Ray D’Arcy has taken to the water on a tour of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands on his show this week. Today, he was joined on his floating studio in Dromineer, Tipperary by two former Irish Rugby captains for a chat about the future of the game in Ireland.

Fiona Steed played for the Irish Women’s Rugby team for 10 years, was capped 62 times and took up the role of Captain for one year. Ray’s second guest, Keith Wood, just beat Fiona’s claim to fame, earning 63 caps (if you include his Lions Tours). Keith is from Killaloe and was delighted to be back in Dromineer after a long absence.

“You shouldn’t be in a rush when you're on the lake. This place is magic…I haven’t been since I’ve come home. I moved back to Ireland from England about 10 years ago with an intention of staying about 2 years and fell in love with the place again, you know and back home to the house I grew up in. Which is kind of cool.”

Fiona was pleased with the location but would probably have preferred to chat to Ray on land.

“I’m not really a river person…I’m glad that we’re docked, if that’s the right word because otherwise I could be vomiting over the side here.”

Fiona lives on a farm in Cappamore, Co Limerick with her husband John ‘Bull Hayes’ and three children, who, you could say, participate in farming life head-on.

“They’ve seen a Caesarean section this year…the vet was delighted with his audience.”

The conversation inevitably turned to rugby. Keith told Ray that it’s never been better to be a supporter or Irish rugby.

“Best year that we’ve ever head. Most enjoyable year as a supporter, I think. When you can sit down and say, ‘Yeah, I expect my team to win’.”

While Fiona noted that it wasn’t “necessarily the best year for the women”, she thinks the men’s team have an exciting future ahead.

 “It’s brilliant to see what the men have achieved with the Grand Slam and then going to Australia and I suppose, the proof will be in about 15 month’s time is to see where do they end up because that’s where we’re at now, as a men’s team, is to see, look it, are we going to be the best in the world?”

Listen back to the full conversation on The Ray D’Arcy Show here.

(Photo by Sportsfile/Corbis via Getty Images)