The Celtic Challenge has been riddled with one-sided contests since its inception in 2023, raising concerns over its viability as a key piece of the Ireland squad’s preparation for the Six Nations.
The IRFU’s performance director David Humphreys moved to London Irish when the professional men’s game was in its infancy before returning to Ulster and winning the European Cup in 1999.
He believes the period when he and other Test regulars plied their trade abroad gave the IRFU time to build a “sustainable, successful player-development pathway and competitive league” and hopes to see similar in the women’s game.
“Our ambition is to have four really strong provinces competing in the Celtic Challenge,” he said
“When our players look at what’s happened in the Celtic Challenge this year, there’s been too many blowouts in games.
“PWR as it currently stands is more competitive. We’ll never stand in the way of people who want to go and just get a different experience while we are building the women’s game.”
Cantwell added that the “first step” to the goal of four professional provinces is slated for the 2026-27 season.
“That’s the project that we’re working on at the moment,” she said.
“That won’t look all bells and whistles. Even if we look to PWR, PWR started in 2017, it’s now 2025 and it’s still building and it still hasn’t got fully contracted players by any stretch, but it has a daily training environment that you have 20 hours a week where players are training, have access to full-time coaches, S&C [strength and conditioning], and competitive games and that’s what we’re trying to build.
“We want to do it responsibly and sustainably – that’s the two words we’re working on.”