Home / Sports / Irish Rugby Stars Bolt for England's Top League
Irish Rugby Stars Bolt for England's Top League
26 Nov
Summary
- Two Ireland internationals exited the central contract system for English play.
- Several other players left Ireland's high-performance program this year.
- 35 players have been awarded central deals; new national contracts issued.
Irish international rugby players Niamh O'Dowd and Brittany Hogan have departed from the Irish Rugby Football Union's central contract system, seeking new playing opportunities in England. Prop O'Dowd has joined the Premiership Women's Rugby champions, Gloucester-Hartpury, as injury cover. Back-rower Hogan is set to move to Sale Sharks in January.
Their departures are part of a broader shift, as Linda Djougang, Meabh Deely, and Siobhan McCarthy have also left Ireland's women's high-performance program, though they remain players of national interest. Despite these moves, the IRFU has awarded national contracts to 35 players in total.
Seven players have secured their first national contracts, signaling continued investment in the program. Home-based players will compete in the Celtic Challenge before the national squad reconvenes for the Women's Six Nations in April, with the team having recently exited the World Cup in the quarter-finals.
