The August Bank Holiday weekend delivered one of the most significant moments in Great Britain Tag Rugby history, as the squad secured their biggest ever triumph in the British & Irish Cup. For the first time, GB swept three categories 5-0 – the Women’s Open, Men’s Open and Mixed Seniors – underlining their dominance and setting a new benchmark for success on the international stage.

The emphatic whitewashes in Women’s and Men’s Open may not have come as a surprise – both sides have been consistent powerhouses in recent years – but the Mixed Seniors’ turnaround was the headline story. After a 4-1 victory in Ireland last year, the Mayer Brown sponsored GB team went one step further this time, completing a flawless series to flip the script on a category once dominated by Ireland.

The Irish, however, reminded everyone of their pedigree in Mixed Open. Long the standard-setters in the format, they once again held the upper hand, winning 5-0 and ensuring at one Open category swung green rather than red, white and blue.

Elsewhere, the contest was far closer, and no series better showcased the intensity of this cross-border rivalry than the Men’s Seniors. GB had not won a Test match in this category at the B&I since 2019, but turned that record around in style. Their second Test win of the weekend levelled the series heading into Saturday night, and a Sunday morning thriller pushed the battle all the way to a fifth-Test decider. In the end, it proved one step too far for the British side, as Ireland dug deep to snatch the category. Still, the progress marked a major leap forward and offered real encouragement heading into future campaigns.

In the Women’s Seniors, a series long defined by stalemates ultimately tipped in Britain’s favour once again. Two 5-5 draws opened the weekend, but GB turned the screw on Sunday, rattling off three consecutive wins to claim a 3-0 series victory. Women’s Masters followed a similar narrative. After losing the category to Ireland last year, GB went toe-to-toe across the early exchanges before finishing strongest, securing back-to-back wins in the decisive Tests to claim the crown.

Men’s Masters mirrored that same back-and-forth drama. After the two Saturday results were split evenly and a Sunday opener that finished level, GB edged the fourth Test to put themselves in control, before a final draw meant they sealed the category.

New ground was broken this year with the introduction of Women’s 22s, Men’s 22s and Men’s 50s to the overall standings. GB’s Women’s 22s rose to the occasion, taking their series 2-1, while Ireland asserted themselves with a 3-0 sweep in the Men’s 22s. The Men’s 50s could scarcely have been tighter: after a draw in the opener and GB’s win in test two, Ireland snatched the decider to level the series.

When the dust settled, it was Great Britain who stood tallest. Victorious in 7 of 11 categories, and with a record points margin of 17.5 to 7.5, they claimed their third consecutive British & Irish Cup – a historic milestone that underlined both their strength in depth and their ability to rise when it matters most.

This was more than a win; it was a statement. For Great Britain Tag Rugby, the 2025 British & Irish Cup was a weekend that will be remembered as the moment dominance became dynasty.

The full live streams from all three pitches are available for replay now on Try Tag Rugby’s YouTube and has been split into chapters to make it easier to find the match you are looking for.

Day 1- Pitch 1
Day 1 – Pitch 2
Day 1 – Pitch 3
Day 2 – Pitch 1
Day 2- Pitch 2
Day 2 – Pitch 3

Photos from the event can be found on Great Britain Tag Rugby’s Facebook.
Day 1 
Day 2
Awards

Great Britain Tag Rugby thanks Ireland Tag and the Irish Tag Rugby Association for playing the competition in such great spirits; the International Tag Federation; Mayer Brown for their sponsorship of our Mixed Open and Mixed Senior teams; the University of Nottingham for hosting the tournament; our streaming partners 247 and Cardiff Met Sport TV; and the vendors that worked with us on the event.

