Cliodhna Moloney: Ireland set-up now 'worlds apart' from old days

Cliodhna Moloney says she is confident that the IRFU has put the right structures in place for women's rugby to have a bright future in Ireland.

The hooker returned to the Irish squad mid-way through the Six Nations in 2024, having been in Test exile since the end of 2021.

Moloney made headlines in November 2021 when she was critical of the IRFU’s then-head of women’s rugby Anthony Eddy, following Ireland’s failure to qualify for the World Cup in New Zealand.

The fallout of that campaign has since led to major changes in how women’s rugby is run, with the introduction of more professional contracts for players and coaches, and an improved give-and-take between the Sevens and XV’s programmes.

Up until the 2024 Six Nations, however, Moloney’s continued absence was jarring.

The Exeter Chiefs hooker was a regular for her side in Premiership Women’s Rugby but remained cast aside from the international game through 2022 and 2023, before she was finally recalled midway through the Six Nations in April, returning for the Round 3 win against Wales in Cork.

The 31-year-old looks set add to her 34 Irish caps in the coming weeks, after being named in Bemand’s squad ahead of next week’s Test against Australia, and the WXV 1 in Vancouver later this month.

And she says the landscape of Irish women’s rugby is now "worlds apart" from where it was three years ago.

"Things are moving at a very fast pace externally and are developing quickly, and that's kind of what's happened in here too," she said.

"Since Scott's come in, the environment in here has changed a lot, and it's definitely worlds apart from when I was last in here, in a good way.

"I'm really enjoying it, and enjoying seeing all the young kids I don't know much about really. I'm finding