She was initially part of the set-up for the 2022 Six Nations, before eventually returning to the 7s programme in the aftermath of a third round win over Italy.

While she also wasn’t involved last year when they finished at the foot of the Championship table, Higgins played a key role last October as Ireland claimed the inaugural WXV 3 title in Dubai. The Railway Union star is also aiding the 15s cause in 2024 and is set to make her third consecutive appearance of this year’s Six Nations against Wales next weekend.

“It’s amazing, it’s something different. My first Six Nations was during Covid, so it was very weird. I didn’t really get the full sense of it,” Higgins acknowledged at a virtual press conference on Thursday.

“Since I started playing rugby when I was younger, something I look forward to every year is watching the Six Nations. Still I find it surreal playing in it and it’s an amazing experience.”

Having scored her first international try at 15s level in the previous round against France, Higgins also crossed the whitewash in that aforementioned 29-8 triumph over Italy back in April 2022. This encounter took place at Virgin Media Park in Cork and it is there that Ireland will entertain Wales next Saturday (April 13th) at 4.45pm.

This comes on the back of playing the Italians at the RDS – in front of a record crowd for a standalone Women’s Six Nations game on these shores – and there is also a final round meeting with Scotland at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast to look forward to on April 27.

Given the Irish players are eager to grow their support base, Higgins is fully on board with the idea of spreading home games around the island.

“It’s actually brilliant. One of the things that us as a team want to do is to get more support and to bring rugby around the country. To inspire young people. Not just girls, but boys as well.

“A way of doing that is to actually go into different areas of the country and it’s something that is really exciting. With the record crowd there last week, there’s no reason why we can’t keep bringing it into Musgrave and then later on in Kingspan.”

After linking up to good effect at times with Aoife Dalton in an opening round reversal to France in Le Mans, Higgins was joined in the Irish midfield by Enya Breen for their 27-21 loss against Italy at the RDS last weekend.

A native of Skibbereen, Breen had been away from the international game since injuring her knee away to Wales in the opening round of last year’s Championship and Higgins was thrilled to see her making a strong impact on her return to the fold.

“I think everyone in the squad can say that we were happy and so proud to see her because we have seen her for the last year rehabbing to get back. I think it showed in the fact that in the first 10 minutes she had so many great involvements. It was as if she didn’t have a year out in rehab, so it is not surprising to us how amazing she played,” Higgins added.