IRELAND’S BRITTANY HOGAN and Niamh O’Dowd have joined clubs in the Premiership Women’s Rugby.
Hogan will link up with Sale Sharks in January, while O’Dowd has signed for the three-time Premiership Women’s Rugby champions Gloucester Hartpury as injury cover for the 2025/26 season.
Both players played pivotal roles for Ireland in as they reached a World Cup quarter-final this year which ended in defeat to France. Backrower Hogan picked up an injury in that game and has not played since. But she approaches full fitness again as she prepares for the move to Sale where she will join fellow Ireland international Vicky Irwin.
“For the past couple of years I’ve been looking across the water and thinking that I’d love to play in the PWR,” Hogan said in a statement today. “Then I played in the World Cup and that really whetted my appetite for trying something new.
“The PWR is an incredible league with some of the best players in the world and I’m confident that moving to Sale is the best thing for my rugby career.
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“I’m really looking forward to playing with this group. They look like a group who fight for each other and are desperate to work hard to build something really special.
“It’s exciting to be joining a club at the start of its development and I can’t wait to get involved and help the team. I’ve known Vicky for a long time and it’ll be great to have a familiar face to bounce off and have that comfort away from home. I’m really excited to play with her again.”
O’Dowd will also link up with some familiar faces at Gloucester Hartpury, joining fellow Ireland internationals Neve Jones, Sam Monaghan and El Perry.
“I’m excited to step into the PWR and to join such a driven and talented group at Gloucester Hartpury.
“The club’s success over the past few seasons speaks for itself, being three-time champions doesn’t happen by accident, and the standards set by the coaching team and wider environment really stood out to me.
“Having Neve, Sam and El as well makes the move feel even more like the right fit. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and I can’t wait to get involved.”
Their respective moves come as the IRFU announced central contracts for 35 players across the Women’s High Performance Programme. A statement from the IRFU reads that players including Linda Djougang, Méabh Deely, and Siobhán McCarthy ”have left the programme but remain players of national interest,” while O’Dowd and Hogan pursue their opportunities in the Premiership.
Players from the centralised programme returned to training at the IRFU High Performance Centre in recent weeks, as their gear up for the Celtic Challenge as well as the Six Nations.
Seven players have been awarded their first national contracts having progressed through the Women’s National Talent Squad (WNTS) pathway and impressed for the Ireland Under-20 Women’s team last season.
Forwards Ailish Quinn, Beth Buttimer, Ivana Kiripati, Jane Neill, and Jemima Adams Verling have joined the full-time centralised programme for the 2025/26 season, while backs Caitríona Finn and Chisom Ugwueru have also earned their first senior contracts.
Quinn and Kiripati made their Test debuts during the World Cup warm-up fixtures in August, and were subsequently included in Ireland’s final tournament squad. Both Finn and Ugwueru have also been involved in Ireland senior squads in recent seasons.
Ireland women’s contracted players — 2025/26 season
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Ireland's Hogan and O'Dowd join Premiership Women’s Rugby sides
IRELAND’S BRITTANY HOGAN and Niamh O’Dowd have joined clubs in the Premiership Women’s Rugby.
Hogan will link up with Sale Sharks in January, while O’Dowd has signed for the three-time Premiership Women’s Rugby champions Gloucester Hartpury as injury cover for the 2025/26 season.
Both players played pivotal roles for Ireland in as they reached a World Cup quarter-final this year which ended in defeat to France. Backrower Hogan picked up an injury in that game and has not played since. But she approaches full fitness again as she prepares for the move to Sale where she will join fellow Ireland international Vicky Irwin.
“For the past couple of years I’ve been looking across the water and thinking that I’d love to play in the PWR,” Hogan said in a statement today. “Then I played in the World Cup and that really whetted my appetite for trying something new.
“The PWR is an incredible league with some of the best players in the world and I’m confident that moving to Sale is the best thing for my rugby career.
“I’m really looking forward to playing with this group. They look like a group who fight for each other and are desperate to work hard to build something really special.
“It’s exciting to be joining a club at the start of its development and I can’t wait to get involved and help the team. I’ve known Vicky for a long time and it’ll be great to have a familiar face to bounce off and have that comfort away from home. I’m really excited to play with her again.”
O’Dowd will also link up with some familiar faces at Gloucester Hartpury, joining fellow Ireland internationals Neve Jones, Sam Monaghan and El Perry.
“I’m excited to step into the PWR and to join such a driven and talented group at Gloucester Hartpury.
“The club’s success over the past few seasons speaks for itself, being three-time champions doesn’t happen by accident, and the standards set by the coaching team and wider environment really stood out to me.
“Having Neve, Sam and El as well makes the move feel even more like the right fit. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and I can’t wait to get involved.”
Their respective moves come as the IRFU announced central contracts for 35 players across the Women’s High Performance Programme. A statement from the IRFU reads that players including Linda Djougang, Méabh Deely, and Siobhán McCarthy ”have left the programme but remain players of national interest,” while O’Dowd and Hogan pursue their opportunities in the Premiership.
Players from the centralised programme returned to training at the IRFU High Performance Centre in recent weeks, as their gear up for the Celtic Challenge as well as the Six Nations.
Seven players have been awarded their first national contracts having progressed through the Women’s National Talent Squad (WNTS) pathway and impressed for the Ireland Under-20 Women’s team last season.
Forwards Ailish Quinn, Beth Buttimer, Ivana Kiripati, Jane Neill, and Jemima Adams Verling have joined the full-time centralised programme for the 2025/26 season, while backs Caitríona Finn and Chisom Ugwueru have also earned their first senior contracts.
Quinn and Kiripati made their Test debuts during the World Cup warm-up fixtures in August, and were subsequently included in Ireland’s final tournament squad. Both Finn and Ugwueru have also been involved in Ireland senior squads in recent seasons.
Ireland women’s contracted players — 2025/26 season
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Across the water Brittany Hogan IRFU Niamh O’Dowd Rugby