Brown happy to pass the Munster coaching torch to 'rugby nerd' Briggs

Since Munster clinched the last Women's Interprovincial Series back in September 2021, there's been a significant change in the coaching setup.

The province regained their Interpro title under head coach Matt Brown, assisted by Niamh Briggs, who at the time was still relatively new to the coaching game.

Her star has grown in the 18 months since though, brought into the Irish set-up to work as assistant to Greg McWilliams, while she continued to manage UL Bohemians in the All Ireland League.

Commitments with his other coaching roles at Old Crescent and Crescent College meant that Brown had to step back when the 2022/23 Interpro Series was moved to this January window, with the province promoting Briggs to the head coach role, and bringing in Fiona Hayes as an assistant, along with former Munster front row Mike Storey who had been involved with the women's team for several years.

Brown's own circumstances changed when he was promoted to pathways development coach with Munster, which meant he had to step away from his role in schools rugby, opening up the chance to get the band back together again.

"Purely the way it happened, I interviewed for the Munster pathways coach, I got that, and they said they could factor in the women's team, so happy days," he says of being back with the Munster women's team this season, working on the backline and defence under Briggs, who he describes as "the ultimate rugby nerd".

"We bounce things off each other, and Mike [Storey] and Fiona [Hayes] as well. It suits, because I have a lot on me plate with the new role, so a lot of the off-pitch prep work, Niamh will take care of, and thank God she does because she's really good at it.

"She's great, I don't think she'll mind me saying, but she's the