# 2023–24 Celtic Challenge

The 2023–24 Celtic Challenge was the second season of the Celtic Challenge, a cross-border women's rugby union competition with teams from Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. The enlarged six team tournament featured a single round robin fixture series, after which the table was split in two. This was followed by three further 'play-off' rounds in a set of three double-header fixtures. Each team played a seven match season.

## Teams and locations

In December 2023, the six teams were confirmed.
| Team | Country | Coach / Director of Rugby | Stadium | Location | Capacity |
| Brython Thunder | Wales | Ashley Beck | Parc y Scarlets | Llanelli | 14,870 |
| Brython Thunder | Wales | Ashley Beck | Eirias Stadium | Colwyn Bay | 6,080 |
| Clovers | Ireland | Denis Fogarty | Donnybrook Stadium | Dublin | 6,000 |
| Clovers | Ireland | Denis Fogarty | Musgrave Park | Cork | 8,008 |
| Edinburgh Rugby | Scotland | Claire Cruikshank | Edinburgh Rugby Stadium | Edinburgh | 7,800 |
| Glasgow Warriors | Scotland | Chris Laidlaw | Scotstoun Stadium | Glasgow | 9,708 |
| Gwalia Lightning | Wales | Catrina Nicholas-McLaughlin | Cardiff Arms Park | Cardiff | 12,125 |
| Wolfhounds | Ireland | Neil Alcorn | Musgrave Park | Cork | 8,008 |
| Wolfhounds | Ireland | Neil Alcorn | Ravenhill Stadium | Belfast | 18,196 |
| Wolfhounds | Ireland | Neil Alcorn | Donnybrook Stadium | Dublin | 6,000 |

## Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Wolfhounds | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 238 | 130 | +108 | 38 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 32 |
| 2 | Edinburgh Rugby | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 160 | 134 | +26 | 26 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 25 |
| 3 | Clovers | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 142 | 147 | −5 | 23 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 17 |
| 4 | Gwalia Lightning | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 164 | 134 | +30 | 20 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 17 |
| 5 | Brython Thunder | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 113 | 137 | −24 | 20 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 16 |
| 6 | Glasgow Warriors | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 87 | 222 | −135 | 13 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 1 |

## Regular season

The fixtures were announced on 5 December 2023.

### Round 1

* 29 December 2023 13:00
| Wolfhounds | 21–15 | Clovers (1 BP) |
| Try: Linda Djougang 63' c Sarah Delaney 69' c Eimear Corri 77' c Con: Nikki Caughey (3) 63', 69', 77' Cards: Keelin Brady 74' to 80' | Report | Try: Beth Buttimer 38' m Ailsa Hughes 58' m Clara Barrett 80+1' m |
* Musgrave Park, Cork Referee: Joy Neville
* 30 December 2023 12:00
| (1 BP) Edinburgh Rugby | 28–12 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Try: Bell, McNamara (2), Fletcher Con: Marlow (4) | Report | Try: McMillan, Tucker Con: MacRae |
* Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 1,934 Referee: Hollie Davidson
* 1 January 2024 14:00
| Gwalia Lightning | 20–5 | Brython Thunder |
| Try: K Williams, C Richards (2) Con: Metcalfe Pen: Metcalfe | Report | Try: M Davies |
* Rodney Parade, Newport

### Round 2

* 6 January 2024 14:00
| Edinburgh Rugby | 17–27 | Wolfhounds (1 BP) |
| Try: Emma Orr (2), Cieron Bell Con: Briar McNamara | Report | Try: Sarah Delaney, Natasja Behan, Aoife Wafer (2), Brittany Hogan Con: Dannah O’Brien |
* Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh Referee: Michael Todd
* 6 January 2024 14:00
| Clovers | 20–5 | Brython Thunder |
| Try: Ailsa Hughes, Ruth Campbell, Sadhbh McGrath Con: Méabh Deely Pen: Méabh Deely | Report | Try: Alex Callender |
* Donnybrook Stadium, Dublin Referee: Michael Forrestal
* 7 January 2024 13:30
| Gwalia Lightning | 36–19 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Try: Hopkins (2), Richards, Hughes, Constable, Jones Con: Metcalfe (3) | Report | Try: Bogan, Tucker (2) Con: Macrae (2) |
* Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

### Round 3

* 13 January 2024 14:30
| Glasgow Warriors | 12–40 | Wolfhounds (1 BP) |
| Try: Phaedra Snailham, Louise McMillan Con: Lucy MacRae Cards: Phaedra Snailham 75' to 80' | Report | Try: Sarah Delaney, Linda Djougang, Sophie Barrett, Katie Whelan, Katie Corrigan, Brittany Hogan Con: Dannah O’Brien (2), Nikki Caughey (3) |
* Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow Referee: Sam O’Neil
* 14 January 2024 13:00
| Clovers | 19–17 | Gwalia Lightning (1 BP) |
| Try: Kate Flannery, Clare Gorman, Róisín Ormond Con: Kate Flannery (2) Cards: Alana McInerney 33' to 43', Beth Buttimer 52' to 62' | Report | Try: Gwennan Hopkins, Molly Reardon, Tess Evans Con: Sian Jones |
* Musgrave Park, Cork Referee: Kevin Coffey
* 14 January 2024 13:30
| (1 BP) Brython Thunder | 17–22 | Edinburgh Rugby (1 BP) |
| Try: Wakely, Tromans, A Williams Con: A Williams Cards: E Tromans | Report | Try: Muzambe, Mattinson, Walker, Bell Con: Marlow |
* Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

