Aoife Dalton during an Ireland women’s rugby squad training session at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin this week. Photo: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile/IRFU.

Dalton to start for Ireland in clash with world champions

Kieran Galvin

Published: Thu 9 Apr 2026, 4:11 PM

Clara native Aoife Dalton has been selected to start for Ireland in Saturday’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations opener against England at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (kick-off 2.25pm).

Dalton will be partnered in the centre by Eve Higgins in the team selected by Ireland head coach Scott Bemand.

Facing the World Cup holders on their home turf represents a difficult start to Ireland's Six Nations campaign.

Team captain Erin King will lead Ireland into the 2026 Championship in London, with Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald set to reach the milestone of 50 caps, while uncapped prop Eilís Cahill and scrum-half Katie Whelan are in line for their debut appearances in green off the replacements bench.

Stacey Flood starts at full-back, with Béibhinn Parsons and Vicky Elmes Kinlan on the wings for Ireland. Emily Lane and Dannah O’Brien link up in the half backs at scrum-half and out-half respectively.

In the pack, Ellena Perry, Moloney-MacDonald and Linda Djougang are Ireland’s starting front row. Moloney-MacDonald will become the 16th Ireland women’s player to reach half a century of appearances in green. Dorothy Wall and Fiona Tuite make up Ireland’s second row, with Brittany Hogan at blindside flanker, King at openside and Aoife Wafer packing down at number eight.

Bemand has an exciting mix of youth and experience among his replacements, with Neve Jones, Niamh O’Dowd, Ruth Campbell and Grace Moore joined by the debutant Cahill – who has impressed recently for the Clovers in the Celtic Challenge – as the forward reinforcements. There is also a potential first cap for replacement scrum-half Whelan, who has previously been capped for Ireland women’s sevens team, while Nancy McGillivray and Anna McGann complete the match-day 23.

Sam Monaghan and Aoibheann Reilly were ruled out of selection through injury.

Saturday’s match is live on RTÉ2 and BBC One, while there is live radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.

Ireland (vs England): Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC/Leinster); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC/Leinster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC/Munster); Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster); Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster); Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks), Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, captain), Aoife Wafer (Harlequins). Replacements: Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Niamh O’Dowd (Gloucester-Hartpury), Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby), Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby), Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht).