Sport

Celtic tune-up for Irish sides

HOCKEY/News: With just three weeks to go before the start of the European Nations Cup finals the Irish men's and women's teams…

Sat Aug 09 2003 - 01:00

HOCKEY/News: With just three weeks to go before the start of the European Nations Cup finals the Irish men's and women's teams will attempt to fine tune their preparations in Cardiff this weekend, where they will play Wales, Scotland and France in the Celtic Cup.

After the tournament, John Clarke's squad, the defending Celtic Cup champions, travel on to Barcelona for a five-day training camp, during which they will play Italy twice and Spain once in their final warm-up games.

They open their Celtic Cup campaign today against Wales, in a game that should see Lisnagarvey's Mark Raphael win his 50th cap, before playing Scotland and France - they also meet the French in their penultimate pool fixture at the European finals.

The women's opening Celtic Cup game, against the hosts today, will also act as a dress rehearsal for their first European tie, a fixture they must, realistically, win if Riet Kuper's target of a fifth-to-eighth finish at the finals is to be realised.

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Scotland and France, who Ireland play tomorrow and Monday, have been drawn in the other European pool.

CELTIC CUP (at Cardiff): Men - Today: Ireland v Wales, 4.0. Tomorrow: Ireland v Scotland, 12.0. Monday: Ireland v France, 9.0. Women - Today: Ireland v Wales, 2.0. Tomorrow: Ireland v Scotland, 10.0. Monday: Ireland v France, 11.0.

IRELAND (men): C Jackson, D Smyth (both Annadale), A Barbour (Cookstown), D Hobbs, J Jermyn, K Burns, N Buttimer (all Cork Church of Ireland), J Black, W Bateman (both Cork Harlequins), G Shaw, S Butler (both Glenanne), M Irwin, P Brown (both Instonians), E Lutton, M Raphael (both Lisnagarvey), N Henderson, G Elliott, J Sherriff (all Pembroke Wanderers).

IRELAND (women): L McVicker, A Platt, B McKeever (all Ballymoney), S Beaney, J McDonough (both Belfast Harlequins), R Kohler, K Bateman (both Cork Harlequins), F Connery, L Caulfield, D Sixsmith, J Burke (all Hermes), C McKean (UCD), C O'Brien (Loreto), N King, T Conway (both Old Alexandra), K Maybin (Pegasus), J Orbinson (Portadown), E Cregan (Univ of Limerick).

UNDER-21 (WOMEN) EUROPEAN NATIONS CUP (at Prague) - Today - Semi-final: Ireland v Italy, 2.30.