IRELAND HEAD COACH Adam Griggs has clarified comments he made about the domestic game in women’s rugby, saying that he “wasn’t as clear” as he could have been.
Griggs was quoted yesterday as saying he did not know who in the IRFU was in charge of running women’s domestic rugby in Ireland.
Griggs was speaking in the wake of Ireland’s 41-point defeat to France when he said, “I couldn’t tell you” in response to questions about who is running domestic rugby for the women’s game.
The Ireland boss was speaking to the press again today ahead of their Six Nations third/fourth place playoff against Italy this weekend when he elected to explain the previous comments he made.
“On reflection, I probably wasn’t as clear as I could have been,” he began at the start of the press conference.
“I think it’s important to acknowledge the work that [Director of Rugby Development] Collie McEntee and [Women's Development Manage] Amanda Greensmith and the domestic game do in running our pathway, and also our interprovincial series.
“Hopefully that clears up some of the comments that were made.”
Griggs was also asked why there was confusion about the issue and to comment on the importance of clarity around the structure of women’s domestic rugby.
“I think I probably got put on the spot a little bit and I didn’t want to come across that we were putting it under any one person. I think, as I stated, it’s the whole organisation running this thing. Obviously, there’s different departments that will take care of different parts of the organisation.
“It was just something I thought, at the time, on the spot, I probably wasn’t as clear as I could have been.
“Obviously, the questions are understandable and I think, what we have in place at the moment is a really good model, a good structure. Obviously, there’s still more work to be done in terms of growing the game, getting the numbers up and that leads to the competitiveness at the top end of the game.”
