Irish Examiner view: An overdue boost for women's sport

Ireland is the last of the Six Nations Rugby countries to offer professional contracts to its female players

The professional contracts for Ireland's female rugby stars is welcome in a good week for women in sport from international soccer to this weekend's Gaelic Football finals. File picture: Darren Staples/Sportsfile

The future for women’s sport — professional and amateur — has never been brighter and this weekend will highlight the very best on offer in a variety of codes, while the news that the IRFU is set to give professional contracts to our female 15-a-side internationals finally rubber stamps something that should have been done a long time ago.

The Irish women’s rugby team has posted some fantastic results in recent years, but its shock exit from the qualification process for the World Cup in New Zealand later this year prompted a player revolt, followed by an independent review into the women’s game here.