Clara woman Aoife Dalton will captain the Wolfhounds for the first time when they begin their Celtic Challenge title defence against Edinburgh ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Thirteen members of Ireland’s 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup squad will be in action as the Celtic Challenge gets underway with Saturday’s exciting double-header at Energia Park. Tickets are available to buy here.
The fourth edition of the Celtic Challenge introduces knockout rugby for the first time, alongside the traditional 10-round league format, culminating in semi-finals and an inaugural final.
The opening day will see both Irish teams play in Donnybrook, with the Clovers facing Gwalia Lightning (kick-off 11.30am) before the Wolfhounds launch their title defence against Edinburgh Rugby at 2.30pm.
Energia Park provides the stage for what promises to be a compelling opening to the cross-border competition for 2025/26, as players continue their development within the Celtic Challenge pathway following increased momentum in the Women’s game.
TG4 continues its long-standing support of Women’s rugby as the official broadcast partner for the Celtic Challenge. All matches involving the Clovers and the Wolfhounds, along with the play-offs, will be broadcast live on TG4 and the TG4 Player.
Saturday’s openers will both be live on the TG4 Player, while the Clovers’ clash with Gwalia will also be shown on the BBC iPlayer, and the Celtic Challenge YouTube channel will carry live coverage of the Wolfhounds-Edinburgh encounter. Click here for further broadcast information.
Star scrum-half Emily Lane will captain the Clovers, last season’s runners-up, for the first time as head coach Denis Fogarty welcomes back Lane, Béibhinn Parsons, Anna McGann, Sadhbh McGrath, and Siobhán McCarthy from Rugby World Cup duty.
Caitríona Finn and Jemima Adams Verling, two of the new additions to the centralised IRFU Women’s High Performance Programme, will both start, with the 19-year-old Adams Verling packing down at number 8 in a well-balanced back row with Rosie Searle and Faith Oviawe.
Vice-captain Aoibhe O’Flynn and Jane Clohessy make up an all-UL Bohemian and Munster lock pairing, behind a promising young front row of Ella Burns and Emma Dunican, who are both only 19 years of age, and Ulster starlet McGrath.
Tipperary teenager Finn links up with Lane at half-back, in-form Galwegians centre Niamh Murphy will partner McGann in midfield, and Parsons is set for her Celtic Challenge debut in a potent back-three alongside UL Bohs aces Aoife Corey and Alana McInerney.
Méabh Deely, who has been playing for Blackrock College since returning from the World Cup, and McCarthy are on the bench for the Clovers, along with Uillian Eilian, Lily Morris, Aoibheann McGrath, Clonakilty RFC product Caoimhe Murphy, Eve Prendergast, and Síofra Hession.
Meanwhile, Ireland centre Dalton assumes the captaincy role for the Wolfhounds, who have a notable addition this season in Munster’s Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship-winning captain Maeve Óg O’Leary.
O’Leary previously played for the Clovers before making a stellar comeback this year from two knee surgeries. Head coach Neill Alcorn has paired her in the back row with Poppy Garvey and World Cup player Claire Boles, who lifted the Celtic Challenge trophy for the Wolfhounds last March.
Old Belvedere youngster Naoise Smyth will pack down alongside fellow Leinster lock Kate Jordan, and there is an all-Ulster front row of Cara McLean, India Daley, the province’s captain this season, and strong-carrying tighthead Sophie Barrett.
Ireland half-backs Dannah O’Brien and Aoibheann Reilly, a Clovers representative last season, will make their first appearances of the new campaign, with two more international team-mates, Dalton and Eve Higgins, reuniting in the centre.
Blackrock College flyer Maggie Boylan, the Energia All-Ireland League’s top try scorer with 12 tries, features on the left wing, and Robyn O’Connor, who starts at full-back, and Vicky Elmes Kinlan both bring Sevens international experience to the back-three.
Ireland stalwart Linda Djougang is sure to make an impact as a replacement. Alcorn’s bench options also include dual international Stacey Flood, Sevens speedster Amy Larn, Jade Gaffney, Maebh Clenaghan, Caoimhe Molloy, Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair, and Aoife Corcoran, a Leinster debutant in August.
15 – Aoife Corey (Munster)
14 – Béibhinn Parsons (Connacht)
13 – Anna McGann (Connacht)
12 – Niamh Murphy (Leinster)
11 – Alana McInerney (Munster)
10 – Caitríona Finn (Munster)
9 – Emily Lane (Munster) (capt)
1 – Ella Burns (Connacht)
2 – Emma Dunican (Munster)
3 – Sadhbh McGrath (Ulster)
4 – Aoibhe O’Flynn (Munster)
5 – Jane Clohessy (Munster)
6 – Rosie Searle (Leinster)
7 – Faith Oviawe (Connacht)
8 – Jemima Adams Verling (Connacht)
Replacements:
16 – Uillian Eilian (Connacht)
17 – Siobhán McCarthy (Munster)
18 – Lily Morris (Munster)
19 – Aoibheann McGrath (Munster)
20 – Caoimhe Murphy (Munster)
21 – Eve Prendergast (Munster)
22 – Síofra Hession (Connacht)
23 – Méabh Deely (Connacht)
15 – Robyn O’Connor (Leinster)
14 – Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Leinster)
13 – Aoife Dalton (Leinster) (capt)
12 – Eve Higgins (Leinster)
11 – Maggie Boylan (Leinster)
10 – Dannah O’Brien (Leinster)
9 – Aoibheann Reilly (Connacht)
1 – Cara McLean (Ulster)
2 – India Daley (Ulster)
3 – Sophie Barrett (Ulster)
4 – Naoise Smyth (Leinster)
5 – Kate Jordan (Leinster)
6 – Poppy Garvey (Connacht)
7 – Maeve Óg O’Leary (Munster)
8 – Claire Boles (Ulster)
Replacements:
16 – Maebh Clenaghan (Ulster)
17 – Caoimhe Molloy (Leinster)
18 – Linda Djougang (Leinster)
19 – Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair (Leinster)
20 – Aoife Corcoran (Leinster)
21 – Jade Gaffney (Leinster)
22 – Amy Larn (Leinster)
23 – Stacey Flood (Leinster)
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