THE JERSEY PRESENTATION ahead of Ireland’s historic clash with Scotland this Sunday promises to be a memorable one.
Irish captain Erin King and her team-mates will welcome team members from Ireland’s first-ever women’s international game in 1993 into camp as they continue to build towards another major landmark.
Sunday will be Ireland Women’s first standalone game at the Aviva Stadium and with 30,000 tickets sold, the existing attendance record for a home game is set to be trebled.
This is a far cry from that first Ireland international against Scotland in 1993 when the Irish squad assembled the night before the Test in Edinburgh. Some of them barely knew each other. The jerseys were far too big for the players, but it was the start of the story.
23 years on, the Ireland players have contracts with the IRFU, are part of a strongly-supported high performance programme, and will play in front of a record-smashing crowd on Sunday.
Keen to make it as special an occasion as possible, the IRFU has also invited every single former Ireland 15s and Ireland 7s international – and a plus one – to the game. The total number of people invited is around 600.
After the match, each of the ex-internationals will be awarded a ‘heritage cap’ number at the Aviva Stadium, and any player who didn’t receive a physical cap when they played for Ireland in the past will belatedly get theirs.
Advertisement
“The legends are coming in, and there’s going to be a piece around celebrating what they achieved back in the day, connecting with what they went through,” said Ireland head coach Scott Bemand.
“You know, it was a different world. Let’s be honest, what the players have in terms of support, what the programme can offer, what the world looks like now, we’re playing in front of over 30,000 people at the home of Irish rugby.
“And in terms of where they used to play, there’s a really big part around connecting it all up and sort of increasing the Green Wave, if you like.
“Who started it, I’m not entirely certain. Things spawn and ideas grow. I certainly know that the IRFU has been heavily involved in it. I know the current players have always been keen to reach out to the legends that have gone before them.
Ireland Women head coach Scott Bemand. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
“I know that the legends have got an active and busy sort of social WhatsApp group in and around, they’re still all connected. It’s just about joining it all together, isn’t it? So I think it’s a hugely, hugely positive piece.
“We did it back in Italy, we had our U21s in. The senior players and the U21s had a sort of joint jersey ceremony, so it’s different generations passing the baton down but connecting to those that have been before, so I think it’s a great opportunity for Irish rugby.”
Bemand has made one change to his starting XV as Ireland look to finish the Six Nations in style. A win would see Ireland secure third place in the championship.
Sam Monaghan is promoted from the bench into the second row, with Dorothy Wall swapping out of the starting XV.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to have an hour and a half discussing who’s in your engine room, so we enjoy selection,” said Bemand.
“We’ve moved it to a point now where we’ve got genuine competition for who can start, who can come on and bring impact off the bench. We’re at the level now that we’re starting to consider who we’re playing against and what best fits for how we think the game is going to pattern out.
“I think you’ve got your Ruth [Campbell], your Fiona [Tutite], who can do a bit of back five, a bit of second row, a bit of back row.
“So we’ve got some really decent capability, we’ve got some decent lineout operators now. We’ve always known you need three lineout options at any point. As we’re developing that area of the game, we’ve got that.
“So we’re pretty well stocked and we genuinely enjoy the competition to see who’s going to start, who’s going to finish and who might be unlucky about not even getting in the group.
“It depends what you do with your bench, whether you go 6/2 or 5/3. You see we’ve gone back to a 5/3 this week and that’s because of how we think the game will go and we’re desperate to see Vicky Elmes Kinlan come on and bring her power game to the party.
“So, yeah, we’re well stocked in that. We’ve got some talent.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
'The legends are coming in' - Ireland to honour their heritage
THE JERSEY PRESENTATION ahead of Ireland’s historic clash with Scotland this Sunday promises to be a memorable one.
Irish captain Erin King and her team-mates will welcome team members from Ireland’s first-ever women’s international game in 1993 into camp as they continue to build towards another major landmark.
Sunday will be Ireland Women’s first standalone game at the Aviva Stadium and with 30,000 tickets sold, the existing attendance record for a home game is set to be trebled.
This is a far cry from that first Ireland international against Scotland in 1993 when the Irish squad assembled the night before the Test in Edinburgh. Some of them barely knew each other. The jerseys were far too big for the players, but it was the start of the story.
23 years on, the Ireland players have contracts with the IRFU, are part of a strongly-supported high performance programme, and will play in front of a record-smashing crowd on Sunday.
Keen to make it as special an occasion as possible, the IRFU has also invited every single former Ireland 15s and Ireland 7s international – and a plus one – to the game. The total number of people invited is around 600.
After the match, each of the ex-internationals will be awarded a ‘heritage cap’ number at the Aviva Stadium, and any player who didn’t receive a physical cap when they played for Ireland in the past will belatedly get theirs.
“The legends are coming in, and there’s going to be a piece around celebrating what they achieved back in the day, connecting with what they went through,” said Ireland head coach Scott Bemand.
“You know, it was a different world. Let’s be honest, what the players have in terms of support, what the programme can offer, what the world looks like now, we’re playing in front of over 30,000 people at the home of Irish rugby.
“And in terms of where they used to play, there’s a really big part around connecting it all up and sort of increasing the Green Wave, if you like.
“Who started it, I’m not entirely certain. Things spawn and ideas grow. I certainly know that the IRFU has been heavily involved in it. I know the current players have always been keen to reach out to the legends that have gone before them.
“I know that the legends have got an active and busy sort of social WhatsApp group in and around, they’re still all connected. It’s just about joining it all together, isn’t it? So I think it’s a hugely, hugely positive piece.
“We did it back in Italy, we had our U21s in. The senior players and the U21s had a sort of joint jersey ceremony, so it’s different generations passing the baton down but connecting to those that have been before, so I think it’s a great opportunity for Irish rugby.”
Bemand has made one change to his starting XV as Ireland look to finish the Six Nations in style. A win would see Ireland secure third place in the championship.
Sam Monaghan is promoted from the bench into the second row, with Dorothy Wall swapping out of the starting XV.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to have an hour and a half discussing who’s in your engine room, so we enjoy selection,” said Bemand.
“We’ve moved it to a point now where we’ve got genuine competition for who can start, who can come on and bring impact off the bench. We’re at the level now that we’re starting to consider who we’re playing against and what best fits for how we think the game is going to pattern out.
“I think you’ve got your Ruth [Campbell], your Fiona [Tutite], who can do a bit of back five, a bit of second row, a bit of back row.
“So we’ve got some really decent capability, we’ve got some decent lineout operators now. We’ve always known you need three lineout options at any point. As we’re developing that area of the game, we’ve got that.
“So we’re pretty well stocked and we genuinely enjoy the competition to see who’s going to start, who’s going to finish and who might be unlucky about not even getting in the group.
“It depends what you do with your bench, whether you go 6/2 or 5/3. You see we’ve gone back to a 5/3 this week and that’s because of how we think the game will go and we’re desperate to see Vicky Elmes Kinlan come on and bring her power game to the party.
“So, yeah, we’re well stocked in that. We’ve got some talent.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
History Ireland Women legacy presentation