Larissa Muldoon brings experience and ‘smarter rugby at a fast pace’ to Ireland women’s Six Nations squad
Ireland rugby coach Larissa Muldoon has a good understanding of the game model and how they want to play.
If players with the Ireland women’s Six Nations squad need a reminder that glory days have happened in a green jersey then they can find it in the presence of Larissa Muldoon. The former scrum-half from Ballybofey, Co. Donegal was a big player on the biggest days ever for the Irish women’s team.
She was the starting No 9 for the Grand Slam win in Italy in 2013, she was on the bench the day Ireland beat New Zealand in the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup to book a historic semi-final place, and the following year, she was on the side that beat Scotland to win the Women’s Six Nations in 2015.
Muldoon’s reputation as a young coach with potential has long been earmarked and she’s now bringing that creative capital to the national squad in this Women’s Six Nations as assistant backs and attack coach as a World Cup intern.
She first got involved at the WXV tournament in Dubai last October and had some behind-the-scenes work experience with new Ireland head coach Scott Bemand and now former backs coach (and ex-Ireland team-mate) Niamh Briggs. She’s now on the eve of a first championship as a coach.
“I was shadowing Niamh Briggs and Scott throughout that (WXV) so I would have had a good understanding of the game model and how we want to play,” says Muldoon (33). “Coming in, it’s just another level and this is where you want to be, to be here and to learn off players as well as coaching staff.”
After playing in the 2014 and 2017 editions, Muldoon was hoping to play in her third World Cup but she sustained an ACL injury in 2021 which ruled her out of the qualifiers. The Railway Union player then got into coaching.
She had completed a Masters in Sports Management and Leadership at Cardiff Metropolitan University and coached teams at Trinity and her home club Railway Union. She worked as women’s development officer with Leinster and now works as a national talent coach in Connacht.
Muldoon’s natural instinct for the game was brought up while she was on co-commentary for the Wolfhounds v Clovers Celtic Challenge game on RugbyPass TV last month when the commentator remarked about Muldoon trying to contain herself and the way she encouraged the players.
So what can we expect from Ireland in this Women’s Six Nations?
“I wasn’t here last Six Nations but what I can say is how I’ve seen this team from global WXV in Dubai, even the training camps in that, the growth and the development and actual passion in every player wanting to do better. It’s actually transferring onto the pitch.
“And we’ve seen through competitions like the Wolfhounds and the Clovers, I think that’s raised the game to another level and I’m really hoping that can transfer into the Six Nations.
“I think it will be a fast-paced game. There’ll be really good high-skill acquisition from kicking and catch-passing and good clarity and decision-making around the park so playing in the right areas of the field. Just smarter rugby at a fast pace.”
Sounds promising.
