Women's game still has long way to go but report offers chance of a solid start

The Ireland team during the National Anthem at the Women's Six Nations Rugby Championship match against Scotland at Energia Park.

Yesterday’s publication of the independent review into the failure of the women’s team to make this year’s World Cup brought with it an undeniable sense of relief and renewed hope after too many years of regression and burgeoning acrimony.

The group representing past and present players that did so much to bring the bad blood to the wider public’s attention with a scathing pre-Christmas condemnation of the union gave a resounding thumbs up to the findings and the list of 30 recommendations.