'Women's game will soon be unrecognisable'

Ulster Rugby main executive Hugh McCaughey believes that women's rugby successful Ireland will beryllium "unrecognisable" successful nan adjacent 3 to 5 years arsenic it develops rapidly.

The women's crippled successful Ireland is simply a privilege for nan Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU] according to its four-year strategical scheme launched successful June.

The scheme includes a move towards 4 contracted provincial teams, thing which McCaughey believes will beryllium achievable successful nan clip frame.

"We’re astatine nan commencement of a really accelerated travel and I deliberation if you look already, women's rugby is 1 of if not nan fastest increasing sports connected this island," he told BBC Sport NI.

"Irish rugby has released its strategy pinch nan position to person a contracted squad by 2026-27 truthful we’re starting to spot that really accelerate.

"We want that to beryllium astatine nan forefront of our travel and that’s what we’re readying for astatine nan minute."

McCaughey took up nan Ulster CEO position connected an interim ground successful March earlier agreeing to stay until nan extremity of 2025 earlier this month.

He admits that it will return considered readying opening now for nan historical implementation of 4 contracted provinces to flourish successful 3 years' time.

"It’s difficult because it is uncharted waters, but we person to beryllium down and deliberation astir what nan crippled should look like," he explained.

"If we are going to person a contracted squad successful 3 years what will that look for illustration and what do nan players request successful spot and really will we get that successful spot and modulation to a measurement that is phased," McCaughey continued.

"We’re challenging ourselves to look astatine what it will return and really we will nutrient this."

The erstwhile wellness spot main executive hopes that nan club's existent financial struggles will not effect upon his desire to person a contracted women's squad astatine Ulster.

Ulster Rugby is facing a shortage of betwixt £2.5m and £3m, but McCaughey insists that a scheme is successful spot to woody pinch nan province's financial issues.

"It is going to beryllium a challenge; we cognize rugby worldwide is facing financial challenges.

"Our finances from this play conscionable past were good publicised past week, truthful it is simply a challenge, but we person to find a measurement arsenic this is thing that is simply a individual priority."

Whilst readying gets underway for a contracted Ulster broadside further down nan statement to guarantee location is simply a "pathway" successful place, McCaughey was besides keen to accent nan value connected focusing connected nan existent squad.

A battling Ulster broadside were beaten 29-22 by Munster successful nan opening Women's Interpro astatine Virgin Media Park successful Cork past weekend.

They will now big Connacht connected Saturday successful a crippled that is unrecorded connected BBC iPlayer & BBC Sport website.

And McCaughey believes that their positives to return from nan Munster crippled contempt nan defeat.

"We showed a batch of accomplishment played nan amended phases and patterns and scored immoderate fantabulous tries, he said.

"We conceded immoderate soft ones which I’m judge nan coaches are unhappy astir truthful location is an atrocious batch to build connected and that is cardinal for us.

"We request to create and turn arsenic this group will laic nan instauration for nan early generation."