# Ireland women's rugby WXV Series campaign

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/ireland-womens-rugby-wxv-series-campaign
> Updated: 2026-10-03T08:41:51.000Z. Sources: 9. Developments: 3.

The Ireland women’s rugby team participated in the WXV Global Series, beginning with a 40-36 loss to the USA at Tallaght Stadium. Despite Ireland holding an early 17-0 lead, the USA scored three unanswered tries in the final 30 minutes to secure the comeback victory.

Ireland subsequently faced Japan in two consecutive matches to regain momentum. The first encounter took place at Dexcom Stadium in Galway, where head coach Scott Bemand implemented six squad changes, including the potential senior debut of Beth Buttimer and the seventh captaincy of Erin King. 

Following a 31-24 win in Galway, Ireland secured a second victory against Japan, winning 43-19 at Virgin Media Park in Cork. During the Cork match, Beibhinn Parsons became Ireland’s all-time leading try-scorer with 25 international tries. Other notable contributions included tries from new caps Alana McInerney and Sophie Barrett, while Jane Clohessy and Niamh Gallagher earned their first starts. Under Bemand, the team is now focused on building squad depth ahead of upcoming WXV Tests in Cape Town, South Africa.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-03: Ireland Women's Rugby defeats Japan in consecutive WXV victories

Ireland women’s rugby secured consecutive WXV Global Series wins against Japan, including a 43-19 victory in Cork where Beibhinn Parsons set a new national record for most tries scored.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ireland-womens-rugby-defeats-japan-in-consecutive-wxv-victories

### 2026-09-26: Ireland Women's Rugby faces Japan in Galway WXV Series match

Ireland women’s rugby faces Japan in Galway for the WXV Series, with six squad changes made following a recent loss to the USA.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ireland-womens-rugby-faces-japan-in-galway-wxv-series-match

### 2026-09-20: USA women's rugby overcomes Ireland to win 40-36 in Tallaght

The USA women's rugby team overcame an early 17-0 deficit to defeat Ireland 40-36 in the WXV Global Series at Tallaght Stadium.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/usa-womens-rugby-overcomes-ireland-to-win-40-36-in-tallaght

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Cite as: Ireland women's rugby WXV Series campaign. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/ireland-womens-rugby-wxv-series-campaign