Ireland can win World Cup on home soil, says Niamh Briggs

Look past the feelgood, fuzzy factor from the news of Ireland’s success in winning the rights to host the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup, and one point stands out above all others: it increases the host team’s chances of success.

As current Six Nations, and with a fourth-placed finish at last year’s global tournament in France under their belt, Ireland’s star is very much on the rise in the women’s game and captain Niamh Briggs has no doubt when asked if they could go all the way.

“Absolutely,” she replied. “The World Cup format is a very difficult format. It is similar to the U20s in that you play every four days. For us, the last World Cup was amazing getting to a semi-final, but we didn’t have a squad strong enough to carry us through.