Particle.news

Irish Rugby Appoints Four Provincial Women’s Pathway Managers

The appointments will align 16–23 player development with the senior game by placing full-time pathway managers in each province, opening vacancies in national talent roles.

Overview

  • Irish Rugby announced the appointments on Tuesday, naming Larissa Muldoon for Connacht, Derek Maybury for Leinster, Niamh Briggs for Munster, and Neill Alcorn for Ulster.
  • The four full-time Women’s Pathway Managers will form a connected provincial network charged with designing a consistent pathway to move players from the 16–23 age band into senior squads.
  • Three appointees — Muldoon, Briggs and Alcorn — move from roles in the Women’s National Talent Squad so Irish Rugby will advertise those vacated WNTS positions in the coming weeks.
  • Irish Rugby says the provincial roles sit between domestic rugby, age-grade development and performance pathways to professionalise the women’s system and improve player experiences.
  • The hires create new coach and practitioner opportunities and aim to strengthen depth and sustainability in the women’s game as participation rises and the system responds to recent leadership losses.