### Round 4

* 27 January 2024 14:00
| Glasgow Warriors | 10–29 | Clovers (1 BP) |
| Try: Izzy Hannay, Beth Blacklock | Report | Try: Méabh Deely, Dorothy Wall, Beth Buttimer, Ivana Kiripati, Brianna Heylmann Con: Kate Flannery (2) |
* Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow Referee: Ciaran Stark
* 27 January 2024 19:30
| (1 BP) Wolfhounds | 41–10 | Brython Thunder |
| Try: Brittany Hogan, Sarah Delaney, Katie Corrigan (4), Niamh Marley Con: Nikki Caughey (3) | Report | Try: Chloe Thomas-Bradley, Sioned Harries |
* Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast Referee: Andrew Munce
* 28 January 2024 13:30
| (1 BP) Gwalia Lightning | 19–20 | Edinburgh Rugby (1 BP) |
| Try: Jones (2), Thicker Con: Wilkins (2) | Report | Try: Whitehouse, Bell, Fletcher, Muzambe |
* Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

### Round 5

* 3 February 2024 12:30
| (1 BP) Edinburgh Rugby | 35–21 | Clovers |
| Try: Molly Poolman, Millie Whitehouse, Emma Orr, Sarah Denholm, Lisa Thomson Con: Nicole Marlow, Briar McNamara Pen: Nicole Marlow, Briar McNamara | Report | Try: Alana McInerney, Niamh O’Dowd, Chisom Ugwueru Con: Kate Flannery (2), Méabh Deely |
* Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh Referee: Rob McDowell
* 3 February 2024 14:30
| (1 BP) Wolfhounds | 36–24 | Gwalia Lightning (1 BP) |
| Try: Katie Heffernan, Katie Corrigan (3), Niamh Marley, Christy Haney Con: Nikki Caughey (3) | Report | Try: Katie Thicker, Jenna De Vera, Caitlin Lewis, Rebecca De Filippo Con: Robyn Wilkins (2) |
* Donnybrook Stadium, Dublin Referee: Max Weston
* 3 February 2024 14:30
| (1 BP) Brython Thunder | 22–12 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Try: Callender (2), Williams, Singleton Con: Wilkinson | Report | Try: Fraser (2) Con: Ainsworth |
* Eirias Stadium, Colwyn Bay

## Play-offs

Unlike the inaugural competition, the 2023–24 competition will have a play-off stage. This involves splitting the teams into 2 tiers after the initial set of 5 rounds, the top 3 and the bottom 3. The teams will play the teams in their tier once more. The points from the all matches will count.

### Round 6

* 17 February 2024 13:00
| (1 BP) Edinburgh Rugby | 26–26 | Wolfhounds (1 BP) |
| Try: Emma Orr (2), Cieron Bell, Alex Stewart Con: Nicole Marlow (3) | Report | Try: Ellen Boylan, Christy Haney, Linda Djougang, Katie Corrigan Con: Nikki Caughey (3) |
* Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh Referee: David Young
* 17 February 2024 16:30
| (1 BP) Glasgow Warriors | 17–24 | Brython Thunder (1 BP) |
| Try: McLaren, Fraser Con: MacRae (2) Pen: MacRae | Report | Try: Harries,Thomas-Bradley, Wakely, Webb Con: Wilkinson (2) |
* Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

### Round 7

* 24 February 2024 12:30
| (1 BP) Gwalia Lightning | 43–5 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Try: King, Wilkins, M Davies, Constable, Reardon, K Davies, Parry Con: Wilkins (4) | Report | Try: Anderson |
* Kingspan Stadium, Belfast
* 24 February 2024 16:30
| (1 BP) Wolfhounds | 47–26 | Clovers (1 BP) |
| Try: Katie Corrigan (3), Kelly McCormill, Hannah O’Connor, Katie Whelan (2) Con: Nikki Caughey (6) | Report | Try: Róisín Ormond, Beth Buttimer, Maeve Óg O’Leary, Brianna Heylmann Con: Kate Flannery (2), Nicole Fowley |
* Kingspan Stadium, Belfast Referee: Andrew Mitchell

### Round 8

* 3 March 2024 12:30
| Clovers | 12–12 | Edinburgh Rugby |
| Try: Gorman, Barrett Con: Flannery | Report | Try: McNamara, Lloyd Con: Marlow |
* Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli Referee: Jenny Davies
* 3 March 2024 15:30
| Brython Thunder | 30–5 | Gwalia Lightning |
| Try: Tromans, A Williams, Wakely, Harries, Morgan Con: Wilkinson Drop: Harries | Report | Try: M Davies |
* Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli