'Inspire, Connect, Thrive' - IRFU prioritise women's rugby in strategic plan 

FUTURE PLANNING: IRFU chief executive officer Kevin Potts. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach, Sportsfile

The IRFU has put women’s rugby in Ireland at the top of its priority list for the next four years as it unveils its strategic plan and vision for its sport through to 2028.

Although part of a broader remit to grow the game, Thursday morning’s release of “Rugby in Ireland 2024 - 2028: Inspire, Connect, Thrive” places the acceleration of women’s rugby at the heart of its strategy during a period that will see both the men’s and the women’s Sevens sides vie for medals at this summer’s Paris Olympics, and the 15-a-side Ireland team compete in the top tier of World Rugby’s WXV competition and return to the Rugby World Cup in 2025.

It is a vision formulated over the past 15 months, a period which began as the Ireland team finished bottom of the 2023 Women’s Six Nations without a victory and in search of a new head coach and with the IRFU accused in some quarters of institutional neglect of the female game.

Described as involving an unprecedented level of collaboration between the IRFU and the four Provinces and also a consultation process with more than 5,000 rugby stakeholders, the outline priorities of the strategic plan are “delivering great rugby experiences, driving our high-performance ambition, accelerating the Women’s game, and inspiring our fans”.

Its outline also said: “Notable is a step change in Women’s Rugby with a clear commitment to accelerating its development."

The IRFU will appoint a new Women’s Strategy Implementation Lead to coordinate the delivery of these commitments both on and off the pitch. This new senior role will report directly to IRFU Chief Executive, Kevin Potts while the governing body has also committed to delivering a “thriving Provincial game with a move towards four contracted Provincial teams”, which will be competing in cross-border, season-long tournaments.

The introduction to the plan, signed by Potts and IRFU Management Committee chair Niall Rynne, also wants rugby supporters to attend more women’s matches, be they at club, Celtic Challenge or national level, adding: “Everyone can help inspire more girls to get involved in the game, deepen out player pool, and grow the commercial proposition of the Women’s game.” 

The plan acknowledges its ambitions will require "significant" financial investment over its four-year cycle, but a consistent level of funding would be continued between 2024 and 2028 "while living within our means".

Potts said: “We are at an exciting phase in the history of Irish Rugby as we approach our 150th anniversary season.

“We should be proud of the ongoing success and strength of our game, with more participants and more fans than ever so I am delighted to release our strategic vision for Rugby in Ireland.

“This plan, forged from the inputs of so many, is a solid expression of our collective vision, of the values of Irish Rugby and how they will form the basis for its development in the years ahead.

“Our vision is simple - Inspire, Connect and Thrive. Inspiring more people to play, support and volunteer in rugby; Connecting more people and communities through Rugby; and ensuring we provide the environments to enable all players, coaches, referees, volunteers and staff to Thrive through Rugby.

“The acceleration of our Women’s game is a major priority. With an Olympic Games just weeks away, and a Rugby World Cup firmly on the horizon in 2025, the potential to drive this aspect of Rugby in Ireland represents a major opportunity for the IRFU.” 

Potts and incoming IRFU Performance Director David Humphries were due to face the media at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium to discuss the strategic plan on Thursday morning.