Women’s National Talent Squad Programme Gets Underway

2nd March 2022 By The Editor

PwC U18 Women’s Interprovincial Series, St. Mary’s College RFC, Dublin 5/9/2021 Munster's Kate Flannery makes a break ©INPHO

Earlier this month the Women’s National Talent Squad (WNTS) programme kicked off with a skill development camp at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus in Dublin.

The WNTS programme aims to identify, develop and support female players that have the potential to be selected for national squads and to accelerate their understanding of the demands of rugby at the elite level.

WNTS players will be provided with education in the areas of strength and conditioning, performance nutrition and video analysis and will be exposed to a high performance environment through a series of development camps.

The first players inducted into the programme have been identified via IRFU Talent Coaches, Provincial coaches and staff and club coaches. Establishing a sustainable talent identification network is a key deliverable for the programme.

Munster’s Brianna Heylmann
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Tommy Grealy

The WNTS operates out of the IRFU’s High Performance Centre on the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin and is coordinated and delivered by former Ireland Women’s international, IRFU Women’s Performance Pathway Coach Katie Fitzhenry and Neill Alcorn Ulster Rugby Women’s Head Coach.

Initially 13 players have been enrolled in the programme which supports the Ireland U18 XV squad and is aligned with the National Women’s XV and 7s programmes to enable WNTS talent to be exposed to the senior women’s environment.

WNTS players Aoife Dalton, Leah Tarpey and Emma Tilly were recently included in the 41 player training squad assembled by Ireland Women’s head coach Greg McWilliams. The next WNTS camp is scheduled for 19-20th March.

Katie Fitzhenry, IRFU Women’s Performance Pathway Coach will be driving the WNTS programme development

IRFU Women’s Performance Pathway Coach Katie Fitzhenry, commented, “It was great to get the programme up and running and to give these young athletes their first taste of a high performance environment. These players have been identified through a mixture of the U18 Interpros last year and from feedback from provincial and club coaches. Developing a strong talent ID network will be a big focus of the programme as it grows year on year catering for more young female talent.

“The aim of this programme is to advance players to a level where they can pull on a green jersey whether that is in XVs or Olympic 7s or be integrated into the senior women’s programmes. There is great alignment and support for the WNTS so it is an exciting time to be getting this programme up and running.”