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Ireland will host reigning champions England at the Aviva Stadium on 8 May 2027 in the fourth round of the Women's Six Nations, with tickets on early bird sale and a record crowd targeted.
Ireland will host England in the Women's Six Nations at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 8 May 2027, with a 2.45pm kick-off, in the penultimate round of the championship.
Ireland England Aviva Fixture
The fixture is the headline act for Scott Bemand's side, and Ireland are already targeting a full house for the occasion after a record 31,294 fans attended this year's 54-5 win over Scotland at the Dublin venue. Outhalf Dannah O'Brien, who recalled travelling from Carlow as a child to watch Leinster play Clermont in a Heineken Cup game at the Aviva, said the England match is massive news for the women's game.
I know it's not something we're looking at now, and we're mid-campaign, but it's really exciting for the women's game, she said. To have another stand-alone fixture like that against England, I'm sure there'll be a massive crowd. Captain Erin King said playing at the Aviva last season was an incredible and landmark experience for the group and they are excited to return to the home of Irish rugby.
She said the record-breaking crowd and the support from the moment they ran out was really special, and Ireland want to keep building that connection with supporters and bring more people, young and old, into their green wave. O'Brien said it was really cool to not just play in the Aviva but to have such a crowd there for the Scotland game, adding that the occasion felt surreal after watching games there as a kid.
Six Nations Championship Schedule
Ireland begin the championship against Scotland at Murrayfield on 10 April before hosting France at Dexcom Stadium in Galway on 17 April, with a 2.30pm kick-off. Ireland then play Wales at Cardiff Arms Park on 24 April, followed by the England clash at the Aviva on 8 May and a trip to Italy for the final round on 15 May.
An early bird rate sees tickets available from 10 euro for adults and 5 euro for children for the next 30 days. O'Brien was speaking as Ireland prepare to face Japan for the second time in six days on Saturday at Virgin Media Park, having beaten Japan 31-24 in Galway last Sunday.
She said Japan are a side she always enjoys playing against, having made her debut against them four years ago, and described them as friendly opposition who brought real competition and physicality last week. She has been given greater scope to use the ball in this window as the team seeks a better balance in attack. We're trying to adapt our style to have a better mix of attacking play, rather than just kicking, said the 23-year-old.
Dannah O'Brien Attacking Role
We're growing individually, and I'm trying to grow that side as well. And as a squad, we're trying to be more confident with the ball. That suits O'Brien, who wants to retain her kicking strength while becoming a more rounded playmaker. She said she enjoys the added responsibility and that it is probably more entertaining for supporters, though her best game remains her kicking game.
It's nice to have a balance of the two now and not just rely on one, she added. Aoife Wafer is likely to be ruled out with an ankle issue, with Ireland unwilling to take unnecessary risks for a game outside the Global WXV series window. Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald is available after picking up a knock. Scrum coach Denis Fogarty said Wafer is tracking well but Ireland will err on the side of caution in terms of risking her.
Penalties And Injury Concerns
Ireland conceded 11 penalties in their opening WXV series defeat to the USA and were penalised 16 times against Japan last weekend, leaving clear room for improvement. Fogarty said the aim is to look back and see if the team can be a step further onside and avoid silly penalties, especially with Six Nations teams in mind. He said giving away that many penalties in games makes matches tight and effectively costs you the game.
O'Brien feels performances have improved as the squad has had an extended period together. We've been in camp for five or six weeks now, she said. I definitely think we're building our performances each week. Every time we come back in, we're just looking to get a bit better.
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IrishTimes:Ireland looking forward to ‘massive’ Women’s Six Nations return to the Aviva StadiumThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Ireland England Women's Six Nations Aviva Stadium Rugby Ireland Women's Rugby England Red Roses Dannah O'brien
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