WXV series about ‘turning the page’ for Ireland

WXV series about 'turning the page' for Ireland. Ireland head coach Scott Bemand says the forthcoming WXV series represents an opportunity to start bringing on new talent with the 2029 World Cup in mind.

What happened

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Adams Verling is the only uncapped player in Sunday's matchday squadPublished8 minutes agoConnacht back row Jemima Adams Verling will make her senior Ireland debut in Sunday's WXV Global Series opener against the United States in Dublin. Ireland open their WXV Global Series campaign against the United States at Dublin's Tallaght Stadium (13:45 BST), the first women's rugby Test match at the home of football team Shamrock Rovers. Right winger O'Connor was one of Ireland's breakout players in this year's Six Nations, scoring two tries.

Ireland: Flood; O'Connor, Dalton, Higgins, Elmes Kinlan; O'Brien, Lane; O'Dowd, Moloney-MacDonald, Djougang, Wall, Tuite-O'Sullivan, Adams Verling, King (capt), Wafer. Related topicsRugby UnionIrish RugbyNorthern Ireland Sport Photograph: Xbox Game Studios‘We were bored of traditional fantasy cliches’: inside Playground Games’ 10-year effort to revive FableThe distinctively British RPG is returning courtesy of the makers of Forza Horizon – with comedy talent such as Richard Ayoade and Natasia Demetriou voicing sweary characters. Operating out of an unassuming white building in Leamington Spa, the studio sought to challenge Gran Turismo with its critically acclaimed British racing alternative: the acclaimed free-roaming Forza Horizon series.

The wider picture

Thanks to its unique blend of farce and fantasy, Fable grew into a globally beloved franchise – before Microsoft unceremoniously shuttered Lionhead in 2016, after mandating that the studio turn its star series into a multiplayer game. This project definitely wasn’t going to have cars, but open worlds felt like an area where we had transferable skills. ” Playground was an independent studio at the time, but given that Xbox was the home of the Forza Horizon series, Microsoft seemed an obvious choice of partner.

Between smashing skeletons, I stumble upon a dust-coated love letter penned with authentically British awkwardness, in which a dying miner’s struggle to channel the earnestness needed to say his goodbyes is clear on the page. Photograph: Xbox Game StudiosBeyond the swears, satire and sorcery, Fulton stresses that the core of the Fable series remains in this reboot: meaningful player choice. In great Fable fashion, it culminates in a choice that really challenges you to think about who you are, with a real personal cost to weigh against the outcome. ”Playground’s long-gestating project carries immense weight, both for nostalgic fans and for Xbox itself, given that it was Microsoft that killed off the series and its original creator.

Adams Verling will line out at blind-side flanker in the back row alongside captain Erin King at open-side flanker and Women's Six Nations player of the championship Aoife Wafer at number eight. The 20-year-old's ascension to the senior team comes after impressing in the Under-18 Women's Six Nations in 2024 and last year's U21 Women's Six Nations, while she has also impressed for the Clovers in the Celtic Challenge. She was also part of this year's Six Nations squad but did not feature.

What has been reported

Head coach Scott Bemand has named an experienced pack with props Niamh O'Dowd and Linda Djougang and hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald in the front row. With Sam Monaghan out injured, Dorothy Wall and Fiona Tuite-O'Sullivan line up in the second row. In the back three, Stacey Flood starts at full-back with Robyn O'Connor and Vicky Elmes Kinlan on the wings. Aoife Dalton and Eve Higgins start in midfield, while Dannah O'Brien and Emily Lane retain their half-back partnership from the Six Nations.

The forward replacements are Neve Jones, Sadhbh McGrath, Eilis Cahill, Jane Clohessy and Brittany Hogan, who scored five tries in this year's Six Nations, with Aoibheann Reilly, Anna McGann and Niamh Gallagher offering backline cover. Bemand's side then face Japan in a double-header in Galway and Cork on 27 September and 3 October – the first of which is a WXV game – before WXV games against South Africa in Cape Town on 24 and 31 October. Replacements: Jones, McGrath, Cahill, Clohessy, Hogan, Reilly, McGann, Gallagher.

Skip to main contentSkip to navigation ‘It culminates in a choice that really challenges you to think about who you are’ … a screenshot from the forthcoming Fable reboot.

What happens next

We had our first play and spoke to its developerWhen Playground Games was founded in 2010, its objective was straightforward: to make the best cars in video games. Now they are making the most intriguing British fantasy game we have seen in many years. For those who have never ventured into Albion, Fable is a quintessentially British role playing game. Created by Lionhead Studios for the original Xbox in 2004, it boasted cheeky charm alongside world-altering player choices, and its droll writing was brought to life in later iterations by national treasures such as Stephen Fry and Simon Pegg.

“As a developer and a player, working on this has made me think about games more deeply than anything else I’ve done,” reflects Ralph Fulton, Playground Games co-founder and Fable’s game director. “I think it will have that same effect on the people who play it. ”Whoever picked up Lionhead’s mantle would inevitably face some scepticism. And despite their commercial success, driving games rarely command the same reverence or critical respect as blockbuster narrative games.

The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk, theguardian.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.