IRFU must build on momentum generated by Ireland women’s team

It's not over but last night's 40-7 defeat to a ruthless England side signals the beginning of the end. Come Sunday evening Philip Doyle breaks off his long term relationship with the Ireland women's squad.

Grand Slam captain Fiona Coghlan has also indicated the third place play-off will be her 85th and final cap in an epic career.

Tania Rosser is 36. Seven of the starting XV are in their 30s.

Greg McWilliams, the attack coach, is off to Yale University, while Marian Earls takes up a conditioning job with Connacht and Gemma Crowley, the glue that binds them all together, is moving to London to help England run the 2015 world cup.

It’s been a great journey but nothing lasts forever.

Yet this doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Real, genuine achievement always breeds success and there can be no denying the ladies have laid the sturdiest of foundations.

Now all the IRFU have to do is identify the right person or people to keep the house in order. They owe that to Coghlan and Lynne Cantwell and all the young Irish girls gifted such heroic figures.

Those two women would make good coaches, certainly ideal ambassadors.

The union have increased investment in woman’s rugby exponentially since 2012 – with a little help from the Sports Council it has billowed from €265,655 (2011-12) to €681,078 (2012-13) to €1.4 million this season.

But they missed the boat on the Grand Slam success of 2013. Instead they came out and stated the new focus would be Sevens and qualifying for Rio in 2016.

The players, in fairness, tried to combine both sports. But they are separate entities, different in so many ways, especially fitness. So it wasn’t feasible.

They wanted to defend their Six Nations title and they knew they could be swirling in a perfect storm ahead of this tournament.

So they, as a collective, put their foot down. And look what they have gone and done.

Now, despite telling the squad they couldn’t do diaries or tweet or go on Facebook for 24 hours before or after matches, an edict that seemed inane in the joyous aftermath of the New Zealand victory, when the entire nation wanted to hear from their heroines, the union has got on board.

The squad have been well funded and supported ahead of this great adventure in Marcoussis and Paris.

But some of them still don't get it. It was deeply troubling to hear Railway Union say they were asked by the IRFU to do that crass Sunday Independent feature last weekend. Any media savvy person should have seen the potential for a stitch up.

“I think it is imperative,” said Coghlan last night, “now that so many young girls are playing rugby that they see there is something to play for, that pathways are put into place for them so we can get them up to the level of international rugby as quick as possible.”

Just look at the men’s structures. There is a system in place to ensure the loss of Brian O’Driscoll’s generation doesn’t mean all will bow go to ruin.

Doyle, a man of integrity, stands by the union he serves but urges them to act quicker.

“There are some very good young ladies playing rugby back home and I just hope the IRFU take the ball up really early, get the age level down and get growth in the game.

“There’s a huge growth spurt in Ireland already. I think all this will just boost it even more.

“Hopefully in a number of years we can get back to a semi-final and win.

“I won’t be around and there will be a number of player retirements so it is up to the IRFU to really back women’s rugby,” he continued.

“It is about identification and really putting a pathway and process in pace.

“They back the main women’s team, no doubt about it, but they have to back the other pathways now as well.

“I know they are doing it but it has got to happen a little bit quicker.

“Look, I don’t want to be negative in any way about the IRFU.

“They’ve been fantastic but we need to grow the game. We have a real chance here.

“ We’ve had two good years, the Grand Slam and reaching a World Cup semi-final, so let’s just back it.”