Tania Rosser is gearing up for her second Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship as Leinster head coach ©INPHO/Evan Treacy
Leinster Women’s head coach Tania Rosser has brought together an extended training squad ahead of the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship, which begins next month.
Christy Haney and Hannah O’Connor, last season’s co-captains, lead a list of 39 players as Rosser’s Blues, who finished as runners-up in the 2022/23 Interpros, build towards their August 12 opener away to Connacht.
While Jenny Murphy, Leinster’s reigning Women’s Player of the Year, is a notable absentee, the likes of Ailsa Hughes, Elise O’Byrne-White, Niamh Byrne, Nikki Caughey and returning duo Linda Djougang and Sene Naoupu bring plenty of the experience.
Djougang, Aoife Dalton, Aoife Wafer, Natasja Behan, Dannah O’Brien and Leah Tarpey are all contracted to the Ireland Women’s High Performance Programme, while Clare Gorman and Emma Tilly recently played for the Ireland Sevens team.
Wicklow pair Caoimhe Molloy and Naoise O’Reilly have earned call-ups following their impressive club form, and the Garden County representation has grown with promising youngsters Eva Sterritt, Amy O’Mahony, Jane Neill and Megan Collis also involved.
The Leinster squad have been put through a comprehensive training plan, which sees weekly sessions take place in Energia Park. These sessions consist of on-pitch skill sessions and various off-pitch workshops.
Backboned by eight of Blackrock College’s All-Ireland League title-winning team, Rosser’s charges have a warm-up game against Ulster at Dundalk RFC this Saturday, before the competitive action begins in the coming weeks.
Their Interpro fixtures include back-to-back home matches against Ulster (August 19) and Munster (August 26) at Energia Park. The finals day is scheduled for Saturday, September 2, with the venue to be confirmed.
Ailsa Hughes ( Tullamore RFC/Railway Union RFC)
Aimee Clarke (Suttonians RFC/Railway Union RFC)
Amy O’Mahony (Greystones RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Anna Doyle (Tullow RFC/Blackrock College RFC)
Aoife Dalton (Tullamore RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Aoife Moore (St. Mary’s College RFC/Blackrock College RFC)
Aoife Wafer (Gorey RFC/Blackrock College RFC)
Caoimhe Molloy (Gorey RFC/Wicklow RFC)
Christy Haney (St. Mary’s College RFC/Blackrock College RFC)
Clare Gorman (Old Belvedere RFC)
Clodagh Dunne (Gorey RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Dannah O’Brien (Tullow RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Eimear Corri (Portlaoise RFC/Blackrock College RFC)
Elise O’Byrne-White (Dublin University FC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Emma Murphy (Railway Union RFC)
Emma Tilly (MU Barnhall RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Eva Sterritt (Greystones RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Hannah O’Connor (CYM RFC/Blackrock College RFC)
Jade Gaffney (Navan RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Jane Neill (Arklow RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Jess Keating (Old Belvedere RFC)
Katelynn Doran (Old Belvedere RFC/MU Barnhall RFC)
Katie Whelan (Enniscorthy RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Leah Tarpey (Tullamore RFC/Railway Union RFC)
Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC)
Lisa Callan (Railway Union RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Lisa Mullen (Virginia RFC/Blackrock College RFC)
Mary Healy (Naas RFC/Suttionians RFC)
Meabh O’Brien (Naas RFC/Suttonians RFC)
Megan Collis (Greystones RFC/Railway Union RFC)
Molly Boyne (Dublin University FC/Railway Union RFC)
Naoise O’Reilly (Wicklow RFC)
Natasja Behan (Gorey RFC/Blackrock College RFC)
Niamh Byrne (Dublin University FC/Railway Union RFC)
Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC)
Nikki Caughey (Malone RFC/Railway Union RFC)
Ruth Campbell – Naas RFC/MU Barnhall RFC)
Sarah Delaney (PortDara/Cill Dara RFC)
Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere RFC/Exeter Chiefs)
LEINSTER WOMEN’S COACHING TEAM:
Tania Rosser – Head Coach
John Fairley – Lineout Coach
Maz Reilly – Contact/Breakdown Coach
Niall Kane – Scrum and Defence Coach
Billy Ngawini – Backs/Skills Coach
Greg Hawe – Lead Physio
Aine Rowe – Physio
James O’Sullivan – S&C Coach
Eoin Reynolds – Performance Analysis
Jonathan Geoghegan – Team Manager
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