IRFU announces expanded Celtic Challenge format

The IRFU has announced a new expanded Celtic Challenge format that will begin in December and run up to the start of the 2025 Women's Six Nations.

The 2024/25 competition will comprise of a full league season of 10 rounds which will see the six teams play five home and five away fixtures each, before concluding their season in March.

The overall winner will be determined based on league table standings at the end of the season.

The competition features two teams from Ireland, with Munster and Connacht players combining to make up the Clovers, and Ulster and Leinster making up the Wolfhounds.

Edinburgh, Glasgow Warriors and Welsh outfits Gwalia Lightning and Brython Thunder also compete in the tournament, which was won by the Wolfhounds earlier this year.

This season, the first after a successful pilot year, saw 68 players from the Celtic Challenge going on to feature in the Six Nations, with eight making their full international debut for their respective countries, increasing the opportunities available to home-grown talent in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

The Celtic Challenge is the first women’s cross-border club competition, organised by the IRFU, Scottish Rugby, and WRU with support from World Rugby and is aimed at providing a high-performance platform for young female players to help bridge the gap between the domestic and international women’s games in the three Celtic nations.

Gillian McDarby, Irish Rugby’s head of women's performance and pathways, said: "Last year the Celtic Challenge competition provided valuable game time for emerging talent and is an important platform for growing the game in Ireland.

"With the continued investment in developing our pathways, the competition remains integral to ensuring we have a