Ireland's women's rugby team suffered a defeat to the USA in the WXV Global Series opener at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin, losing 40-36 after leading 31-12 in the second half. USA head coach Jack Hanratty orchestrated a remarkable comeback, with his team scoring four successive tries to overturn the deficit. Head coach Scott Bemand acknowledged the loss as a missed opportunity, describing it as a game Ireland "should have won" and attributing the defeat to a loss of discipline and control in the second half despite an impressive opening 40 minutes.

Ireland dominated the first half with good attacking play and momentum, but allowed USA to regain the initiative through their power game. A late try from Dorothy Wall gave Ireland an opportunity to snatch victory, but they were unable to convert their final attack as USA secured the ball. Bemand expressed frustration at being forced to fight for a late winner after cruising through much of the match, noting that whilst his team showed resilience, they should not have put themselves in such a position. Ireland's next fixtures are two matches against Japan: one in the WXV in Galway next weekend and another in Cork in early October.