Hannah Tyrrell urges long-term AIL revamp to reanimate fortunes of Irish women's XVs

Eighteen months ago, a host of current and former internationals wrote a letter to the Government outlining grievances related to how they felt the IRFU had been governing the women's game in Ireland.

Hannah Tyrrell was among the names on the lengthy list of signatories calling for fundamental change, although the IRFU rejected the "overall tenor" of the letter.

By that point, Tyrrell had already hung up her rugby boots and resurrected her Gaelic football career with the Dublin inter-county set-up.

However, the 32-year-old former Ireland out-half still keeps a close eye on what's happening within Irish rugby, both as a supporter and also in her recent role as an RTÉ analyst during the TikTok Women's Six Nations campaign.

That campaign was a torrid one for the Irish team, losing all five games comprehensively, prompting the departure of head coach Greg McWilliams and coupled with the earlier failure to qualify for the next World Cup, it has sparked much soul searching about the future of the women's XVs game.

"I think it was a hard watch for anyone that's involved in women's rugby, including the players themselves," Tyrrell said as she reflected on a Six Nations to forget at Wednesday's announcement of AIG's extension as Insurance Partner to the LGFA.

"Having been involved in the IRFU for a number of years, and knowing a lot of those players that are still playing, I still know that that was a really difficult time both for the IRFU and for the players involved.

"Because when results aren't going well, it's tough enough as it is, but then when you have a lot of negativity that's being exposed, a lot of, I suppose, critiquing going on on the outside, that doesn't help either."

The on-pitch problems were followed by a report in the