Suffern And Chambers Team Up As Ulster Women’s Coaches

The Ulster Women’s squad, sponsored by Deloitte, will kick-off their IRFU Women’s Interprovincial Championship campaign next Sunday with the visit of defending champions Leinster to Dromore RFC (kick-off 2pm)
  

In preparation for the Intepro series, Ulster have recruited an all new management team to oversee the programme delivery. It is led by Ulster Women’s performance consultant Derek Suffern, with Davy Chambers and James McBriar on board as head coach and assistant coach respectively. Gillian McAlister is the team manager.

Under the guidance of Suffern, a coach of significant experience at the top end of Ulster Bank League and schools rugby in the province, the new team have been working with the players at training camps and sessions, hosted regularly, since an initial screening session in August.

Looking forward to the fast-approaching Interpros, Suffern commented: “I’m really enjoying the challenge with a group that has impressed in terms of commitment, work ethic and especially their willingness to improve. Everyone in the squad is looking forward to the big challenge of performing well enough in the Interpros. We are all very driven to achieve our goals this year.”

Head coach Chambers enters the Ulster Women’s senior set-up having led the Under-18 side to success in the inaugural IRFU Under-18 Girls Interprovincial Championship in 2016 and sees his appointment as a natural progression from that role.

“There is so much exciting young rugby talent in the Women’s game across the province, whether that be in Enniskillen, Virginia, Belfast, Derry or anywhere in between,” he said. “The task for us will be to introduce and nurture that talent, alongside the established provincial panel to improve the standards and results of the provincial team.”

ULSTER WOMEN’S Training Squad – Backs (22): Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere), Larissa Muldoon (Railway Union), Amy Graham (Cooke), Nikki Caughey (Railway Union), Vicky Irwin (Cooke), Peita McAlister (Malone), Eliza Downey (Cooke), Brittany Hogan (Cooke), Emma Jordan (Cooke), Leah McGoldrick (Cooke), Teah Maguire (Cooke), Alison Boal (Malone), Claire Johnston (Cooke), Claire McLaughlin (Cooke), Jemma Jackson (Cooke), Nicole Jones (Lisburn), Diane Ramsey (Queens), Ella Durkin (Malone), Dolores Hughes (Co. Cavan), Rachel McIlroy (Queen’s University), Zarah Ryan (Malone), Danielle Heasley (Lisburn).

Forwards (20): Ilse van Staden (Cooke), Alanagh Chipperfield (Cooke), Beth Cregan (Cooke), Sorcha Mac Laimhin (Cooke), Neve Jones (Malone), Victoria Jackson (Queen’s University), Aishling O’Connell (Co. Cavan), Lesley Megarity (Cooke), Hannah Beattie (Cooke), Sapphire Dudley (Ballynahinch), Rebecca Smyth (Cooke), Helen McGhee (Cooke), Amanda Maginn (Ballynahinch), Ashleigh Baxter (Cooke), Lauren Magennis (Cooke), Gemma McCutcheon (Cooke), Storm Cobain (Ballynahinch), Claire Boles (Railway Union), Nicole Watterson (Queens University), Stacey Fluke (Ballynahinch).

ULSTER WOMEN’S 2017/18 INTERPROVINCIAL FIXTURES:

Sunday, December 3 –

ULSTER WOMEN v LEINSTER WOMEN, Dromore RFC, 2pm

Saturday, December 9 –

MUNSTER WOMEN v ULSTER WOMEN, Garryowen FC, 2pm

Saturday, December 16 –

ULSTER WOMEN v CONNACHT WOMEN, Belfast Harlequins RFC, 3pm