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Ireland women's national rugby league team

Not to be confused with Ireland women's national rugby union team.

Ireland
Team information
Governing bodyRugby League Ireland
RegionEurope
Head coachMatt Kennerson
CaptainStorm Cobain
Top try-scorerAli Coleman 5
Storm Cobain 5
Top point-scorerStorm Cobain 46
(5 tries, 13 goals)
Home stadiumEnergia Park
IRL ranking 8 Steady (31 December 2025)[1]
Uniforms
First colours
Team results
First international
 Ireland 26 – 24 Wales 
at Colwyn Bay, 17 October 2021
Biggest win
 Ireland 42 – 6 Netherlands 
at Sassenheim, 4 October 2025
Biggest defeat
 Ireland 4 – 44 Wales 
at Dublin, 8 October 2022

The Ireland women's national rugby league team is organised by Rugby League Ireland and represents Ireland in international rugby league.

Ireland first fielded a women's Rugby League team in October 2021, winning their inaugural Test Match against Wales.

Head to head records

Opponent FM MR M W D L Win% PF PA Share
 Wales 2021 2024 3 1 0 2 33.33% 40 96 29.41%
 Italy 2022 2022 1 1 0 0 100.00% 30 6 83.33%
 Canada 2022 2025 2 1 0 1 50.00% 14 42 25.00%
 Netherlands 2024 2024 2 2 0 0 100.00% 58 18 76.32%
 Greece 2024 2024 1 1 0 0 100.00% 42 6 87.50%
 France 2025 2025 1 0 0 1 0.00% 4 34 10.53%
 Nigeria 2025 2025 1 0 0 1 0.00% 0 10 0.00%
Totals 2021 2025 11 6 0 5 54.54% 188 212 47.00%

Notes:

  • Table last updated 29 October 2025.
  • Share is the portion of "For" points compared to the sum of "For" and "Against" points.

Coaches

The inaugural head coach of the Ireland women's national rugby league team was John Whalley.[2]

In January 2024, Rugby League Ireland announced the appointment of Matt Kennerson as the Head Coach.[3]

Players

The table below lists the extended squad named by Rugby League Ireland ahead of the 2025 World Series Qualifier for the 2026 World Cup.[4] The squad of 33 included the 19 players that were previously selected for the match against France on 12 July 2025. Orlaith McAuliffe was named captain for that match.[5]

A squad of 20 players for the match against the Netherlands was announced on 1 October ahead of their fixture on 4 October 2025. On social media the team was listed in alphabetical order of the players' given names, from Aifric Ni Ghibne to Storm Cobain.[6] Amelia Newtown was added to the extended squad for the Netherlands match.

Jersey numbers reflect, and tallies in the table include, the match against the Netherlands on 4 October 2025.

J# Player Age Position(s) Club Profile Debut M T G P
1 Aimee Clarke – Fullback, Wing Dublin City Exiles Yes 2025 2 0 0 0
2 Lena Kibler – Wing, Scrum-half Dublin City Exiles Yes 2025 1 0 0 0
3 Stephanie Carroll – Centre, Wing Mount Pritchard Mounties No 2021 3 2 0 8
4 Mollie Young 23 Centre Leigh Leopards Yes 2022 4 1 0 4
5 Cliodhna O'Sullivan – Wing, Stand-off Dublin City Exiles Yes 2024 5 1 0 4
6 Emma Kelly – Stand-off Dublin City Exiles Yes 2025 2 0 0 0
7 Jade Walker – Scrum-half, Stand-off London Broncos No 2024 3 0 0 0
8 Aifric Ni Ghibne – Prop, Fullback Engadine Dragons Yes 2025 2 0 0 0
9 Niamh Griffin – Hooker Dublin City Exiles Yes 2024 3 0 0 0
10 Stacy Hanley 30 Prop, Second-row Engadine Dragons Yes 2022 5 1 0 4
11 Storm Cobain 27 Second-row, Loose forward Leigh Leopards Yes 2021 9 5 13 46
12 Anna Potterton – Second-row, Centre Dublin City Exiles Yes 2024 3 0 0 0
13 Iona McCusker – Loose forward London Broncos No 2021 7 2 0 8
14 Polly Roberts – Hooker London Broncos No 2024 3 0 0 0
15 Molly Boyne 28 Second-row Dublin City Exiles Yes 2025 2 0 0 0
16 Becky Webb 29 Second-row Widnes Vikings Yes 2025 2 0 0 0
17 Katie Ann McCallion – Hooker Bainbridge Broncos No 2025 1 0 0 0
18 Amelia Newton – Loose forward Swinton Lions No — 0 0 0 0
– Caoimhe Molloy – Loose forward Dublin City Exiles Yes 2024 3 2 0 8
– Orlaith McAuliffe – Prop, Loose forward Dublin City Exiles Yes 2022 3 0 0 0
– Aine Rutley – Second-row, Prop Dublin City Exiles Yes 2024 2 0 0 0
– Alice Fitzgerald – Wing Dublin City Exiles No 2024 2 1 0 4
– Holly O'Dwyer 26 Wing, Centre Galway Tribeswomen Yes 2024 3 2 0 8
– Jemma Gallagher – Prop Corrimal Cougars No — 0 0 0 0
– Katie Ann O'Neill – Centre, Second-row Dublin City Exiles Yes 2025 1 0 0 0
– Lily Rogan 21 Centre, Wing Wests Tigers Yes — 0 0 0 0
– Lisa Callan – Second-row Dublin City Exiles Yes 2022 4 0 0 0
– Lydia Egan – Prop Salford Red Devils No 2024 1 0 0 0
– Martha Dwyer – Lock Aspley Devils No — 0 0 0 0
– Megan Preston 30 Hooker, Centre Huddersfield Giants Yes 2024 3 1 0 4
– Rachel Morton – Prop Bainbridge Broncos No 2024 2 0 0 0
– Roisin Crowe – Fullback Engadine Dragons Yes 2021 3 0 0 0
– Sarah Madison Boyle – Prop Mount Pritchard Mounties No — 0 0 0 0
– Tricia Doyle – Second-row, interchange Aspley Devils No 2024 3 1 0 4

