Donnybrook To Host Ireland U-20 And Women’s Internationals

The Irish Rugby Football Union have announced that Donnybrook Stadium will host the home fixtures of the Ireland Under-20 and Women’s teams for the 2016 RBS 6 Nations Championships.

The Ireland Under-20s, who return to the venue having played England there earlier this year, will open their 2016 campaign at home to Wales under the Donnybrook floodlights on Friday, February 5.

The visit of the Welsh Women’s team on Saturday, February 6 will be the first time the Ireland Women have played at the Dublin 4 venue since 2006. They are moving from Ashbourne RFC where they have played since 2009.

Ticket information will be confirmed by the IRFU closer to the 2016 tournaments.
 
Announcing the venues for the Ireland U-20s and Women’s side, IRFU Performance Director David Nucifora said: “With the growth of the Women’s game in Ireland off the back of the success of the team it is a logical progression  to place the Women’s matches into the bigger venue at Donnybrook.

To have both the U-20s and Women’s homeRBS 6 Nations fixtures played out of the same venue increases the opportunity for the supporters to view the best of Irish Rugby on theseweekends.”

 
Commenting on their move from Ashbourne to Donnybrook, Ireland Women’s captain Niamh Briggs said: “The move to a bigger venue is fantastic for the development of the game but we will of course miss Ashbourne where we have always been made so welcome and were so well looked after. 

“We are delighted to have left on the high of a Championship win and hope that all the supporters that followed our journey will join us for the next steps in the development of our game at Donnybrook.”

2016 RBS 6 NATIONS HOME MATCHES AT DONNYBROOK:

Friday, February 5 – Ireland Under-20s v Wales Under-20s, 7.35pm
Saturday, February 6 – Ireland Women v Wales Women, 1pm
 
Friday, March 11 – Ireland Under-20s v Italy Under-20s, 7.35pm
Sunday, March 13 – Ireland Women v Italy Women, 1pm
 
Friday, March 18 – Ireland Under-20s v Scotland Under-20s, 7.35pm
Sunday, March 20 – Ireland Women v Scotland Women, 1pm