Ireland made a highly anticipated return to the Women’s Rugby World Cup on Sunday, August 24, securing an emphatic win over Japan. The match finished 42-14 in favour of the girls in green, who scored six tries and six conversions to see off their Pool C opponents. Taking place on a warm and sunny afternoon in Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton, first-half tries came from Amee-Leigh Costigan, Neve Jones, Béibhinn Parsons and Fiona Tuite, meaning the bonus point was secured within 37 minutes. Eve Higgins and Enya Breen added to the tally in the second period, with Dannah O’Brien on target with all six conversions. At the end of the contest, Brittany Hogan was named player of the match, thanks to her display in back row. She is one of the many LGBTQ+ stars on the team and in the tournament as a whole. Speaking to BBC Sport NI after the game, she shared, “It means so much for us to get that performance today.” Referencing the fact that Ireland did not qualify for the previous Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2021, Hogan added, “We haven’t been here since 2017 so could have went into our shells but that first-half performance was great. We scored some super tries. Japan came back at us in the second half and really put us down the throttle but I was so proud of the effort the girls put in to hold them back.” She continued, “I was part of the team that didn’t qualify in 2021 so I’ve been working and grinding to get here for seven years. It was so exciting to finally be there and a little bit of emotions came out.” View this post on Instagram Ireland Head Coach Scott Bemand told RTÉ Sport, “Coming into an event like this comes with a load of unknowns, we’re still a young group, still an inexperienced group that haven’t experienced competitive rugby. Today we knew it was going to be a tricky challenge. Japan are a very good team, disciplined, don’t give up, and we got what we wanted out of it.” Ireland will face Spain in their next game on Sunday, August 31, before taking on New Zealand the following weekend. Want to stay up to date with the latest LGBTQ+ news? Join our WhatsApp Channel here.