A CONTINGENT of former and current Irish women's rugby internationals have asked the government to look into issues that they have with the IRFU.
A letter sent to Junior Minister Jack Chambers and Sports Minister Catherine Martin says that the 62 person group say they have 'lost all trust and confidence' in the Irish Union.
The letter sent to The42.ie includes a variety of former and current players. These include leading current internationals such as Cliodhna Moloney, Sene Naoupu, Linda Djougang, and Eimear Considine, retired Ireland captain Ciara Griffin Fiona Coghlan, Lynne Cantwell, Claire Molloy and the likes of Alison Miller, who are Ireland legends.
A powerful collective move from Irish women's rugby players.
A group of 62 current and former players have written to the Irish government to express their loss of all trust and confidence in the IRFU:https://t.co/wHSk43mYfC— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) December 13, 2021
The letter comes after Ireland's failure to qualify for next year's World Cup.
Anthony Eddy, the Director of Women's and 7s rugby made comments after the game that didn't go well with the squad.
Attention will be aimed at government it remains to be seen if they act on the letter
"Multiple cycles of substandard commitment from the union” were one of the main reasons for the letter and they want to see that come to an end.
A fourth-placed finish at the World Cup in 2014 is another factor
“In 2014, the Irish XV team finished the season ranked fourth in the world, having won a Six Nations Grand Slam the year before.
"This triggered the beginning of a new World Cup cycle and new leadership within Irish rugby with David Nucifora and Anthony Eddy overseeing the women’s programme.
"The end of this cycle ended in bitter disappointment as the team finished eighth in their home World Cup in 2017, crashing out in the pool stages.
“In response, the IRFU produced an action plan for the game with a number of high level targets.
"However we find ourselves at the end of 2021 with those plans in disarray and with a large majority of those targets missed, including the XV team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup and the sevens team’s failure to qualify for the Olympics.
“Notwithstanding the challenges of the pandemic, these facts represent significant failure."
Dublin , Ireland - 20 November 2021; Ciara Griffin of Ireland, centre, celebrates after scoring her side's second try with Sene Naoupu, left, and Aoife McDermott during the Autumn Test Series match between Ireland and Japan at the RDS Arena in Dublin. (Photo By Harry Murphy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)A full transcript of the letter can be read on The42.ie.
The full list of players is as follows: Ciara Griffin, Lynne Cantwell, Fiona Coghlan, Grace Davitt, Laura Guest, Paula Fitzpatrick, Mairead Kelly, Jackie Shiels, Claire Molloy, Lauren Day, Alison Miller, Marie Louise Reilly, Stacey Lea Kennedy, Gillian Bourke, Heather O’Brien, Deirdre O’Brien, Shannon Houston, Ruth O’Reilly, Nikki Caughey, Jenny Murphy, Ailis Egan, Orla Fitzsimons, Sharon Lynch, Siobhan Fleming, Sarah Mimnagh, Mairead Coyne, Fiona Reidy, Nicole Fowley, Ilse Van Staden, Cliodhna Moloney, Lindsay Peat, Ciara Cooney, Leah Lyons, Chloe Pearse, Nichola Fryday, Sene Naoupu, Ailsa Hughes, Anna Caplice, Louise Galvin, Laura Feely, Edel McMahon, Michelle Claffey, Aoife McDermott, Laura Sheehan, Lauren Delany, Emma Hooban, Ellen Murphy, Anne-Marie O’Hora, Kathryn Dane, Judy Bobbett, Neve Jones, Katie O’Dwyer, Aoife Doyle, Hannah O’Connor, Eimear Considine, Victoria Dabonovich O’Mahony, Shannon Touhy, Kathryn Buggy, Sam Monaghan, Hannah Tyrrell, Linda Djougang, Jeanette Feighery.
