Celtic Challenge

India Daley, Dannah O’Brien, Maeve Óg O’Leary and Meabh Deely 15/12/2023

This season marks another major step forward for women’s rugby across Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as the ultimate cross-border competition continues to showcase the next generation of talent while welcoming back established internationals fresh from World Cup action.

The Celtic Challenge

Fixtures & Results

The Road to the Final

At the conclusion of the 10-round regular season, the top four seeded teams will progress to the play-offs.

The two highest-ranked sides will host the semi-finals, with 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd battling for a place in the inaugural final.

The winners of the semi-finals will then meet in the Celtic Challenge Final, where they will compete for the honour of becoming the Celtic Challenge Champions.

Watch the Action Live – In Stadium or At Home

Building on the success of last season, every Celtic Challenge match will be broadcast live. This will give fans the chance to follow every tackle, try and triumph, whether in the stands or from home.

Broadcast partners will be announced in the build-up to the competition, ensuring comprehensive coverage for fans across all three nations and beyond.

The Clovers

Tipperary native Dorothy Wall is pictured leading her Clovers team – ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

The Clovers are mainly comprised of players from the Irish provinces of Munster and Connacht.The players will come from the Ireland national team, from the Irish Women’s National Talent Squad (WNTS) pathway and also players identified from the Interprovincial Series and the Energia Women’s All Ireland League.

In an effort to develop depth for the national team, on occasion players from Leinster and Ulster (the other Irish provinces) will join the Clovers. The WNTS is structured around centres of excellence at the University of Galway, Atlantic Technological University Sligo, Dublin City University, Southeast Technological University Carlow, University of Limerick, and Queen’s University in Belfast.

The head coach for the Clovers is Denis Fogarty, who is the scrum coach for the Women’s National Team. Fogarty will be joined by Larissa Muldoon and Leah Lyons, both former Irish internationals. Muldoon is also the current WNTS coach for Connacht.

The Wolfhounds

The Wolfhounds won the Celtic Challenge in February, completing an unbeaten seven-match run by beating the Clovers, 47-26, at Kingspan Stadium ©INPHO/Leah Scholes

The Wolfhounds are mainly comprised of players from the Irish provinces of Leinster and Ulster. The players will come from the Ireland national team, from the Irish Women’s National Talent Squad (WNTS) pathway and also players identified from the Interprovincial Series and the Energia Women’s All Ireland League.

In an effort to develop depth for the national team, on occasion players from Connacht and Munster (the other Irish provinces) will join the Wolfhounds. The WNTS is structured around centres of excellence at the University of Galway, Atlantic Technological University Sligo, Dublin City University, Southeast Technological University Carlow, University of Limerick, and Queen’s University in Belfast.

The head coach for the Wolfhounds is Neill Alcorn, who is the WNTS Coach for Ulster. Joining Alcorn as assistant coaches will be Maz Reilly, ex Irish international and World Rugby intern who recently was with the Women’s National Team at the WXV1 tournament in Vancouver, and Ben Martin, the ex-Australian international who has coached many Energia All-Ireland League sides.