IRELAND player-coach Storm Cobain has taken plenty of positives from the recent 34-4 defeat in Dublin at the hands of France in the first meeting between the two countries in women’s Rugby League.
Next up for Ireland will be the IRL Women’s World Series clash with Nigeria in Canada in late October, when the final spot in the 2026 Women’s Rugby League World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea will be up for grabs (Canada and Fiji are also involved).
Cobain, from Belfast, said: “It was tough against a much-more experienced side. We had five girls on debut, some of whom had never played the sport, which is still developing in Ireland.
“But in terms of gaining experience and to getting to know where we need to be it was really important. It’s great preparation for what’s to come, I woke up sore the next day. France were clinical but we were proud of how we pushed them.
“No one likes to be beaten, but when you think about how far we’ve come, it was a very positive performance.”
Cobain gravitated to Rugby League through attending university in England and staying on to pursue a career in teaching.
She explained: “I was living in Luton during Covid. I got a little bit bored of not having rugby to play and League was the first sport back, so I went down to Bedford Tigers for a trial and it developed from that.
“That was in the middle of May 2021. Ireland were having trials in the July and my coach told me that I needed to go.
“At the end of the session, John Whalley, the Ireland women’s coach at the time, told me I was in.
“I wasn’t aware at the time that we would be the first team for Ireland women. We played against Wales in October that year and I’ll forever have that heritage number eleven.
“You’re always privileged to pull on the green jersey but to be part of history is an incredible feeling.”
Cobain, captain of Leigh Women’s Super League side, said: “We so want to play in a World Cup. It was one of the main reasons I moved from Luton to the north, to get more chance to play at a high level and fully focus on Rugby League.
“To get into the World Series is an exciting prospect and now we are aiming to be the first Ireland women’s team to play in a World Cup in the sport.
“We’ve no idea what to expect from Nigeria. We know they will be physically tough, but we’ve gained confidence from the performance against France, and we now have footage to work with, from which we can make the necessary fixes.”