King returns to captain Ireland in Six Nations

Erin King will make her first international appearance in a year as she captains Ireland in Saturday's Six Nations opener in England.

King missed the World Cup last year after she sustained a knee injury in the defeat by the Red Roses in the 2025 Six Nations.

The 22-year-old has been named Ireland's captain for the 2026 edition and will start at flanker against an England side who are looking to win an eighth Six Nations in a row.

She is joined in the back row by Brittany Hogan and Aoife Wafer, who was the Six Nations player of the championship in 2025 but had an injury-hit year.

Head coach Scott Bemand has named two potential debutants on the bench in the form of prop Eilís Cahill and scrum-half Katie Whelan.

Former England prop Ellena Perry will make her first Six Nations appearance for Ireland after switching allegiances ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

Hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald will make her 50th Test appearance for Ireland alongside Perry and Linda Djougang, while Dorothy Wall and Fiona Tuite will line out in the second row.

Emily Lane and Dannah O'Brien will form the half-back partnership, with Eve Higgins and Aoife Dalton a familiar centre pairing.

Vicky Elmes Kinlan has got the nod to start on the left wing, while Beibhinn Parsons and Stacey Flood complete the back three.

Ireland: Stacey Flood; Beibhinn Parsons; Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins; Vicky Elmes Kinlan; Dannah O'Brien, Emily Lane; Ellena Perry, Cliodhna Moloney-Macdonald, Linda Djougang; Dorothy Wall, Fiona Tuite; Brittany Hogan, Erin King (capt), Aoife Wafer.

Replacements: Neve Jones, Niamh O'Dowd, Eilis Cahill, Ruth Campbell, Grace Moore, Katie Whelan, Nancy McGillivray, Anna McGann.

Bemand said that experienced forward Sam Monaghan and scrum-half Aoibheann Reilly were on the "cusp" of being fit and available for selection but the game came just too soon.

"I think we have a nice blend of youth, experience, youth with experience and some firepower to come on," Bemand told RTE.

"There are players some people will know about and some who are there to take you by surprise."

The game at the Allianz Stadium is set to be played in front of a record crowd of 75,000 as England play their first game since winning the World Cup.

"It's amazing, it's why we do this," Bemand said about playing in front of a huge crowd on Saturday.

"People ask me about the last time Ireland went to Twickenham [a 88-10 defeat in the 2024 Six Nations], but that was a different story.

"The team had far less experience, but now we have got a group who will be energised by the crowd and these are the occasions you want to be part of."