Ireland's O'Dowd and Hogan sign for PWR clubs
Niamh O'Dowd has joined Gloucester-Hartpury while Brittany Hogan will move to Sale Sharks in January
- Published
Ireland internationals Niamh O'Dowd and Brittany Hogan have exited the Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU]'s central contract system for playing opportunities in England.
Prop O'Dowd has joined Ireland team-mates Sam Monaghan, Neve Jones and Ellena Perry at Premiership Women's Rugby champions Gloucester-Hartpury as injury cover for the rest of the season.
Back-row forward Hogan will move to Sale Sharks in January. O'Dowd and Hogan both featured for Ireland at the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup, where Scott Bemand's side lost to France in the quarter-finals.
Earlier this year, Ireland star Aoife Wafer left Leinster to join Harlequins.
Ireland internationals Linda Djougang, Meabh Deely and Siobhan McCarthy have also left Ireland's women's high performance programme, but the IRFU says they remain "players of national interest".
Seven players have been awarded their first national contract, including forwards Ailish Quinn, Beth Buttimer, Ivana Kiripati, Jane Neill and Jemima Verling and backs Caitriona Finn and Chisom Ugwueru.
Quinn and Kiripati made their Test debuts during the World Cup warm-up games in August, while Kiripati and Buttimer were included in Bemand's tournament squad.
A total of 35 players have been awarded central deals.
Ireland's home-based players will compete in the cross-border Celtic Challenge competition between December and March before the national squad reassembles for the Women's Six Nations in April.
Ireland 2025-26 contracted players
Aoife Dalton
Ailish Quinn
Alana McInerney
Amee-Leigh Costigan
Amy Larn
Anna McGann
Aoibheann Reilly
Beibhinn Parsons
Beth Buttimer
Caitriona Finn
Chisom Ugwueru
Clare Gorman
Dannah O'Brien
Ellen Boylan
Emily Lane
Enya Breen
Erin King
Eve Higgins
Fiona Tuite
Hannah Clarke
Ivana Kiripati
Jane Neill
Jemima Adams Verling
Kate Farrell McCabe
Kathy Baker
Katie Whelan
Katie Corrigan
Lucia Linn
Lucinda Kinghan
Megan Burns
Robyn O'Connor
Ruth Campbell
Sadhbh McGrath
Stacey Flood
Vicky Elmes Kinlan