Longford woman selected to represent Ireland at 2026 Tag Rugby World Cup in Australia
Longford’s Áine Bannon, who has lined out for Rathcline GAA Club and Longford Falcons Basketball Club, will play for Ireland in the Tag World Cup in Australia
Longford native Áine Bannon has been selected to represent Ireland after being named in the Ireland Women's Opensquad for the 2026 International Tag Federation (ITF) Tag World Cup in Australia.
Áine will travel to Coffs Harbour, approximately 500 kilometres north of Sydney, for the tournament, which takes place from October 15-to 18 next.
More than 200 teams from over 30 countries are expected to compete across men's, women's and mixed competitions at multiple age grades.
Originally from Longford Town, Áine attended Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon, where her passion for sport flourished.
She has represented Rathcline GAA Club and Longford Falcons Basketball Club, building a strong sporting background before progressing to the international tag rugby stage.
Like many of Ireland's international tag rugby players, Áine balances the demands of elite amateur sport alongside her full-time career.
Her selection for the national squad is a testament to years of dedication and commitment, and is a proud moment for her family, friends and the wider Longford community.
"It's an absolute honour to be selected to represent Ireland at a World Cup. Australia is the home of the sport, and travelling there is a huge and very exciting challenge.” Áine said “We are incredibly grateful for SMBC Aviation Capital's support on this journey, which will pit us against the best players in the world while proudly representing Ireland and Longford."
The ITF Tag World Cup will feature teams from more than 30 nations.
Ireland is recognised as one of the world's leading tag rugby nations and is a member of the International Tag Federation alongside Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
Other participating nations include France, Vietnam, South Africa, China, Palestine, Italy, Greece, Sri Lanka, Malta, Lebanon, Tonga, Fiji, Tokelau, Samoa and many more.
Australia is considered the home of tag rugby, with more than 200,000 participants playing through 140 associations nationwide.
Australian teams have dominated international competition and the country has hosted the majority of Tag Rugby World Cups since the tournament began in 2012.
The most recent Tag Rugby World Cup was hosted by Ireland in Limerick in August 2023, where Irish teams won medals across eight divisions, highlighting the country's emergence as one of the sport's leading international nations.
Despite those achievements, tag rugby remains an amateur and largely self-funded sport.
More than 15,000 players participate through the Irish Tag Rugby Association across leagues in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Kildare, with international players balancing elite competition alongside full-time careers and family commitments.
Earlier this year, the Irish Tag Rugby Association announced a partnership with SMBC Aviation Capital, one of the world's leading aircraft leasing companies, to support Ireland's national squads and help raise the profile of the sport.
Before travelling to Australia, Ireland will host Great Britain in the annual British & Irish Cup at UCD, Dublin, over the August Bank Holiday weekend on Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2 with 45 international test matches taking place across the two days.