Ireland 'excited' to try to break glass ceiling

Ireland's best performance at a World Cup was in 2014 when they reached the semi-finals

Women's Rugby World Cup quarter final: Ireland v France

Venue: Sandy Park, Exeter Date: Sunday, 14 September Kick-off: 13:00 BST

Coverage: Watch on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 12:15; listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2, BBC Radio Ulster and Foyle from 12:30.

There is perhaps no phrase that strikes more fear into an Irish rugby supporter than World Cup quarter-final.

The only senior Irish side to ever make the semi-finals of the global showpiece were the women's squad in 2014, a tournament that did not feature a last eight.

When Scott Bemand's side face France in Sandy Park on Sunday afternoon, it will be their first time at the quarter-final stage since 1994 when they were beaten 76-0 by the United States.

Throw in eight quarter-final losses from eight ties for the men's team and it is little wonder why these fixtures have come to be known as Irish Rugby's glass ceiling.

Rather than have history weigh heavily on their shoulders, Amee-Leigh Costigan says the side are energised by the "do-or-die" nature of the fixture.

"It's a World Cup quarter-final, it's knockout stages, everybody's going to be going hard at it," said the winger who also turned out for Ireland Sevens at the Paris Olympics last year.

"I think probably the most exciting part is we're in this position to put our country in the best place.

"Obviously, it's all focused on putting out that performance and just being excited for it because there's not many chances that are do-or-die in this situation."

Ireland's cause is boosted by the return of star back row Aoife Wafer, the 2025 Six Nations player of the tournament who has not featured since April because of a pair of knee injuries.

The 22-year-old's availability became a running theme of Scott Bemand's media briefings through the tournament but, after surgery in July and a delayed arrival in England, she has been named in the seven jersey to face France.

"It's huge," said captain Sam Monaghan of Wafer's return.

"Aoife's a powerful unit. We know from the last few competitions what she can bring to this team.

"I have to say, fair credit to her character. It just shows the work she's done over the last couple of months."

Wafer's return, however, comes in place of Edel McMahon. The flanker, who is Ireland's co-captain, struggled with a knee problem in the build-up to the tournament and suffered another injury to the joint in the pool-stage defeat by New Zealand last week.

Monaghan endured her own issues when missing over a year with an injury sustained in the PWR final of 2024 and McMahon's absence for this game brought a tear to her eye.

"Tricky [McMahon] is probably one of the most phenomenal leaders I've ever got a chance to work with. She puts everyone else before herself and she always has done," said the lock.

"No matter what's going on in her own personal life or whatever, she puts this team first, and you can see that in the way she plays, the way she leads this group, the inspiration she is to all the girls around her.

"She does everything she can, whether she's playing or not playing, to get this team in the right place and I think we're all playing for her on Sunday as well."

Sam Monaghan [left] and Edel McMahon are Ireland's co-captains at the tournament

'The time is now'

Ireland did not qualify for the last World Cup three years ago. As recently as 2023 they lost all five of their Six Nations fixtures.

The arrival of former England assistant Bemand later that year heralded a quick upturn in fortunes with wins over Australia and New Zealand, as well as back-to-back third place finishes in the Six Nations.

The rapid rate of progress has led some to feel this is a team ahead of schedule.

Preparing to face a France side they have not beaten since 2017, Bemand rejects such an assertion.

"From where we started, people have asked me is this happening faster than we predicted? Well, maybe it did, but the time is now," he said.

"To this moment, we've been able to check off things that we believed could happen, we've been able to action them.

"We've had eyes on the World Cup contenders, getting performances, better performances, more moments, [staying] longer in games, over the last two years and it all leads to this point."