Ireland host Italy in the first of their three home Guinness Women's Six Nations games this Saturday, and as has been the case in recent years, they’re bringing the show on the road.
After several years based in Ashbourne and then Donnybrook, the Ireland women’s team have had no fixed home ground, hosting their Tests around the country as they look to spread the rugby gospel.
Since 2022 they have hosted games at the RDS in Dublin, Affidea Stadium in Belfast and Virgin Media Park in Cork, and this weekend they will take the game to Galway, and the new and improved Dexcom Stadium.
While it’s a small shame that the Irish women’s team no longer have a fixed abode for internationals, and no single venue to make a fortress, it makes sense to have them moving around the four provinces.
One only has to look across at England and France, and their growing audiences, to justify moving home games around the country.
While the Red Roses were able to attract more than 77,000 supporters to Twickenham last weekend for their meeting with Ireland, they will welcome Wales to the more modest surroundings of Ashton Gate in Bristol later in the championship.
Leicester, York, Gloucester, Exeter, Northampton and Newcastle have all hosted Six Nations games in recent seasons, allowing them build their following year on year.
Similarly in France, Les Bleues will host Ireland at Stade Marcel Michelin in Clermont-Ferrard next week, while they defeated Italy in Grenoble in Round 1.
If it works for them, there's no harm copying the playbook.
It will be a long time before this Irish side start drawing in numbers like the world champions, but attendances have grown steadily in recent seasons, matching their upturn in form.
As things stand, 18,000 tickets have been sold for their final game of the championship at home to Scotland, which will comfortably set a record for a standalone game in Ireland.
This weekend’s crowd in Galway will likely hold that record for a few weeks at least, with more than 8,500 expected at Dexcom Stadium for Ireland’s first Six Nations game in Galway.
"I think it's amazing and it's a real honour that we get a 'travelling' stadium and we get to see fans from across Ireland," Béibhinn Parsons, one of Ireland’s Connacht contingent, said this week.
The Ireland winger, and most of her team-mates, would be no strangers to playing at the Sportsground through Interprovincial games and the Celtic Challenge.
But for the Ballinasloe native, representing her country in her home county will be a special moment.
"It's our first time playing in the West, so that's really special and then also I have so many good memories there and familiar times, so I can't wait to get back.
"We know that the grandstand is sold out, so we know we'll have a warm welcome and we can't wait to get into Galway."
According to the 24-year-old (above), "approximately all" of the Parsons family and friends will be making the trip from Ballinasloe and beyond, and while that brings a pressure of its own, she believes the experiences they have gained at places like Twickenham will stand them in good stead.
"Everyone's coming and even across all of Galway, I've heard that so many people are coming, so I can't wait," she said.
"I would say we embrace it. Today we had a group of schoolgirls come and watch our training session and things like that are really important to us because it's a reminder of the job that we have, to be role models to those younger girls and also how far the game has come and we use that as energy.
"It's not something to be afraid of or to shy away from, it's something that we've wanted and now we are getting the recognition and the media attention, so we're going to embrace it, not just as players, but ambassadors."
Captain Erin King says Ireland are targetting a dominant performance when Italy visit Dexcom Stadium in round two of the #SixNations on Saturday #RTESport #RTERugby pic.twitter.com/JDmoDFrFLG
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) April 17, 2026
If they are to get on the board in this year’s championship, Scott Bemand’s side will have to be faster out of the blocks than they were in London a week ago.
While their 33-12 defeat to England was much closer than they have come in recent years, the players and coaches have voiced their frustration at their slow and sloppy start, falling 14-0 down inside 20 minutes, and allowing England comfortably manage the game from there.
"We know we need to start faster this week, so that was a key focus for us," second row and vice-captain Fiona Tuite (below) said.
"We let England get on top in that first half, we weren't physical enough with them, but we really turned that around in the second half. I'm really, really, really proud of that.
"So this week we've just hit the ground running again, we've trained really hard as we always do and looking forward to a different test now this weekend."
And the Ulster lock believes Ireland are ready to make a big splash in Galway Bay.
"We're so lucky to have three home games and yeah, we're going to absolutely nail them," she added.
"It's a core focus for us to get those three wins at home. With the Irish crowd behind us, I've no doubt that we can do that.
"Get the green wave growing, bring it to the west coast and we’re really excited.
"We've had this undercurrent going the whole time and I think now it's the public and everyone else that are seeing it.
"The wave has exploded, it's started to crash on everyone's shores and everyone's getting to see it."
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Follow our live blog on Ireland v Italy in the Women's Six Nations on Saturday from 5.40pm, and listen to live commentary on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
