Munster, Connacht, Leinster and Ulster currently play in an Interpro league in the early part of the season.
The Celtic Challenge has been running since 2023, with Irish sides Wolfhounds and Clovers largely dominating the competition, the former having won the tournament three years in a row.
The squads for the two Irish teams are selected from a pool of players based in Ireland.
A significant number of Ireland players ply their trade in the PWR, including Harlequins captain and double Women’s Six Nations player-of-the-tournament Aoife Wafer.
Others include Sale Sharks back row Brittany Hogan, Exeter Chiefs forwards Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald and Dorothy Wall and Gloucester Hartpury players Sam Monaghan, Niamh O’Dowd and Neve Jones.
“The opportunity with Ireland so close to England, and the opportunity to be part of that league is exceptional, and therefore we are very focused on exploring it.
“I think what that means for a player is that she is in a great daily environment, getting great access to training, medical and all those things that she needs to put on a weekly basis, and she is playing a really intense competition, and where you are feeling into that principle of iron sharpens iron, which makes everyone better,” added Cantwell.
