The former Six Nations winning Irish Captain Niamh Briggs has said that postponing the women's tournament this year is for the best in light of the current covid situation.
This week it was decided that while the men's game would plough on - with a date of February 6th still set for Ireland's game with Wales - the women's and U20 competitions would be postponed until later this year.
Speaking to WLR Sport, the former Munster captain said that its not possible to compare the men and women since one set of players are professional and can isolate, while the other set of players are amateur and need to consider their professional lives also.
"I don't think there was any other option really. I think when you compare it to the men, its very difficult, the men are professional. Once their club games are finished next weekend they can go in to a bubble for the next 12 weeks and nobody can infiltrate that. I don't think that was an option for the women or the 20's - they're all amateur players, they're coming in to camps for three of four days and then they have top go back to work or school. So really it was the best option"
Asked how this will affect the Ireland women's team, Briggs says that the squad will get the best out of this situation.
"Obviously they'll be frustrated that they've had no rugby since last March, but they've 10 girls based over in the UK playing the Premiership qwho haven't been able to get back over with this travel ban. Whilst they've been in training camps at the weekends since after Christmas, they've ben without those 10 players and they are 10 really important players. While they'll be disappointed not to be playing any rugby, I think they'll see it as a blessing in disguise because for the women its an absolutely huge year - they've still got to qualify for that world cup"
Elsewhere on the rugby front, earlier this week the French sports ministry announcement called for the postponement of the Heineken Champions Cup - with a hole in the calendar that needed to be filled, Munster and Leinster will now play their regular Stephens Day interprovincial fixture next weekend (Saturday 23rd) in a game which the players will see as the perfect tooth sharpener ahead of their Six Nations opener.
Briggs says that these games can provide proper preparation for the international window
"You just have to look at the Munster v Connacht and Ulster v Leinster games last weekend. I thought they were two cracking games in terms of the intensity in what they wwere trying to do. Its been a long time since Munster and Leinster fans have seen two full strength squads that are going to be going up against each other in two weeks time. To be fair, for Ireland, they'll be delighted about that to - because a lot of those Irish guys in that squad looked a bit ring rusty and you know they haven't really been playing since the Autumn Nations Cup in November so they'll need a another 80 minutes under their belt"
