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Ireland Women To Welcome Wallaroos To Belfast As Part Of 150th Year Celebrations

Co-captains Edel McMahon and Sam Monaghan led the Ireland Women to a hard-fought 15-12 win over Scotland at Kingspan Stadium last Saturday ©INPHO/Ben Brady

The Ireland Women (sponsored by Aon) will welcome Australia to Kingspan Stadium in Belfast this September for a special Test match that will kick off Irish Rugby’s 150th Anniversary celebrations.

Scott Bemand’s side will take on the Wallaroos, currently fifth in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings, on Saturday, September 14, with the kick off time, broadcast arrangements, and ticket details to be confirmed by the IRFU in due course.

As well as being an exciting addition to the 150th Anniversary calendar of events, the fixture will also serve as important preparation for Ireland ahead of the second edition of WXV this autumn.

Ireland are set to compete in the top tier of the WXV competition in Canada, following their third place finish in the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations.

Kingspan Stadium in Belfast has been a regular host of Women’s Test matches in recent seasons, including last Saturday’s memorable 15-12 victory over Scotland which secured a place in WXV1 and qualification for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Ireland head coach Bemand said: “We are really pleased to add this Test match into our fixture list at the start of next season, providing the squad with a valuable preparation window ahead of our WXV campaign in September and October.

“Australia will be coming off the Pacific Four competition, which kicks off (for them) this month. It’s a great chance for us to play an opponent with a different game style.

The added backdrop of this match kicking off Irish Rugby’s 150th Anniversary celebrations will make it an occasion to remember, and we look forward to getting back up to Belfast where we have received incredible support during the Six Nations.”

Throughout the 2024/25 season, the IRFU will mark the 150th anniversary of Ireland’s inaugural international rugby match with a calendar of events to celebrate the game of rugby in Ireland, including the Ireland-Australia encounter at the home of Ulster Rugby.

The Ireland Men will also take on Australia in the 150th Anniversary Challenge match at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, November 30, the fourth and final fixture of an exciting Autumn Nations Series line-up for Andy Farrell’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations champions.