Sometimes, the best way to improve your game is to simply fall back in love with it. That's exactly the lesson Ireland hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald has learned during her remarkable rugby journey—and it's paying off on the pitch.
The 32-year-old recently celebrated her 50th cap for Ireland during the opening match of the 2026 Women's Six Nations against England, a historic game played in front of a record crowd at Twickenham. But the road to that milestone was anything but straight.
Making her Ireland debut back in 2015, Moloney-MacDonald experienced an international hiatus between 2022 and 2024—a period that could have derailed many careers. Instead, she credits that time away with giving her a fresh perspective. "It makes me enjoy this a lot more and understand how lucky we are," she shared on the Ireland Rugby Social podcast. "I'm maybe one of the only ones in the current squad who has been through all the different cycles in the last 10-11 years of Irish rugby and women's rugby in general."
That perspective has transformed her approach. "Yes I compete and compete hard, but I understand how lucky I am and it should be fun. I'm here to enjoy rugby now, that's made me play better." It's a mindset shift that any athlete—whether on the pitch or in the gym—can relate to.
Moloney-MacDonald also praised the strong team culture that former co-captains Edel McMahon and Sam Monaghan built during her absence. "They embedded a groundwork that doesn't need to be mentioned anymore. The squad are a brilliant group of people."
In a candid conversation with close friend Lindsay Peat, the hooker opened up about her entire rugby journey—from discovering the sport, to moving to England after the disappointment of the 2017 World Cup, to marrying Exeter teammate and England international Claudia Moloney-MacDonald last year.
Looking ahead, she's thrilled about Ireland's final tournament match against Scotland at the Aviva Stadium this Sunday, with over 30,000 tickets already sold. It's another sign of how far the women's game has come—and proof that when you truly enjoy the journey, the results follow.