Mullingar RFC set for U18 Girls Interprovincial Championship finals day

Mullingar Rugby Club will be at the centre of Irish underage women’s rugby next Sunday when Shay Murtagh Park hosts the finals day of the 2026 PwC Under-18 Girls Interprovincial Championship.

The action gets underway at 1pm with the third-place play-off between Connacht and Ulster, before Leinster and Munster meet in the championship final at 3pm.

Tickets for the double-header are priced at €10 and are available online, with supporters expected to travel to Mullingar for what promises to be an exciting afternoon of rugby.

Defending champions Leinster will be bidding to secure the title for a third consecutive season after finishing top of a tightly contested round-robin stage.

Leinster, Munster and Connacht all recorded two victories, with points difference ultimately separating the sides. Charlie Doel’s Leinster team topped the standings following a 39-27 victory over Ulster, with Maebh Ní Cholla and Lauren Shelvin both scoring twice.

Munster finished second with a superior overall points difference to Connacht, despite losing 20-14 to their provincial rivals in a dramatic encounter at Dexcom Stadium. Connacht produced a strong second-half comeback, with tries from Róise Ní Scanláin, Leah McNamara and Cairínn Kearns.

Leinster captain Emily Miller will lead her side into the final, with Portlaoise’s Mary O’Hara among the players to have impressed during the campaign after scoring four tries.

Munster, meanwhile, will be hoping to repeat their impressive 27-17 victory over Leinster in the opening round. Playmaker Eden Waters was outstanding in that encounter, contributing 12 points from the tee.

Munster have not lifted the U-18 Girls Interprovincial title since 2019, when future senior internationals including Aoife Corey, Chisom Ugwueru, Alana McInerney and Eilís Cahill were members of the squad.

The curtain-raiser between Connacht and Ulster also promises plenty of interest. Connacht defeated Ulster 67-5 in Belfast two weeks ago, but Ulster showed their attacking threat with five tries against Leinster, including a hat-trick from Casey Johnston.

With two competitive games on the programme, Mullingar RFC is set for a major day of young women’s rugby.