Constant negativity 'tough' on Ireland, says McWilliams

Greg McWilliams admits that dealing with all the negativity surrounding his young Ireland team is "tough".

Their return to Parma, scene of the World Cup-qualifying heartbreak in 2021, to face Italy in the TikTok Women's Six Nations on Saturday has been overshadowed by another controversy, this time in the form of a stinging article in the Telegraph, which criticised the IRFU for its attitude towards the women’s game.

An anonymous player, recently and possibly still in the squad, cited examples such as problems sourcing protein supplements prior to a tour, finding out about being dropped by email, failure to consult about the switch from white to blue shorts and an unwillingness to explore the option of hybrid contracts.

The IRFU disputed the article's claims.

But it comes as the union tries to move on from the fallout of the failure to qualify for the World Cup, which led indirectly to two reviews into the women’s game.

The team lost a number of senior players to retirement, while the sevens contingent have been unavailable in this year’s Six Nations as Ireland fell to heavy losses to Wales and France.

"I want to be honest with you all. It is tough," McWilliams told reporters when asked about all of the off-field distractions.

"That's part of our learning because they're young athletes who are learning their ways in the public eye about what is acceptable and what is the manner of a professional athlete who is going to get to the point of being really competitive. It's a big learning for us.

"So it's something we're aware of and the players are aware of and we're working hard to make sure that, again, all you can concentrate on is what you do next.

"For these players, even looking back to when they were in Parma and failed to