IRISH RUGBY LEGEND Niamh Briggs has been appointed assistant coach of the Ireland women’s team ahead of the 2022 Six Nations, the IRFU has announced.
The former Ireland captain joins Greg McWilliams’ coaching team as preparations for the 2022 Championship begin this weekend with a National Screening Camp at the IRFU High Performance Centre.
Briggs is a major addition to the Ireland backroom team having won 57 caps for her country throughout her international career. She was also a key player on the Irish sides that captured two Six Nations titles, including a Grand Slam in 2013.
She represented Ireland at two Rugby World Cups, and was part of the team that famously defeated the Black Ferns on the way to reaching the semi-finals of the 2014 tournament.
Briggs most recently played a key role in Munster’s Women’s Inter-Provincial success as assistant coach and has continued her coaching development as Head Coach of UL Bohemians.
“I am delighted to come on board as an Assistant Coach as part of Greg’s coaching team,” said a delighted Briggs.
“I worked with Greg during my playing career and while it is early days in his tenure, I believe he is building something really exciting as we strive to move Irish Women’s rugby forward, both at a domestic and international level.
“I am excited to get started, to work with Greg and the rest of the management team, and to get to know the players as we build towards the Six Nations. It’s going to be a challenging and busy couple of months, but it’s fantastic opportunity for us to create a special environment and help players achieve their dream of playing in green.”
Ireland will get their Six Nations campaign underway against Wales at the RDS on 26 March before travelling to France on Saturday, 2 April.
They will then face into their second home game against Italy at Musgrave Park in Cork on Sunday, 10 April.
The penultimate weekend sees Ireland travel to face England on Sunday, 24 April, before the final home match of the campaign, against Scotland, is staged at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast on Saturday, 30 April.
Ireland head coach McWilliams says he is keen for players based in England to continue to be exposed to game time and that they will remain available to their Premiership clubs this weekend.
Members of the Ireland Women’s Sevens squad – who last weekend made history by winning a World Rugby Sevens Series silver medal in Seville – will be integrated into the group in the coming weeks.
Players Invited to National Screening Camp:
Forwards:
Amanda McQuade (Railway Union RFC)
Aoife McDermott (Railway Union RFC)
Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC)
Chloe Blackmore (Railway Union RFC)
Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemian RFC)
Christy Hanley (Blackrock College RFC)
Ciara O’Halloran (UL Bohemian RFC)
Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC)
Eimear Corrie (Blackrock College RFC)
Elaine Anthony (Old Belvedere RFC)
Emma Hooban (Blackrock College RFC)
Emma Murphy (Railway Union RFC)
Fiona Scally (Galwegians RFC)
Grace Moore (Railway Union RFC)
Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College RFC)
Kate McCarthy (Railway Union RFC)
Katie O’Dwyer (Railway Union RFC)
Lisa Marie Murphy (Galwegians RFC)
Maeve Og O’Leary (Blackrock College RFC)
Mary Healy (Naas RFC/Suttonians RFC)
Siobhan McCarthy (Railway Union RFC).
Backs:
Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union RFC)
Alana McInerney (UL Bohemian RFC)
Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC)
Aoife Dalton (Tullamore RFC)
Aoife Doyle (Railway Union RFC)
Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian RFC)
Ella Roberts (Wicklow RFC)
Emily McKeown (Naas RFC/Suttonians RFC)
Emma Tilley (Barnhall RFC)
Enya Breen (UL Bohemian RFC)
Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere RFC)
Leah Tarpey (Tullamore RFC)
Lisa Mullen (Blackrock College RFC)
Molly Scuffil McCabe (Railway Union RFC)
Niamh Byrne (Railway Union RFC)
Nikki Caughey (Railway Union RFC)
Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian RFC)
Orla Dixon (Galwegians RFC)
Tash Behan (Blackrock College RFC)
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC).
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