CONFIRMED: Cora Staunton to return to AFLW in new role

It has been confirmed that Mayo LGFA icon Cora Staunton is primed for a return Down Under for a one-off AFLW exhibition match between Ireland and Australia.

On Sunday, August 1, the biggest stars of the sport will lock horns in the first-ever edition of this international tie, with the brightest and best imports from the Emerald Isle coming together to take on a selection of the top home-grown talents.

At present, there are 39 Irish women plying their trade on the other side of the globe, with seven from Mayo playing for Australian clubs after Saoirse Lally’s recent move to St Kilda.

Time will tell how many of those ballers from this neck of the woods will make the team. However, one Mayo woman will definitely be involved in gearing the Irish team up for battle.

Cora Staunton has achieved multiple Herculean feats in the world of Gaelic football.

Whether it be her quartet of All-Ireland medals with Mayo, her eleven All-Stars, her six club Celtic Crosses, or the other accolades filling her trophy cabinet, there is no doubting her place as the best woman to wear the Mayo jersey.

However, that only tells part of her sporting tale, with FAI Cups and a Connacht Women’s Rugby League medal to her name.

Her achievements in the world of Australian Rules are also exemplary, including a half-century of appearances for Greater Western Sydney after being the first international player to be signed to an AFLW list.

Now, she will return to put her shoulder to the wheel for the Irish cause.

The current Ballina Stephenites coach has been appointed chair of selectors for the fixture, which will take place at the North Sydney Oval later in 2026.