Greg McWilliams will step aside as head coach of the Ireland Women’s rugby team with immediate effect and is currently in discussion with the IRFU to formalise the process.
In a one-line statement released on Tuesday, the IRFU confirmed that it was “in discussion” with McWilliams, but said it would not comment further until talks had concluded.
There is no news as to what will happen to the rest of the coaching group, John McKee (forwards coach), Niamh Briggs (backs’ coach) and Denis Fogarty (scrum coach).
The 38-year-old Briggs, who won 68 caps for Ireland at fullback during a superb playing career, winning a Grand Slam in 2013 and another Six Nations title in 2015, is a strong candidate to take over and succeed McWilliams in the role of head coach.
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She was an integral part of the Ireland team that beat New Zealand at the 2014 World Cup, kicking seven points and setting up a try for Alison Miller. She has a reputation as a good technical coach and joined McWilliams’ back room team last year.
Briggs took over as Munster head coach this season and guided them to a successful defence of the interprovincial title; she possesses the bona fides to lead the group.
Broken on the Irish Independent website on Monday night, the suggestion is that McWilliams confirmed his departure to some of the Ireland women’s squad on Monday evening, two days after the final game in the Six Nations Championship, a 36-10 defeat to Scotland in Edinburgh, thereby confirming a tournament whitewash.
Ireland lost all five matches, scored 25 points and just three tries while conceding 192 and as a result of finishing bottom of the table will play in Tier 3 of the Women’s XVs later in the year. Whoever comes in faces a monumental task with a squad that’s significantly lacking in experience, and in terms of the number of matches available to them and the modest quality of same.
