan – Wing, Stand-off Dublin City Exiles Yes 2024 5 1 0 4
6 Emma Kelly – Stand-off Dublin City Exiles Yes 2025 2 0 0 0
7 Jade Walker – Scrum-half, Stand-off London Broncos No 2024 3 0 0 0
8 Aifric Ni Ghibne – Prop, Fullback Engadine Dragons Yes 2025 2 0 0 0
9 Niamh Griffin – Hooker Dublin City Exiles Yes 2024 3 0 0 0
10 Stacy Hanley 30 Prop, Second-row Engadine Dragons Yes 2022 5 1 0 4
11 Storm Cobain 27 Second-row, Loose forward Leigh Leopards Yes 2021 9 5 13 46
12 Anna Potterton – Second-row, Centre Dublin City Exiles Yes 2024 3 0 0 0
13 Iona McCusker – Loose forward London Broncos No 2021 7 2 0 8
14 Polly Roberts – Hooker London Broncos No 2024 3 0 0 0
15 Molly Boyne 28 Second-row Dublin City Exiles Yes 2025 2 0 0 0
16 Becky Webb 29 Second-row Widnes Vikings Yes 2025 2 0 0 0
17 Katie Ann McCallion – Hooker Bainbridge Broncos No 2025 1 0 0 0
18 Amelia Newton – Loose forward Swinton Lions No — 0 0 0 0
– Caoimhe Molloy – Loose forward Dublin City Exiles Yes 2024 3 2 0 8
– Orlaith McAuliffe – Prop, Loose forward Dublin City Exiles Yes 2022 3 0 0 0
– Aine Rutley – Second-row, Prop Dublin City Exiles Yes 2024 2 0 0 0
– Alice Fitzgerald – Wing Dublin City Exiles No 2024 2 1 0 4
– Holly O'Dwyer 26 Wing, Centre Galway Tribeswomen Yes 2024 3 2 0 8
– Jemma Gallagher – Prop Corrimal Cougars No — 0 0 0 0
– Katie Ann O'Neill – Centre, Second-row Dublin City Exiles Yes 2025 1 0 0 0
– Lily Rogan 21 Centre, Wing Wests Tigers Yes — 0 0 0 0
– Lisa Callan – Second-row Dublin City Exiles Yes 2022 4 0 0 0
– Lydia Egan – Prop Salford Red Devils No 2024 1 0 0 0
– Martha Dwyer – Lock Aspley Devils No — 0 0 0 0
– Megan Preston 30 Hooker, Centre Huddersfield Giants Yes 2024 3 1 0 4
– Rachel Morton – Prop Bainbridge Broncos No 2024 2 0 0 0
– Roisin Crowe – Fullback Engadine Dragons Yes 2021 3 0 0 0
– Sarah Madison Boyle – Prop Mount Pritchard Mounties No — 0 0 0 0
– Tricia Doyle – Second-row, interchange Aspley Devils No 2024 3 1 0 4

Results

[edit]

Full internationals

[edit]
Date Opponent Score[a] Tournament Venue Video Reports
17 Oct 2021  Wales 26–24 Test Match Stadiwm ZipWorld, Colwyn Bay [7] [8][9]
11 Jun 2022  Italy 30–6 European Championships B Pasian Di Pato Rugby Stadium, Udine [10] [11][12][13]
8 Oct 2022  Wales 4–44 Energia Park, Dublin — [14][15]
25 Oct 2022  Canada 8–6 Test Match Orrell St James Rugby League Club, Wigan — [16]
27 Apr 2024  Wales 10–28 WC Qualifier (Euro Group A) Cardiff University Sports Fields [17] [18][19]
19 May 2024  Netherlands 16–12 Energia Park, Dublin [20] [21]
12 Oct 2024  Greece 42–6 WC Qualifier (Euro Playoff) Gkorytsa Stadium, Aspropygos, Athens [22] [23]
12 July 2025  France 4–34 Test Match Garda RFC, Westmanstown Sports Centre, Dublin — [24]
4 Oct 2025  Netherlands 42–6 Test Match Rugby Club The Bassetts. Sassenheim [25] [26]
21 Oct 2025  Nigeria 0–10 World Series Terry Fox Stadium, Brampton, Ontario — [27]
26 Oct 2025  Canada 6–36 Terry Fox Stadium, Brampton, Ontario — [28]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Ireland score given first

References

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  1. ^ "IRL World Rankings: Women". International Rugby League. 31 December 2025. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  2. ^ "Two Saints Women in Ireland Women's Train On Squad". saintsrlfc.com. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  3. ^ "RLI announce Women's Head Coach". Rugby League Ireland. 27 January 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Ireland name extended squad for IRL Women's World Series". European Rugby League. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  5. ^ "Ireland and France name squads for Women's Senior International". European Rugby League. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Team News - RLI vs Netherlands". facebook. Rugby League Ireland. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Highlights - Wales vs Ireland Women - Ireland's first-ever International Women's Rugby League Match". YouTube. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  8. ^ Fletcher, Charlotte (18 October 2021). "Match Report: Wales Women v Ireland Women". Rugby League Ireland. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Wales 24 v 26 Ireland - Match Report". European Rugby League. 17 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Italia League vs Irlanda League - Europeo 2022/highlights, mete ed interviste". YouTube. Delinquenzaovale. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Italy 6 v 30 Ireland - Match Report". European Rugby League. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  12. ^ "Rugby League: Troppa Irlanda Per L'Italia League Femminile". Non Professional Rugby. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  13. ^ "Women take win against Italy". Rugby League Ireland. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Match Report - Ireland 4 v 44 Wales". Wales Rugby League. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Ireland 4 v 44 Wales - Match Report". European Rugby League. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  16. ^ "Canada 6 v 8 Ireland - Match report". European Rugby League. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Cymru v Ireland Highlights". facebook. Welsh Rugby League - Rygbi Cynghrair Cymru. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  18. ^ Golden, Ian (27 April 2024). "Merched – Wales 28 Ireland 10". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Wales 28 v 10 Ireland - Match report". European Rugby League. 27 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Ireland v The Netherlands Women's World Cup Qualifier". YouTube. Steve Hogan. 19 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Ireland 16 v 12 Netherlands - Match report". European Rugby League. 19 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Greece vs Ireland, Rugby League World Cup Qualifier". YouTube. Greek Rugby League Federation. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Greece 6 v 42 Ireland - Match Report". European Rugby League. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Ireland 4 v 34 France - Match Report". European Rugby League. 12 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  25. ^ "Netherlands vs Ireland - European Rugby League Women". YouTube. Nederlandse Rugby League Bond. 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  26. ^ "Netherlands 6 v 42 Ireland - Match Report". European Rugby League. 4 October 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  27. ^ "IRL Women's Rugby League World Series: Ireland 0 10 Nigeria". International Rugby League. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  28. ^ "IRL Women's Rugby League World Series: Canada 26 6 Ireland". International Rugby League. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
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