Ulster's Fiona Tuite O'Sullivan and Sadhbh McGrath have been named in Scott Bemand's Ireland Match Day Squad, sponsored by Vodafone, for their WXV Series Opener against USA this Sunday at Tallaght Stadium. (KO: 1.45pm)
Ireland kick off the 2026/27 season on home soil with a first ever Test at Tallaght Stadium, as captain Erin King leads the side from the back row.
Bemand has included one uncapped player in his starting team as Connacht’s Jemima Adams Verling is set to make her Test debut at blindside flanker alongside King and the Guinness Women’s Six Nations Player of the Championship, Aoife Wafer.
Adams Verling will make her senior Ireland debut at Tallaght Stadium, marking another step in the progression of the 20-year-old who has come through Irish Rugby’s player development pathway.
The flanker starred for Ireland at the U18 Women’s Six Nations Festival in 2024 and during last season’s U21 Women's Six Nations Series, scoring against England and Wales as Ireland completed a clean sweep of victories during the campaign.
Adams Verling, who was included in last year’s extended Guinness Women’s Six Nations squad after impressing for the Clovers in the Celtic Challange, most recently enjoyed another standout campaign for Connacht in the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship.
The Ireland backline sees Stacey Flood start at full-back, with Robyn O’Connor and Vicky Elmes Kinlan named on the wings. Aoife Dalton and Eve Higgins are selected in midfield, while Dannah O’Brien starts at out-half alongside Emily Lane at scrum-half.
Up front, Niamh O’Dowd and Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald are joined by Linda Djougang in the front row, with Dorothy Wall and Fiona Tuite-O’Sullivan in the second row. King is joined in the back row by debutant Adams Verling and Wafer.
Neve Jones, Sadhbh McGrath, Eilís Cahill, Jane Clohessy and Brittany Hogan are the forward replacements available to Bemand, with backs Aoibheann Reilly, Anna McGann and Niamh Gallagher completing Ireland’s 23.
Sunday’s fixture - live on TG4 Player and YouTube - is the first of three home matches for Ireland during this Autumn block as they face Japan in the Vodafone Ireland WXV Series at Dexcom Stadium on Saturday, 27 September, before a standalone Test against Japan at Virgin Media Park in Cork on Saturday, 3 October.
Tickets for all matches are available on General Sale via Ticketmaster here.
Ireland (v USA):
15. Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)(29)
14. Robyn O’Connor (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(4)
13. Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(33)
12. Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)(37)
11. Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC/Leinster)(6)
10. Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(35)
9. Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)(25)
1. Niamh O’Dowd (Gloucester-Hartpury)(23)
2. Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs)(54)
3. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(57)
4. Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs)(42)
5. Fiona Tuite-O'Sullivan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)(25)
6. Jemima Adams Verling (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)*
7. Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(12)(captain)
8. Aoife Wafer (Harlequins)(21)
Replacements:
16. Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury)(46)
17. Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster)(22)
18. Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)(4)
19. Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)(1)
20. Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks)(43)
21. Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)(19)
22. Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht)(17)
23. Niamh Gallagher (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby)(2).
*denotes uncapped player