Mayo woman selected to represent Ireland at World Cup

Killala native Clare Cullen has been selected to represent Ireland after earning a place in the Ireland Mixed Seniors squad for the 2026 International Tag Federation (ITF) Tag World Cup in Australia.

Clare will travel to Coffs Harbour, approximately 500 kilometres north of Sydney, where the tournament takes place from 15–18 October 2026. More than 200 teams from over 30 countries are expected to compete across men's, women's and mixed competitions at multiple age grades.

Originally from Killala, Co. Mayo, Clare's selection is an inspiring achievement for the local community. Alongside balancing family life, content creation work and the demands of full-time employment, she has continued to train and compete at the highest level of the sport. 

This year's World Cup will be particularly special as it will be the first time both Clare and her husband have represented Ireland together as parents, adding another memorable chapter to the family's sporting journey. Clare’s husband Alex is an established member of the Irish Men’s Masters panel.

Through her content creation work, Clare has also shared parts of her life as a mother and athlete, helping to show the reality of balancing family, work and sport while pursuing the opportunity to represent Ireland on the international stage. Like all of Ireland's international tag rugby players, Clare trains around work and family commitments while funding much of her international participation herself, reflecting the dedication required to compete in an amateur sport.

“It's an absolute honour to be selected to represent Ireland at a World Cup,” Cullen said. 

“Australia is the home of the sport, and travelling there is a huge and very exciting challenge. We are incredibly grateful for SMBC Aviation Capital's support on this journey, which will pit us against the best players in the world while proudly representing Ireland and Killala.” 

The ITF Tag World Cup will feature teams from more than 30 nations. Ireland is recognised as one of the world's leading tag rugby nations and is a member of the International Tag Federation alongside Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Other participating nations include France, Vietnam, South Africa, China, Palestine, Italy, Greece, Sri Lanka, Malta, Lebanon, Tonga, Fiji, Tokelau, Samoa and many more.

Australia is considered the home of tag rugby, with more than 200,000 participants playing through 140 associations nationwide. Australian teams have dominated international competition, and the country has hosted the majority of Tag Rugby World Cups since the tournament began in 2012.

The most recent Tag Rugby World Cup was hosted by Ireland in Limerick in August 2023, where Irish teams won medals across eight divisions, highlighting the country's emergence as one of the sport's leading international nations. Despite those achievements, tag rugby remains an amateur and largely self-funded sport. More than 15,000 players participate through the Irish Tag Rugby Association across leagues in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Kildare, with international players balancing elite competition alongside full-time careers and family commitments.

Earlier this year, the Irish Tag Rugby Association announced a partnership with SMBC Aviation Capital, one of the world's leading aircraft leasing companies, to support Ireland's national squads and help raise the profile of the sport.

Before travelling to Australia, Ireland will host Great Britain in the annual British & Irish Cup at UCD, Dublin, over the August Bank Holiday weekend on Saturday 1st August and Sunday 2nd August, with 45 international test matches taking place across the two days.