Ballina rugby player earns prestigious accolade
Ireland Rugby Under 18 Girls Training, IRFU High Performance Centre, Sport Ireland Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin 19/3/2024 Ailish Quinn Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady
The IRFU has announced the Central Contracts for 35 players across the Women's High Performance Programme, as preparations continue for an exciting 2025/26 season.
Coming off the back of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025, players from the centralised programme have returned to training at the IRFU High Performance Centre in recent weeks, building towards the upcoming Celtic Challenge campaign and the 2026 Guinness Women's Six Nations.
Seven players have been awarded their first national contract, having progressed through the Women's National Talent Squad (WNTS) Pathway and impressed for Ireland Women's U20s last season.
Ballina RFC forward Ailish Quinn is among the players joining the full-time centralised programme for the 2025/26 season.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Head of Women’s Performance and Pathways, Gillian McDarby, said: "We are delighted to confirm the rollout of 35 centralised contracts for Women's players for an exciting season ahead.
"As we continue to create sustainable pathways and develop competition structures, it is pleasing to see a number of young players from our Ireland underage teams step up and be rewarded with senior contracts within our High Performance Programme at the IRFU High Performance Centre.
"The continued development of players throughout the WNTS programme is a testament to the work being done within the Provinces and is a key focus for us as we strive to develop depth in our playing resources moving into the 2026 season and beyond.
"We are determined to evolve, grow and develop off the back of Women's Rugby World Cup 2025, and we look forward to seeing more players exposed to high-level international rugby in both the XVs and Sevens formats, starting with our first team back in green this weekend in Dubai."
