The remaining 2020 fixtures for the Irish Women’s Rugby team have been cut short due to current COVID-19 restrictions. The announcement means Ireland will not face France in their final Six Nations clash. The competition will finish as it stands now, with England crowned as Grand Slam Winners.

Ireland were originally scheduled to play France on October 31st. The game was moved to Donneybrook to facilitate Ireland’s amateur players who would’ve had to quarantine for 14 days had they travelled to France. However, the game was soon called off due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the French camp.

CEO of Six Nations Rugby, Ben Morel expressed his disappointment as the “cancellations come at a time when there is such positive momentum around the women’s game and for the Women’s Six Nations in particular”. Nevertheless, Morel admits that a decision was made after “every possible option” was first explored.

2021 World Cup Qualifiers postponed

In addition to the Six Nations match against France, Ireland were also set to kickstart their 2021 World Cup qualifying campaign in December. These games have now been postponed until the new year. In spite of the bad news, IRFU Director of Women’s Rugby, Anthony Eddy, remains positive. He will now seek opportunities for the squad to continue to train and prepare for the RWC qualifiers.

IRFU Director of Women’s Rugby, Anthony Eddy, today said that they will look at the performance opportunities available to his women’s team after World Rugby, Rugby Europe and Six Nations confirmed fixture postponements and cancelations due to COVID-19. https://t.co/7QmGnM12Nc

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 10, 2020

The draw for the Women’s 2021 RWC in New Zealand is set to take place on the 20th of November.

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Gregg named a 36-player squad for his team’s remaining games in this year’s Women’s Six Nations Championship. Ireland’s final two games of the tournament were postponed earlier this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Ireland will host Italy in their Round 4 fixture on the weekend of 24th October before concluding the Championship with an away trip to France on the weekend of 31st October.

Discussing his squad with Irish Rugby.ie. the Irish Women’s Head Coach said:

“We are picking up where we left off over five months ago. At the outset of this year’s tournament we had clear priorities set. Our aim was to win our three home games and play competitively in our two away games and we felt like we were in a good place before the postponement of the tournament.

“We have stayed connected as a team who trained remotely throughout the lock-down. We have a number of training dates in the schedule ahead of the tournament and it will be good to get together. We have a busy few month ahead of us, and look forward to getting back to playing rugby.”

Rugby World Cup 2021 European Qualifiers, which had been due to take place in September, will now be played as a single round-robin tournament on the weekends of 5th, 12th and 19th December 2020.

Ireland will be joined in the tournament by Six Nations rivals Scotland and Italy and the winner of the Women’s Rugby Europe Championship 2020, which will be completed in October.

The winner of the Rugby World Cup 2021 European Qualifiers will qualify for Rugby World Cup 2021 and the runner-up will progress to the final qualification tournament next year.

Ireland Women’s Squad, Women’s Six Nations 2020

Backs:
Enya Breen (UL Bohemian/ Munster)
Michelle Claffey (Blackrock/ Leinster)
Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian/ Munster)
Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian/ Munster)
Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere/ Ulster)
Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/ IQ Rugby)
Aoife Doyle (Railway Union/ Munster)
Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/ Leinster)
Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union/ Leinster)
Claire Keohane (Railway Union/ Munster)
Larissa Muldoon (Railway Union/ Leinster)
Ellen Murphy (Blackrock/Leinster)
Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/ Leinster)
Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock/ Connacht)
Laura Sheehan (UL Bohemian/ Munster)
Shannon Touhey (Suttonians/ Connacht)
Hannah Tyrell (Old Belvedere/ Leinster)

Forwards:
Judy Bobbett (Blackrock/ Leinster)
Anna Caplice (Harlequins/ IQ Rugby)
Ciara Cooney (Railway Union/ Leinster)
Victoria Dabanovich O’Mahony (Old Belvedere/ Leinster)
Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/ Leinster)
Laura Feeley (Blackrock/ Connacht)
Nichola Fryday (Old Belvedere/ Connacht)
Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemian/ Munster)
Neve Jones (Malone/Ulster)
Leah Lyons (Harlequins/ IQ Rugby)
Aoife McDermott (Railway Union/ Leinster)
Claire McLaughlin (Old Belvedere/ Ulster)
Edel McMahon (Wasps/ IQ Rugby)
Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps/ IQ Rugby)
Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock/ Leinster)
Katie O’Dwyer (Railway Union/ Leinster)
Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemian/ Munster)
Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/ Leinster)
Dorothy Wall (Railway Union/ Munster)

Ireland Fixtures and Results, Women’s Six Nations 2020
Sun, 2nd Feb, Ireland Women 18 v 14 Scotland Women
Sun, 9th Feb, Ireland Women 31 v 12 Wales Women
Sun, 23rd Feb, England Women 27 v 0 Ireland Women
WE 24th October, Ireland Women v Italy Women – TBC
WE 31st October, France Women v Ireland Women- TBC

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