Ireland coach Niamh Briggs believes her squad will benefit greatly from the exposure to a ‘high-performance environment’ at the inaugural Women's Summer Series.

The first ever women’s U20s tournament of its kind runs from 4th-14th July as Ireland take on England, Italy, and Scotland in Parma across three mouth-watering matchdays as the next generation of stars begin their international journey.

The world-renowned opera house, Teatro Regio di Parma, was the setting for the tournament launch – with its Neoclassical architecture and Corinthian columns a pleasing contrast between the old and new – and Briggs believes an exciting new chapter awaits her young stars.  

“The calibre of player coming through is really high, which is the fruition of a lot of hard work that’s gone on,” explained Briggs, the former Ireland captain.

“This is all about exposing our players to a high-performance environment.

“We’ve had a few years now at U18s, and we’re starting to see them coming through which is amazing.

This series is about understanding where we are as a group – understanding what high performance looks like during a match week – and focusing on ourselves. If we just focus on what happens on the pitch we’ll lose a huge opportunity.”

For captain Jane Neill, being in Italy is a big moment for her so early in her rugby journey. “My friends and family are really proud,” said the forward from County Wicklow.

“I’ve got a good few coming over, including aunts and uncles. We hope to play as we’ve trained and put into practice everything we’ve spent so long working on.

“There’s some real talent in this squad. I could name the whole team, but players like Ruth Campbell, Kate Flannery, and Ivana Kiripati [are ones to look out for].”

Joining an incredible summer of sport, the series stands to showcase the future stars of the international women’s game. 

Round one kicks off on Thursday 4th July, with France taking on Wales, before England face Ireland, and then Italy host Scotland in the late kick-off. The remaining matchdays will take place on the 9th and 14th of July.

To celebrate the debut of soon-to-be stars of the game, the Women’s Summer Series will recognise the best individual performer from each team with a new Most Valuable Player Award (MVP).

Fans all over the world will be able to follow all the action, via exclusive coverage on the Six Nations U20 YouTube channel, with commentary in English (and Italian for the matches featuring Italy). Supporting coverage will also be provided across the dedicated Six Nations U20 social media channels.

Commenting on the Women’s Summer Series, Six Nations Chief of Rugby, Julie Paterson said: “This is a new and exciting development opportunity for young players, coaches, and officials to gain experience on the international stage. As a key strategic pillar of Six Nations Rugby, its unions and federations, the intention is to nurture the growth of the women’s game in a sustainable and engaging way for the players.

“The addition of the Women’s Summer Series, as a new step on the development pathway, is also part of the commitment to give these athletes a clear line of sight on when, where and how they can gain international experience and honours.”

The Women’s Summer Series is available to fans all over the world via exclusive coverage on the Six Nations U20 YouTube channels, with supporting coverage across dedicated U20 Six Nations social media channels.