The Women’s Rugby World Cup kicks off this evening with hosts England overwhelming favourites to claim a third title and a first since 2014, while Ireland are aiming to make an impression of their own.
This tenth iteration of the tournament, which dates back to 1991, has been expanded to 16 teams, split into four pools, with the top two from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals.
New Zealand, who are Ireland’s third opponents in Pool C, are seven-time winners, including the last two World Cups when they beat England in the final.
Ireland missed out on the last World Cup after falling to defeats to Spain and Scotland in a qualifying tournament.
Back on the big stage for the first time since hosting the competition in 2017, reaching a semi-final would be seen as an incredible achievement for Scott Bemand’s side.
Since finishing bottom of the pile in the 2023 Six Nations under former coach Greg McWilliams, the team has been on an upward trajectory, seen as the best of the rest behind England and France in the championship, and moving from tenth to fifth in the World Rugby rankings.
The WXV3 title win in Dubai in 2023 provided a much-needed boost but the manner of last year’s victories over Australia and New Zealand (in WXV1) were the concrete signs that the team had begun a new chapter.
Ireland are targeting a place in the semi-finals
However, the absence of three influential forwards, Erin King, Dorothy Wall and Christy Haney, through injury has tempered expectations.
King and Wall, in particular, were to the forefront of last year’s resurgence and the improved performance against France, possible quarter-final opponents, in the Six Nations last spring.
Back row Aoife Wafer, the Six Nations player of the tournament, is also recovering from knee surgery and won’t see any action until later in the competition.
If Ireland were to shock the Black Ferns or France – should they meet in the knock-outs – Wafer is crucial to their hopes.
While Ireland lost their Six Nations match-up with England 49-5 in Cork, they only trailed 7-5 at the break.
Building on that will be key, reckons Wall, who will be part of RTÉ Sport’s TV panel for the tournament.
Dorothy Wall is a big loss for Ireland
“In the first half, we had them rattled, tactically, in what we wanted to do to them,” the lock said.
“But our ability to sustain and adapt our tactics when they adapted to what we are doing was probably what was missing in that game.
“These bigger teams are built up to a certain stage and people nearly have too much respect for them.
“We definitely had no respect for them that day in Cork and it’s a real shame we couldn’t continue that in the second half.
“Our ability to have a game plan that’s strategic and smart against these teams and then our ability to change the plan mid game will be the difference in us going far in this World Cup.”
Before facing the bigger teams, i.e. New Zealand, Ireland first must overcome the challenges of Japan and Spain, ranked 11th and 13th in the world, respectively.
Both of the games, on consecutive Sundays with 12 noon kick-offs, take place in Franklin’s Gardens, the home of Northampton Saints.
Scott Bemand has brought the Ireland team from tenth to fifth in the rankings
Ireland have played Japan seven times previously, including three World Cup meetings, winning six times with the solitary loss coming in the second game of a two-Test tour in 2022.
Spain, meanwhile, have 11 previous meetings with Ireland and famously stunned Ireland in the 2021 qualifying tournament in Italy.
The sides last met at the WXV3 in Dubai with Ireland winning 15-13 thanks to a late try from Neve Jones.
While Ireland warmed up with a win over Scotland (27-21) and a loss to Canada (47-26), Japan and Spain faced off twice with the Sakura beating the Leonas 32-19 and 30-19.
There’s no doubt Ireland’s set-piece has improved over the last 18 months, with assistant Alex Codling frequently cited as a big factor, but they are struggling in defence.
They conceded 10 tries in the last two matches, with both Scotland and Canada, who have ambitions of winning for a first time, allowed in way too easily, and they gave up 18 tries in the Six Nations.
“This World Cup has been planned for a long time and I’m really hoping to see a big improvement from Ireland,” former Leinster and Ireland hooker Bernard Jackman told RTÉ Sport.
“I think the coaching staff and players, they look back at their results in the WXV, that first half against England, that fightback against Canada, that they are able to see enough positives that they can believe they can do something special.
“Then obviously have the improved technical, athletic and tactical ability to go and pull off some really big results.”
New Zealand, under coach Allan Bunting, have beaten Australia (twice) and USA this year, while they played out a 27-27 draw with Canada, ranked two in the world, one higher than the Black Ferns.
They’ve taken on a number of Sevens players for their three-in-a-row bid with Jorja Miller one to watch, while Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has returned to the squad.
This time they’ll be ready and waiting, with last year’s 29-27 loss in Canada seen as an ambush, while Ireland remain the only team to beat the Black Ferns in a World Cup pool game, back in 2014 when they reached the semi-finals.
Getting out of the pool is the minimum requirement for Bemand’s side in this World Cup and they must start with two wins.
There is a sense that France, who lost 40-6 at home to England in a warm-up, are not the side they were a couple of years ago and that if Ireland reach that juncture with Wafer fit and no further injuries, Les Bleues is a winnable tie.
The Red Roses, under head coach John Mitchell, have won the last seven Six Nations, and indeed, their only loss in the last seven years came against the Black Ferns in the 2022 decider.
On a 27-game winning run, they face Australia, USA and Samoa in Pool A and would be likely semi-final opponents for Ireland if Bemand’s side finish second in their group and win their quarter-final.
World Rugby player of the year Ellie Kildunne admits that the pain of the 34-31 loss three years ago (the tournament was postponed by one year due to pandemic restrictions) is fuelling their fire.
Ellie Kildunne in action against Ireland in 2024
“The disappointment and the heartbreak of the last World Cup reignited a flame inside me that I already thought was burning pretty bright,” said the 25-year-old full-back.
“It’s not a revenge story, we’re just rewriting.”
The World Cup, by the numbers, has already been a success.
The final in Twickenham on 27 September is a sell-out and by Wednesday more than 375,000 tickets had been sold, three times the amount sold for the last World Cup in New Zealand.
There’s a big drive from World Rugby to engage new fans via social media with USA player Ilona Maher the biggest star.
At the other end of the scale, Brazil will make their World Cup bow after coming out of South American qualification. They will face South Africa, France and Italy in Pool D.
It’s a huge opportunity for the women’s game and women’s sport in general, while Ireland have their own chance to get a slice of the pie if things go well.
It all begins this evening with Darren Cave, Lindsay Peat and Niamh Briggs joining Jacqui Hurley for live coverage from Sunderland of the Opening Ceremony followed by England v USA on RTÉ2 & RTÉ Player.
Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch Ireland v Japan in the Rugby World Cup on Sunday from 11.30am on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to live radio commentary on 2fm.