Leinster Women are ready to defend their Interprovincial title this August with a new coach, a new captain, and a squad built on the strength of its collective depth.
Head coach Ben Martin has selected a 30-player panel for the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship, narrowing it down from an extended group of 65. With Ireland’s World Cup campaign drawing many senior players away, the focus this summer is on emerging talent, dedicated club stalwarts, and the robust new infrastructure that supports women’s rugby in Leinster.
For Martin, it’s also a return to the space where his love for coaching truly took shape. “I didn’t fall in love with coaching straight away,” he says. “But the women’s game changed that. They challenge you. They want to know why, not just what. It makes you a better coach.”
That mindset defines his first Leinster squad – a group that blends experience and potential, and truly reflects the spread of the province’s club game. Players from Railway Union, Barnhall, Naas, Wicklow, and Ashbourne are all represented. Teenagers from the Under-18 pathway stand alongside established names like Nikki Caughey and Aoife Moore.
Molly Boyne, from Railway Union, has been named captain. A clear choice, says Martin. “She leads by action. You ask anyone who their captain is, and they say Molly. She’s got the respect of the whole group.” Vice-captain Jade Gaffney brings a different style, more vocal and connective. Together, they anchor a side that is not rebuilding, but reloading.
The team welcomes new faces, including Aoibhe Kelly and Heidi Lyons from the Ireland U18s. Development players like Anna Mai O’Brien and Hannah Scanlan are close behind. Several from the Women’s National Talent Squad (WNTS) system are now pushing for senior contention. Martin sees this as the result of a system that’s working: “You’re seeing girls at 18 with ten years of rugby already behind them. They get the game. They challenge the system. That’s what you want.”
He’s also added someone who knows Leinster inside and out to his coaching ticket. Former provincial captain Michelle Claffey joins the staff, bringing lived experience and high standards. “She’s worn the jersey. She’s had setbacks. She knows how to hold people to the right standards, because that’s what she always expected of herself. And the players listen, because they know she’s been where they want to go.”
The Interprovincial campaign begins on August 10 at Energia Park against Ulster. Leinster may be defending champions, but Martin views the season through a wider lens. “Of course we want to win. But success is also about discovering players. Giving someone their first break. Helping someone fall back in love with the game. That’s what makes it worthwhile.”
This is a season of opportunity for Leinster – for young players to make an impression, for others to return with purpose, and for a new coaching group to shape something lasting. The true story of this campaign might not be written in silverware, but in the space it creates for what comes next.
Tickets are now on sale for Leinster’s home games in this year’s Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship, which takes place in August. Get Your Tickets Here.