Coghlan: 'Scott has a huge role now in that and in the future direction of where the women’s game in Ireland goes'

Last season’s wooden spoon resulted in Ireland being relegated to Tier 3 of women’s Test rugby but Fiona Coghlan recognised the positive impact of winning that level’s new WXV competition last autumn, heading into this season’s championship.

REBOUND: Energia ambassador and former Irish Rugby International, Fiona Coghlan was speaking at the launch of #HalfAFan. As proud partner of Ireland Men’s and Women’s rugby teams, Energia understands that being a partner to both teams means showing support for both - so don't just be #HalfAFan. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher

Grand Slam-winning Ireland captain Fiona Coghlan is backing Scott Bemand’s team to continue their rebound from last season’s Six Nations wooden spoon with three homes wins the target for the 2024 championship.

The 2013 skipper believes it will take a couple more years for Ireland to get back to the heights of the team she captained to Six Nations success that year as well as historic first wins over England and New Zealand but she believes the appointment of former English attack coach is already reaping dividends.

Last season’s wooden spoon resulted in Ireland being relegated to Tier 3 of women’s Test rugby but Coghlan recognised the positive impact of winning that level’s new WXV competition last autumn, heading into this season’s championship.

The Energia ambassador was speaking yesterday at the launch of the company’s campaign to get Irish rugby followers to not just be #HalfAFan and support the national women’s team as well as the men’s, and said: " I think with the three home games against Wales, Scotland and Italy, I think they're games that you need to target in terms of we were far off them last year away from home but I don't think the scorelines really reflect the gap that's between Ireland and those other squads.

"We've had contracted players now for longer, they got a good bounce at the WXV competition, within that Tier 3. I know it was Tier 3, but winning it gives them positivity to work from.

"We have pathways coming through now, we're starting to see younger players, a new coach in, it's his first Six Nations in charge and he knows the standard that they have to try to get to in terms of competing with and beating these teams.” 

While recognising England and France’s current superiority over the Celtic nations and Italy, Coghlan welcomed the IRFU’s decision to move Ireland’s home fixtures around the island, playing Italy in Dublin at the RDS Arena on March 31, Wales at Cork’s Virgin Media Park on April 13, and Scotland in Belfast in the final round on April 27 at Kingspan Stadium.

"England and France are further along that path and the gap is just too big at the moment, so targeting those home games and just trying to get first of all get performances and hopefully the wins will follow.

"On every front last year it was just hugely disappointing, performances were poor and players do learn a lot from that but it's about turning it around within a year.

"I think the fact that we've moved the games, I know it's nice to have a home venue but the fact that we can hopefully get fans into the stadiums in three locations is good.

"I know there's always a scramble for tickets for the men's games but if we can get a fan base behind the women's game, and I know with Energia we're hoping to get the support behind that as well, I think it's a great opportunity for families to go to international rugby and get behind the team and be part of the journey and not just when they're winning like the men's team, but to be part of that journey.

"And it's a young squad, get to know them and the people behind them and it could be hopefully the case that we'll see plenty of progression in the next couple of years.” 

Coghlan sees new head coach Bemand at the heart of that progression and added: “The fact he was involved in definitely the best performing team consistently in the world with England … he knows the standards and he would have been aware of the shortcomings of Irish women’s rugby, in terms of at the national level but the pathways behind it.

“I’m sure he’s implemented stuff and not just within the national team but looking for that support outside that to have proper players to pick from. That’s the thing, it’s the base of players he needs, we need to increase in terms of numbers but also quality so that he has players to pick from as well.

“I think the IRFU are certainly backing it in terms of the contracted players, the Celtic Challenge Cup, which I don’t think the standard has been as high as it needs to be but it’s a starting point and it will get there.

“So this is not going to be a short-term return, it’s going to a take a couple of years but I do think there is now a desire and not just talk behind it but there’s actually actions behind those pathways and getting behind those players to get to a higher level.

“Scott has a huge role now in that and in the future direction of where the women’s game in Ireland goes.”