Costigan to captain Ireland against France in opener

Costigan featured in the Paris Olympics for Ireland Rugby Sevens

Amee-Leigh Costigan will captain Ireland in their Women's Six Nations opener against France at the Kingspan Stadium.

Costigan previously captained Ireland Sevens but will lead Ireland for the first time in a Test match in Belfast with regular captain Edel McMahon on the bench.

Second row Ruth Campbell and openside flanker Erin King will make their Six Nations debuts for Scott Bemand's side in a game that will be live on BBC Northern Ireland as well as iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

The Ireland team shows four changes to the side that beat USA in the WXV Series in their last game in October as Campbell, Anna McGann, Eve Higgins and Dannah O'Brien are handed starts.

Stacey Flood and McGann join Costigan in the back three with McGann coming in for the retired Eimear Considine at right wing.

Eve Higgins and Aoife Dalton are selected as the midfield pairing whilst Emily Lane makes her first championship appearance since 2021 at scrum-half as O'Brien comes in for Nicole Fowley at out-half.

Niamh O'Dowd, Neve Jones, who has been selected as vice-captain, and Linda Djougang make up the front row, with Campbell preferred to Fiona Tuite at lock alongside Dorothy Wall.

Brittany Hogan, King and Aoife Wafer complete Ireland's back row.

Bemand has opted for a 6:2 split on the bench and can call upon the likes of Cliodhna Moloney, Siobhan McCarthy, Christy Haney, Grace Moore, Tuite and McMahon as forward reinforcements, with Aoibheann Reilly and Enya Breen the backline replacements.

Ireland were beaten 38-17 by France in last year's Six Nations as they finished third in the table.

Ireland team: Flood, McGann, Dalton, Higgins, Costigan (capt); O'Brien, Lane; O'Dowd, Jones, Djougang, Campbell, Wall, Hogan, King, Wafer.

Replacements: Moloney, McCarthy, Haney, Moore, Tuite, McMahon, Reilly, Breen.