In the past two seasons, the London Irish Emeralds have experienced significant advancement, climbing from a 6th place finish with seven victories in the 2023–2024 campaign to establishing themselves as a formidable presence in women’s rugby. With a new coaching staff and revitalised enthusiasm, the team concluded the 2024–2025 season in 4th place, achieving the unique distinction of being the only squad to secure wins both at home and away against league finalists Richmond.

During the 2025–2026 season, our roster grew from 35 to approximately 65 players, including 30 newcomers eager to be part of the Irish movement in women’s rugby. The season was dotted with memorable moments, such as our historic 31–12 victory over Old Albanians. The team secured an impressive 3rd place in Championship 1, the highest ranking in the club’s history, missing out on the playoffs by just three points. A total of 46 players took the field for the first team, with 68 participating across senior and development squads, illustrating the extraordinary growth of this talented group.

Achievements and International Representation
This season also stands out due to remarkable individual accomplishments:
• Two players represented Fiji, with one starting in every match during the World Cup.
• One player was selected for Scotland U20s.
• One player was selected and actively participated for England U20s.
• One player attended trials for the Canadian national team.
• Three players secured professional contracts with Harlequins, Sale and Bristol.
• Two players represented the British Police, five represented the British Army, and one represented the RAF in inter service competitions.
These achievements highlight the depth of talent within our squad and the potential for ongoing development.

Development Pathway and Initiatives
We have forged partnerships with eight Championship 2 teams, allowing 15 players to gain crucial match experience. Additionally, we have initiated the first phase of the London Irish Women’s Pathway, encompassing ages from U15 through U18 and into the women’s teams. Several Colts have trained with the women’s squad, with at least five participating in Senior Development matches throughout the season. This integration has fostered a thriving atmosphere for young athletes.

Our Women’s Academy now trains alongside the senior team on Tuesdays and Thursdays, making full use of the outstanding facilities at Hazelwood. This collaboration has enabled our coaches to deliver high-quality sessions, reinforcing the message that London Irish Women is the leading destination for aspiring rugby players.

We have also established connections with Brighton University and are in discussions with St Mary’s University and several colleges to enhance our development pathway. Looking ahead, we plan to introduce a U23 invitation team to compete against the PWR U23 teams from Sale and Leicester Tigers.

Our long-term aspiration is to see a player progress through the Club pathway and ultimately reach the elite level, a milestone that would reflect the strength and sustainability of our development model.

Future Goals and Aspirations
We are currently in discussions with the RFU regarding the placement of our second team in Championship 2 South East or NC1. This follows a series of successful development fixtures, including a draw and a narrow loss to the British Army Development and Inter-Services teams, a victory over the British Police, and a remarkable double victory over the first and second teams of Hammersmith & Fulham. Notably, we achieved the first win by any team over Richmond 2s in two seasons.
A significant milestone this season was the historic double header featuring both the first and second teams on the same day, emphasising our growing influence in the women’s game.

Youth Girls Pathway Program
During the 2025–2026 season, we worked closely with the Youth Girls section at London Irish to establish a clear and structured pathway into the women’s teams. The coaching team collaborated with Youth Girls coaches to align training sessions, ensuring they directly support the transition into adult women’s rugby.
Emeralds coaches delivered sessions with the U18 and U16 girls throughout the season to promote the new pathway. The U18s have trained with the women’s teams during midweek sessions, leading to two girls being selected to play for our Women’s Development side this season.
Mark McKenna, Head Coach of Youth Girls, said:
“We are delighted with the new pathway into the Emeralds and the success we have already seen with Lauren and Ellie having the opportunity to play with the Emeralds Development Team. We are looking forward to seeing how the success of our women’s team empowers the girls coming through the London Irish Girls section.”

Sponsorship and Community Support
The team has actively pursued sponsorship, raising an impressive £30,586 through various initiatives, including £23,286 specifically allocated for kit and membership. This support has been invaluable, especially during critical times, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our sponsors.
As we prepare to introduce the second team and welcome new players, further assistance will be essential. If you or anyone you know is interested in sponsoring the team or an individual player, please contact our Women’s Chairperson, Mary Fyfe, or the Women’s Team Manager, Kevin Coyle.
We would also like to thank London Irish Amateurs Club for their continued support for the Women’s teams.

In Conclusion
The upcoming season has already seen the Edie Jordan Consortium progress its independent Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) application. LIARFC continues to maintain constructive dialogue with the Consortium as a separate legal entity, while remaining firmly focused on delivering high quality participation level rugby for women and girls.
With a new influx of players and the potential establishment of our second team in Championship 2 or NC1, the future looks bright for the Emeralds. Strengthening our pathway and academy remains a top priority, and we invite everyone to rally behind girls’ and women’s rugby at London Irish.
Together, we can build upon our successes and continue to foster a vibrant rugby community, with a clear pathway from U5s to the Academy to first team rugby for the Emeralds — while maintaining alignment with the EJ Consortium’s separate ambitions at PWR level.
Rugby for all girls and all women, whatever the level.