Ireland qualify for 2025 World Cup and WXV 1 with win over Scotland
Ireland finished third in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations after they twice came from behind to narrowly beat Scotland 15-12 and secure their qualification for the 2025 World Cup.
Scotland hit the front with the only try of the first half when Elis Martin crossed the whitewash to give them a 5-0 lead at the interval.
It took Ireland just one minute of the second half to draw level when Katie Corrigan dotted down in the corner, but Scotland restored their advantage in the 50th minute as Lisa Thomson broke the line and Helen Nelson added the extras to give them a seven-point lead.
With 20 minutes to go, Ireland were on level terms once again following a rolling maul, Cliodhna Moloney barged over the line and Dannah O’Brien successfully kicked the conversion to make it 12-12.
Both teams went in search of a winning score and Ireland got the opportunity when Aoife Wafer helped earn a penalty, with O’Brien making no mistake in slotting over the three points to put her side in front for the first time.
Scotland had a chance to nick it at the end after a scrum penalty then gave Scotland territory with less than five minutes to go, but Ireland stood firm despite Beibhinn Parsons being sent to the sin bin late on.
After failing to qualify for the last Rugby World Cup and finishing sixth in last year’s Women’s Six Nations, the result is hugely significant for Irish women’s rugby.
They will play in WXV 1 for the first time, joining England, France, and three teams from the upcoming Pacific Four Series in Canada this September. In 2023 they won WXV 3 in Dubai with victories over Kazakhstan, Colombia, and Spain.
Last year’s WXV 2 winners Scotland will return to the second level in South Africa this autumn alongside Italy, the winner of the playoff between Wales (Women’s Six Nations sixth place) and Spain (Rugby Europe Championship winners), the fourth-placed team at the Pacific Four Series, winner of the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, and Asia Women’s Championship winner.
For Scotland, there is still a chance to qualify for RWC2025 as the highest-finishing six teams from WXV who are yet to secure a RWC place will qualify.
Italy, who lost to Wales earlier in the, finish the 2024 Women’s Six Nations in fifth place while Scotland finish their campaign in fourth.
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 is coming to England. Register now here to be the first to hear about tickets.
Comments on RugbyPass
You have got to consider that if the situation was flipped and the French were held to a salary cap with no English equivalent, the English would laugh in their faces and tell them to get over it. As for Leinster (as a fan), the central contract system is a dream but is guilty of cutting out the other 3 provinces. At the end of the day, it comes across outside of the English border that the Premiership is drowning and trying to take everyone else with it rather than adapt. The English lose, the English want new rules. We've seen this repeat (and once it even led to the current Champions Cup) You make many good and informed points, but if the flip was on the other flop, it wouldn't be Rugby’s problem I suspect - it would be a French one.
13 Go to commentsSeems to have been a bright start but it tailed off. To win the big matches you have to get used to putting your foot on the throttle and your opponent’s necks in an 80 minutes performance which is what the All Blacks were renowned for. An example in the Women’s game is England v Ireland in the 6N match played at Twickenham in April. Watch on YouTube.
1 Go to commentsBobby has been a first grade bonehead since high school. Like a true Cape Tonian, his own reflection is more important than anything else.
1 Go to commentsNo comment on the textbook red card for Ramm that was just ignored? Amazing that
4 Go to commentsThese rule changes have been implemented with good intentions, but much like every other rule change focus on isolated symptoms instead of the root cause. If you cannot croc roll, and cannot risk any head contact with a front on clear out, it is not clear how you are supposed to lawfully clear someone out who is attempting a jackal. This will backfire massively and lead to substantially more kicking. Teams will simply not want to take the ball into contact. Or it will lead to even more dangerous methods to clear players out who are over the ball. I much prefer having the set piece on a 30 second shot clock over no scrum on a short arm infringement. Resets are not a problem in themselves, but 90 second water and tactics breaks before every scrum are a big problem. Trainers constantly coming on to the field to help players pull their socks up and delaying the game are a problem. DuPont law was a blight on the game and should have been changed the day after it was first implemented.
79 Go to commentsAh yes, the opinion of Andy Goode… Andy Goode, the man who knows what some of the Irish players said to Eben Etzebeth after the QF, better than what Eben himself knows. And, judging by this piece, the Grandmaster of clichés.
4 Go to commentsI think this is a fair view. As a South African I am concerned about the depowering of the scrum but let’s be honest, until the SA vs FRA quarter many people didn’t even know you could take a scrum from a free kick. As you say it’s going to come down to interpretation… until then we don’t really know how this is going to impact the game. That would lead to my own objection. Do the unknowns of changing a law outweigh the cons of said law. With such an obscure law that most people had never heard of, one that had never really had an impact on the game in the first place is it worth changing to invite so much uncertainty. Better the devil you know then the devil you don’t as it were…
4 Go to comments162 comments so far and counting. i didn't realize that rugby fans are on the way to join the football brothers. what is the point to share personal opinion only to get all this shi*? it seems IRB bosses are doing the great job by killing the spirit of the game both on and outside the pitch. too sad, indeed. btw, was there anything on eben’s point of view from the boys in green, who he mentioned?
164 Go to commentsJob done guys. Great win in a game where things can quickly go wrong.
1 Go to commentsAlex Sanderson fantastic coach and person .So pleased he has signed another contract great days ahead for Sale under his leadership.
1 Go to commentsAndy Goode cant kick to 12
164 Go to commentsDoxed himself. Great work Johnny. You are well suited to the Saders
1 Go to comments_Best game players _
1 Go to commentsWho's Jarrad Hohepa?
1 Go to commentsSo let me get this straight. Say you have the dominant scrum. You are 99% sure you can go for a scrum pushover try on the line to win the game. The opposition knows it too. They give away a silly tap kick instead. You are now not allowed to scrum. This is ridiculous! *%@ing the game up as usual! The fact that the attacking teams are not allowed to scrum from a held up over the line is just as ridiculous. Really world rugby? Careful people might start a rebel league called True Rugby or Real Rugby.
79 Go to comments12 subs during a game? How has that been allowed to happen NB? I hate when the game goes in this monopolistic direction closing up shop, it just becomes non sport. Btw have you seen anything of how Liam Coltman was tracking for Lyon? He has just signed to return to Otago though we have a couple of young hookers developing here. He was a popular gentle natured character down here and I’m glad to see him back but maybe he will be a mentor primarily?
13 Go to commentsGreat breakdown and the global politics always confuses me a little. The southern hemisphere seems to be left out a bit but I wouldn’t even know where to start with fixing it. Club challenge could be a step in the right direction
13 Go to commentsSince he coached Free state, from that time onwards, I maintained he was the coach for the Boks. A nice, no nonsense guy with an excellent brain, who gets results.
11 Go to commentswell - they only played against 14 men and had the TMO team on their side - and still should have lost… so actually that makes sense.
35 Go to commentsSouthern hemisphere Rugby is exactly that, boring. Northern Hemisphere Rugby is soooo much more entertaining and better with better players.
2 Go to comments