Meet the Valentines: The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of the Irish Women’s National Rugby Team

The Rugby History Project Podcast · Dec 11, 2025 · 26m

On the 30th September 2024, Irish rugby fans woke up to the news that the Ireland had beaten New Zealand. Fans of the men's team rejoiced that the women's team had finally achieved the same feat the men had come to hold so dear. Imagine their shock when fans of women's rugby informed them that the women's team had not only beaten New Zealand before, but that they had made a Rugby World Cup bronze final too. This podcast episode explores the rise, fall and rise again of the Irish Women's National Rugby Team and the broad history of women's rugby in Ireland.

Links, references and images for…