Former Munster player, Laura Guest, has been chosen to take up the head coach role with the Munster Women’s team.

Over the last five season, Guest has been head coach of Highfield and now the former Irish international will take over from Wayne Falvey ahead of the new season.

The new head coach began playing rugby at 16 with Clonakilty and went on to make her senior debut with Shannon R.F.C. After a very successful season with U.L Bohs in 2012/13 as player coach, winning the All Ireland League and the AIL cup, Guest returned to Cork to coach Highfield.

At international level the forward has won 36 caps appearing in three World Cups in 2006, 2010 and 2014 and a european championship in 2004. She was also a part of the Grand Slam winning side of 2013. In 2014, Guest who has played almost every position in the  forward pack, captained Munster to her 10th interprovincial final in 2014.

Guest has won two Mungret Cups with Middleton College as coach tutor in a five year stint there and is a qualified stage 4 coach. Guest excels in other sports too, winning and All Ireland Intermediate golf title with Lee Valley in 2015.

Dave Lombard will continue as assistant coach while Amy D’arcy has been drafted in as manager. Speaking on her appointment Guest had this to say

With the World Cup around the corner now is the ideal time to get girls and women playing the game, and I know the ‘give it a try’ programmes are already a big success

The support of the women’s game has increased exponentially from when I first started playing, it has really gone from strength to strength since the grand slam win in 2013 and its fantastic to see.