Results

Full internationals

Date Opponent Score[a] Tournament Venue Video Reports
17 Oct 2021  Wales 26–24 Test Match Stadiwm ZipWorld, Colwyn Bay [7] [8][9]
11 Jun 2022  Italy 30–6 European Championships B Pasian Di Pato Rugby Stadium, Udine [10] [11][12][13]
8 Oct 2022  Wales 4–44 Energia Park, Dublin — [14][15]
25 Oct 2022  Canada 8–6 Test Match Orrell St James Rugby League Club, Wigan — [16]
27 Apr 2024  Wales 10–28 WC Qualifier (Euro Group A) Cardiff University Sports Fields [17] [18][19]
19 May 2024  Netherlands 16–12 Energia Park, Dublin [20] [21]
12 Oct 2024  Greece 42–6 WC Qualifier (Euro Playoff) Gkorytsa Stadium, Aspropygos, Athens [22] [23]
12 July 2025  France 4–34 Test Match Garda RFC, Westmanstown Sports Centre, Dublin — [24]
4 Oct 2025  Netherlands 42–6 Test Match Rugby Club The Bassetts. Sassenheim [25] [26]
21 Oct 2025  Nigeria 0–10 World Series Terry Fox Stadium, Brampton, Ontario — [27]
26 Oct 2025  Canada 6–36 Terry Fox Stadium, Brampton, Ontario — [28]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Ireland score given first

References

  1. ^ "IRL World Rankings: Women". International Rugby League. 31 December 2025. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  2. ^ "Two Saints Women in Ireland Women's Train On Squad". saintsrlfc.com. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  3. ^ "RLI announce Women's Head Coach". Rugby League Ireland. 27 January 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Ireland name extended squad for IRL Women's World Series". European Rugby League. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  5. ^ "Ireland and France name squads for Women's Senior International". European Rugby League. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Team News - RLI vs Netherlands". facebook. Rugby League Ireland. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Highlights - Wales vs Ireland Women - Ireland's first-ever International Women's Rugby League Match". YouTube. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  8. ^ Fletcher, Charlotte (18 October 2021). "Match Report: Wales Women v Ireland Women". Rugby League Ireland. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Wales 24 v 26 Ireland - Match Report". European Rugby League. 17 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Italia League vs Irlanda League - Europeo 2022/highlights, mete ed interviste". YouTube. Delinquenzaovale. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Italy 6 v 30 Ireland - Match Report". European Rugby League. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  12. ^ "Rugby League: Troppa Irlanda Per L'Italia League Femminile". Non Professional Rugby. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  13. ^ "Women take win against Italy". Rugby League Ireland. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Match Report - Ireland 4 v 44 Wales". Wales Rugby League. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Ireland 4 v 44 Wales - Match Report". European Rugby League. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  16. ^ "Canada 6 v 8 Ireland - Match report". European Rugby League. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Cymru v Ireland Highlights". facebook. Welsh Rugby League - Rygbi Cynghrair Cymru. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  18. ^ Golden, Ian (27 April 2024). "Merched – Wales 28 Ireland 10". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Wales 28 v 10 Ireland - Match report". European Rugby League. 27 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Ireland v The Netherlands Women's World Cup Qualifier". YouTube. Steve Hogan. 19 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Ireland 16 v 12 Netherlands - Match report". European Rugby League. 19 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Greece vs Ireland, Rugby League World Cup Qualifier". YouTube. Greek Rugby League Federation. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Greece 6 v 42 Ireland - Match Report". European Rugby League. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Ireland 4 v 34 France - Match Report". European Rugby League. 12 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  25. ^ "Netherlands vs Ireland - European Rugby League Women". YouTube. Nederlandse Rugby League Bond. 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  26. ^ "Netherlands 6 v 42 Ireland - Match Report". European Rugby League. 4 October 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  27. ^ "IRL Women's Rugby League World Series: Ireland 0 10 Nigeria". International Rugby League. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  28. ^ "IRL Women's Rugby League World Series: Canada 26 6 Ireland". International Rugby League. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
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