Category Results and Players of the Tournament
Women’s Open
Game 1: Great Britain 7 – 2 Ireland
Game 2: Great Britain 5 – 0 Ireland
Game 3: Great Britain 9 – 3 Ireland
Game 4: Great Britain 7 – 1 Ireland
Game 5: Great Britain 3 – 1 Ireland
Series Result: Great Britain 5 – 0 Ireland
Player of the Tournament: Freya Entwistle (Great Britain)

Men’s Open
Game 1: Great Britain 9 – 0 Ireland
Game 2: Great Britain 10 – 1 Ireland
Game 3: Great Britain 9 – 6 Ireland
Game 4: Great Britain 14 – 2 Ireland
Game 5: Great Britain 9 – 1 Ireland
Series Result: Great Britain 5 – 0 Ireland
Player of the Tournament: Elliot McDermott

Mixed Open
Game 1: Great Britain 6 – 10 Ireland
Game 2: Great Britain 4 – 14 Ireland
Game 3: Great Britain 6 – 11 Ireland
Game 4: Great Britain 4 – 10 Ireland
Game 5: Great Britain 6 – 8 Ireland
Series Result: Great Britain 0 – 5 Ireland
Female Player of the Tournament: Ellen O’Sullivan (Ireland)
Male Player of the Tournament: Morgan Coghlan (Ireland)

Women’s Seniors
Game 1: Great Britain 5 – 5 Ireland
Game 2: Great Britain 5 – 5 Ireland
Game 3: Great Britain 3 – 2 Ireland
Game 4: Great Britain 5 – 3 Ireland
Game 5: Great Britain 6 – 2 Ireland
Series Result: Great Britain 3 – 0 Ireland
Player of the Tournament: Charlotte Towerton (Great Britain)

Men’s Seniors
Game 1: Great Britain 4 – 8 Ireland
Game 2: Great Britain 3 – 1 Ireland
Game 3: Great Britain 3 – 5 Ireland
Game 4: Great Britain 2 – 1 Ireland
Game 5: Great Britain 2 – 5 Ireland
Series Result: Great Britain 2 – 3 Ireland
Player of the Tournament: Gurj Sandhu (Ireland)

Mixed Seniors
Game 1: Great Britain 9 – 6 Ireland
Game 2: Great Britain 6 – 2 Ireland
Game 3: Great Britain 5 – 3 Ireland
Game 4: Great Britain 14 – 5 Ireland
Game 5: Great Britain 6 – 4 Ireland
Series Result: Great Britain 5 – 0 Ireland
Female Player of the Tournament: Sarah Jackson (Great Britain)
Male Player of the Tournament: Rob Chance (Great Britain)

Women’s Masters
Game 1: Great Britain 3 – 4 Ireland
Game 2: Great Britain 2 – 0 Ireland
Game 3: Great Britain 1 – 1 Ireland
Game 4: Great Britain 6 – 3 Ireland
Game 5: Great Britain 2 – 1 Ireland
Series Result: Great Britain 3 – 1 Ireland
Player of the Tournament: Kat Draper (Great Britain)

Men’s Masters
Game 1: Great Britain 7 – 6 Ireland
Game 2: Great Britain 2 – 4 Ireland
Game 3: Great Britain 4 – 4 Ireland
Game 4: Great Britain 5 – 4 Ireland
Game 5: Great Britain 1 – 1 Ireland
Series Result: Great Britain 2 – 1 Ireland
Player of the Tournament: Aaron Lombardo (Great Britain)

Women’s U22s
Game 1: Great Britain 9 – 8 Ireland
Game 2: Great Britain 12 – 0 Ireland
Game 3: Great Britain 4 – 5 Ireland
Series Result: Great Britain 2 – 1 Ireland
Player of the Tournament: Millie Robinson (Great Britain)

Men’s U22s
Game 1: Great Britain 5 – 12 Ireland
Game 2: Great Britain 2 – 5 Ireland
Game 3: Great Britain 5 – 7 Ireland
Series Result: Great Britain 0 – 3 Ireland
Player of the Tournament: Eoin Buenaventura (Ireland)

Men’s O50s
Game 1: Great Britain 4 – 4 Ireland
Game 2: Great Britain 7 – 6 Ireland
Game 3: Great Britain 6 – 8 Ireland
Series Result: Great Britain 1 – 1 Ireland
Player of the Tournament: TBC

Referee of the Tournament (Great Britain): Alex Davies
Referee of the Tournament (Ireland): Rory O’Keefe

Great Britain won the 2025 British & Irish Cup 17.5 – 7.5 and were victorious in seven out of 11 categories.
Ireland leads the British & Irish Cup 7-4 all-time