IRFU women's funding bearing early fruit - Davitt

Former Ireland Grand Slam winner Grace Davitt says Sunday's shock WXV1 win over New Zealand shows the Irish Rugby Football Union's (IRFU) investment in the women's game is already bearing fruit.

The women's game in Ireland became embroiled in turmoil in 2021 after failing to qualify for the 2023 World Cup.

An independent report into Irish women's rugby was later commissioned with the IRFU promising to implement the 30 recommendations and to plough increased funding into the women's game in addition to apologising for past failures.

Last month, the IRFU announced 37 central contracts would be funded this season across the Women's High Performance Programme.

"It [the win over New Zealand] shows the investment that's been put in and if you invest in the sport, the results will come," Davitt told BBC Sport NI.

"We've shown that we have the talented players. We have the structure there now."

Davitt added: "We have an under-23 team and an under-20s, under-18s, under-16s... it's amazing and those girls are only going to build the competition within the senior squad. It took that investment."

The former Ireland centre said the IRFU's plan to have professional structures in all four provinces within the next three years shows "Irish rugby is really pushing it, putting the investment in".

The 56-times-capped Davitt also believes coach Scott Bemand, who was appointed in July 2023, has played a huge role in Ireland's return to being a force in the women's game.

"Last year, he hadn't much time with the team but you [still] saw the results come in the Six Nations [when they finished third and qualified for the next World Cup].

"You look at this [win over New Zealand] now. He's had time with the team. He's brought in coaches that he wants involved and that freshness, with new ideas coming in."

Davitt says new thinking was obvious in Ireland's shock victory in Vancouver, particularly in regard to a huge defensive effort.

"The defence won it for them. They came up so hard. They closed New Zealand down and put pressure on.

"The physicality of Ireland as well. That fitness and being in that high performance environment, being a professional athlete, being able to recover, being able to do your strength and conditioning."

Grace Davitt won 56 caps during an Ireland career that included winning the Grand Slam in 2013 and helped her country reach the 2014 World Cup semi-finals

Davitt, however, is certain Bemand and his players will realise they remain far from the finished article even though the squad has "an amazing set-piece and some world class players".

"Ireland still have room to grow - that connection between the backs and getting them involved in the game."

However, Davitt feels the continuing development of youngsters such as Aoife Wafer and Erin King - who both scored two tries in Sunday's victory - is hugely encouraging for Irish women's rugby as next year's World Cup in England approaches.

"Aoife Wafer is only 21 and had a couple of setbacks with injuries, but it's hard to believe that she has only something like eight caps - and then you look at Erin King coming off the bench and scoring two tries.

"It will be interesting what the groups are going to be for the 2025 World Cup and who is going to face Ireland, because it's not going to be an easy task."