First class ambition for high-flying girls

Women’s rugby in Ireland in riding the crest of a wave — and the benefits may carry all the way to Rio in 2016

Dublin airport. A jiffy’s déjà vu. “It’s overbooked. We’ll have to send half of you out later.”

The women in front could easily recall such days they were nobody’s priorities – slumped on overnight trains with internationals next day. Gemma Crowley reckoned faces had fallen far enough though. “Only joking… we’ve been upgraded to business class.”