Irish women's rugby to turn to football counterparts in bid to regain Six Nations
- Published
McDarby was speaking at the IRFU's Women in Rugby briefing in Dublin
Ireland's women's rugby team will turn to their football counterparts for help in their bid to win the Six Nations in the "next three to five years".
Ireland finished bottom of this year's tournament after losing all five games.
In contrast, the Republic of Ireland women's side have qualified for a first Women's World Cup later this summer.
"They're doing an unbelievable job and that hasn't happened overnight," said Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) head of women's performance Gillian McDarby.
The Republic of Ireland will compete at the women's football showpiece after beating Scotland in a play-off in October.
The Republic's fortunes have been transformed under former Netherlands boss Vera Pauw, who took charge of the team in 2019.
McDarby says she plans to meet with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to discuss how they achieved their breakthrough.
"They haven't even qualified for Euros so they've done an unbelievable job," added McDarby.
"So yes, Vera Pauw has made a huge change, however, it has taken time.
"She's still using the domestic league here to talent spot and bring domestic players in and those players because of the domestic league are actually getting to play in the English Prem (Women's Super League).
"So the domestic league is doing something right. To answer your question, have I actually sat down with somebody in the FAI? No, not yet. Will I? Absolutely, yes."
The Irish women's rugby team have endured a series of disappointments since last winning the Six Nations title in 2015.
In September 2021, they missed out on World Cup qualification after losing to Scotland in a qualifier in Italy.
The fallout from that led to 62 international players, past and present, writing a letter to the Irish Government in which they said they had "lost all trust and confidence in the IRFU and its leadership after historic failings".
In response, the IRFU commissioned an independent report into how women's rugby was being run in Ireland, later promising to implement the report's 30 recommendations which included increased funding for the women's game.
However, Ireland have continued to struggle on the pitch with head coach Greg McWilliams stepping down following this year's Six Nations.
"It'll be a challenging role, given everything that's gone on," McDarby said when asked about the task facing McWilliams' successor.
"If somebody wants a challenge, absolutely. It'll be a high-profile role given that the game is growing and growing.
"We want somebody who can make a mark and make a difference. We want to get the best candidate that's out there. That's the straight answer."