A World Cup of haves and have-nots can raise the ceiling for all — Ireland included

Eleven years on from Marcoussis, Lynne Cantwell feels 'this one's going to be massive' and the numbers back her up. But at the end of it all, hosts England and the Black Ferns look most likely to decide it all

LET THE LIGHT IN: Detailed view of the Women's Rugby World Cup Trophy during the Women's Rugby World Cup opening ceremony at Exeter Cathedral, Exeter on August 16, 2025 in Exeter, England. Pic:  Harry Trump - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images

You can’t talk to Lynne Cantwell at the dawn of a World Cup and not ask about Marcoussis. It’s over a decade since she helped write history when a New Zealand national team was undone by an Irish equivalent for the first time.

That standout pool game outside Paris in 2014 marked the first loss for the Black Ferns at a global tournament since 1991, and it is a key piece in a project of memories that is being put together with the Irish Embassy in the UK.