Celtic Challenge 2025/26 Round 5: Another Irish sweep and Gwalia make statement

Both of Ireland’s Celtic Challenge teams picked up wins in Round 5 of the competition.

Table-topping Wolfhounds picked up a dominant win over Glasgow Warriors, who did enjoy a second half resurgence, while Clovers were also winners thanks to a remarkable performance from teenage out-half, Caitriona Finn.

Here is how Round 5 of the 2025/26 Celtic Challenge season played out…

Edinburgh Rugby 7-43 Gwalia Lightning

There was one-way Gwalia Lightning traffic at Hive Stadium as Catrina Nicholas-McLaughlin’s side maintained pressure at the top of the table.

After a bright start in the Scottish capital, it was Maisie Davies that ultimately broke the deadlock when she crashed over from close range.

Edinburgh did respond shortly afterwards when they received a penalty try as Lightning were adjudged to have collapsed a maul.

Before the break Gwalia’s Anwen Owen received a yellow card and Davies’ scored her second try of the contest. Carys Hughes added the conversion.

Bryonie King resumed the scoring in the second half and Sian Jones got across the try line shortly afterwards.

To maintain their momentum Lily Terry went across the try line twice. Wales international Catherine Richards capped off the performance with her team’s seventh try of the afternoon.

Clovers 29-12 Brython Thunder

Clovers’ Caitriona Finn-inspired second half supremacy helped Denis Fogarty’s team to a fourth win of the season.

The contest was completely level at 12-all when half-time struck as scores for Clovers’ Hannah Bluck and Annakate Cournane cancelled out the efforts of Brython Thunder’s Jess Rogers and Rhian Bowden.

Just a fortnight on from Clovers’ 15-12 win over the same opposition in Wales it seemed like it was going to be a close-run thing again.

But it was after the break that 19-year-old Finn began to take the game by the scruff of its neck. On the 53-minute mark that Emily Lane eked over the whitewash.

A brilliant flowing move helped Niamh Murphy to dot down for the hosts and, after Finn’s conversion, Aoife Corey was sent across by the playmaker.

Clovers have now opened 10 point gap between themselves in third and Glasgow Warriors in fourth.

Wolfhounds 52-26 Glasgow Warriors

A ruthless 46 minutes provided Wolfhounds with a comprehensive win over Glasgow Warriors in Cork.

Just over a quarter of the contest had been played when Wolfhounds had their try scoring bonus point after tries from Caoimhe Molloy, Erin King, Katie Corrigan and Linda Djougang all made their way over the try line.

To make the score to 40-nil at half-time, Fiona Tuite and Maeve Óg O’Leary both crashed over to underline the Celtic Challenge leaders’ supremacy.

Molloy secured her brace at the start of the second half, while Vicky Elmes Kinlan’s effort took Wolfhounds over the half-century mark and concluded the hosts’ scoring.

Subdued for the best part of 50 minutes, Glasgow gained a foothold for the last 30 minutes and left with a try scoring bonus point of their own.

It started with a Holland Bogan effort and a minute after Tuite received a yellow card, Riana Darroch dotted down.

In the final 10 minutes Briar McNamara and Sky Phimister both registered efforts for Warriors.