Republic of Ireland to host France ahead of World Cup

Captain Katie McCabe holding off the Finnish defenders late on in Thursday's game in Tallaght

Captain Katie McCabe holding off the Finnish defenders late on in Thursday's game in Tallaght Credit: Peter Fitzpatrick (ETPhotos)

The Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team are set to take on France in a friendly before they jet off to Australia for the World Cup this summer.

The FAI confirmed that the fifth highest ranked team in the world would visit Tallaght Stadium on Thursday, 6 July as a send off before the team’s first ever appearance at a major tournament.

“It is fantastic that we will get to play in front of our fans in our home of Tallaght Stadium before going to Australia for the World Cup,” manager Vera Pauw said.

“I’d like to thank everyone at the FAI who has helped to organise this game because we need to test ourselves against a high quality opponent in order to prepare us for the World Cup. France are one of the top teams in the world and will provide us with the type of challenge that we require.

“A lot of hard work continues to be done around our preparations for the World Cup with some excellent games lined up. We are excited to be returning to Tallaght Stadium – that is where we have made so many great memories.

The FAI had explored the possibility of a game in the Aviva Stadium but due to scheduled pitch redevelopment the stadium was not available.

 

About Paul Corcoran

Paul Corcoran is an experienced writer and journalist and has contributed to various publications including the Galway United match programme Maroon View. He spends much of his time covering the fortunes of Galway United's teams … View Full Profile