Ireland Women’s Training Squad Announced
Ireland Women’s head coach Philip Doyle has named an extended 33-player training squad ahead of the IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup in Marcoussis, France in August.
The most notable absentee from the selected squad is scrum half Amy Davis who is ruled out through injury.
There are seven additions to the panel that competed in the Women’s RBS 6 Nations Championhip earlier in the year – Mary Healy (Galwegians/Connacht), Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster), Vikki McGinn (Blackrock/Leinster), Sarah Mimnagh (Richmond/Exile), Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht), Tania Rosser (Blackrock/Leinster) and Juliet Short (Newcastle/Exile).
Niamh Briggs, Lynne Cantwell and Grand Slam-winning captain Fiona Coghlan are also named in the training squad.
The Ireland Women face defending champions New Zealand, USA and Kazakhstan in Pool B of the Women’s World Cup.
The girls in green kick off the tournament against the USA on Friday. August 1. Next up is New Zealand on Tuesday, August 5 with their final pool game against Kazakhstan on Saturday, August 9.
Head coach Philip Doyle commented: “Over the coming months we will host a number of training camps in preparation for the World Cup.
“We played some pretty good rugby during the Six Nations but we will need to find another level if we are to compete with the world’s best sides.”
IRELAND WOMEN’S Training Squad (IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup):
Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Gill Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Lynne Cantwell (Richmond/Exile)
Hannah Casey (Saracens/Exile)
Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster)
Kerrie-Ann Craddock (Saracens/Exile)
Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster)
Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s/Leinster)
Orla Fitzsimmons (St. Mary’s/Leinster)
Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster)
Laura Guest (Highfield/Munster)
Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Mary Healy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Ashling Hutchings (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Stacey-Lea Kennedy (Cooke/Ulster)
Sharon Lynch (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Vikki McGinn (Blackrock/Leinster)
Alison Miller (Portlaoise/UCC/Connacht)
Sarah Mimnagh (Richmond/Exile)
Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht)
Larissa Muldoon (Bristol/Exile)
Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Heather O’Brien (Highfield/Munster)
Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht)
Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Tania Rosser (Blackrock/Leinster)
Jackie Shiels (Richmond/Exile)
Juliet Short (Newcastle/Exile)
Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
2014 WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP:
POOL B FIXTURES –
Friday, August 1
IRELAND v USA, Marcoussis 2, 5pm local time/4pm Irish time (Buy match tickets)
Tuesday, August 5
New Zealand v IRELAND, Marcoussis 1, 6pm local time/5pm Irish time (Buy match tickets)
Saturday, August 9
IRELAND v Kazakhstan, Marcoussis 2, 1pm local time/12pm Irish time (Buy match tickets)
Related Links –
Ireland Women To Face USA In World Cup Opener