35-Player Training Squad Announced For U-18 Women’s Six Nations Festival

A 35-player training squad will assemble at the IRFU High Performance Centre over the course of the next few weeks to prepare for the inaugural Under-18 Women’s Six Nations Festival in Edinburgh.

The training squad will participate in three camps across March and April before the festival squad is selected.

The camps take place on March 19-20 and 26-27 and April 2-3 at the IRFU High Performance Centre on the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin.

The festival promotes a learning environment for these young players and the coaches who are developing and honing their skills.

Ireland will play 35-minute matches against England and France on Game Day 1 and a 70-minute match against Wales on Game Day 2.  The U-18 Women’s Six Nations Festival will take place at the DAM Health Stadium between April 9 and 17.

Katie Fitzhenry, IRFU Women’s performance pathway coach, commented:

There is a really good provincial mix across this group and from a variety of clubs around the country which reflects the great work that is happening at grassroots level.

“This group will experience a high performance environment as we build towards the Six Nations Festival in Edinburgh in April.

“We are really excited to get started and I am sure the girls will be too as they strive to pull on a green jersey for the first time.”

IRELAND UNDER-18 WOMEN’S TRAINING SQUAD:

Backs (17) –

Grace Adams (King’s Hospital/Leinster)
Clara Barrett (Ballina RFC/Connacht)
Ellen Boylan (Carrick-on-Suir RFC/Munster)
Molly Boote (Connemara RFC/Connacht) WNTS
Grainne Burke (Ennis RFC/Munster)
Beth Buttimer (Fethard RFC/Munster)
Hannah Clarke (Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Connacht) WNTS
Katie Corrigan (Tullow RFC/Leinster)
Alanna Fitzpatrick (Portarlington RFC/Leinster) WNTS
Kate Flannery (Fethard RFC/Munster) WNTS
Jade Gaffney (Navan RFC/Leinster)
Lucia Linn (Dolphin RFC/Munster)
Abby Moyles (Navan RFC/Leinster)
Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht) WNTS
Robyn O’Connor (Wexford Wanderers RFC/Leinster)
Rebecca Rodgers (Ballina-Killaloe RFC/Munster)
Eva Sterritt (Greystones RFC/Leinster) WNTS

Forwards (18) –

Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC/Ulster) WNTS
Jorja Battishill (Malone RFC/Ulster)
Maebh Clenaghan (Letterkenny RFC/Ulster)
Isobel Clerk (Mullingar RFC/Leinster)
Sarah Delaney (Cill Dara RFC/Leinster)
Koren Dunne (Portlaoise RFC/Leinster)
Ciara Fleming (Carrick-on-Suir RFC/Munster)
Prudence Isaac (Arklow RFC/ Leinster)
Aimee Kelly (Bruff RFC/Munster)
Amy O’Mahony (Greystones RFC/Leinster)
Sarah McCormick (Ballina RFC/Connacht)
Aisling McEnroe (Virginia RFC/Ulster) WNTS
Sadhbh McGrath (City of Derry RFC/Ulster)
Jane Neill (Arklow RFC/Leinster)
Sarah Roberts (Donaghadee RFC/Ulster)
Karly Tierney (Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Connacht)
Orla Wafer (Enniscorthy RFC/Leinster)
Hannah Wilson (Cill Dara RFC/Leinster)

* WNTS denotes member of Women’s National Talent Squad