While their thoughts might be with the Irish senior team, who open their Olympic qualifying campaign at Milton Keynes against India tomorrow, it's a big weekend too for local club and schools' players with the provinces' league seasons approaching their climax and the All Ireland Schools finals taking place in Jordanstown.
And at the same time Caitriona Carey takes to the field for Ireland's crucial game against the USA on Sunday her native Kilkenny will be getting their Irish Junior Cup final against Pegasus II under way at Belfield.
The match will be a repeat of the 1997 final, when the Belfast side beat Kilkenny. But, having eliminated neighbours Waterford from the competition before beating Diocesan 8-0 in the semi-finals, the south east club will be hopeful of upsetting the favourites in this year's decider. Meanwhile, Larne Grammar host the All-Ireland Schools' finals in Belfast after winning the Ulster Senior Cup for the first time in their 95-year history.
They open the tournament today against Connacht champions Salerno while Cork's Mount Mercy, who won their third Munster cup in a row by beating Ursuline Convent Thurles, meet Leinster's Loreto Bray. South East's Loreto Wexford play their first match of the day against Bray at 4 p.m.
On Wednesday night Hermes regained the lead in the Leinster Senior A table with a 1-0 win over Genesis, courtesy of a second half Aisling Keane goal, in their penultimate league game of the season but the team they meet in their final fixture on Saturday week, Old Alexandra, could leapfrog back over them if they even draw with third-placed Loreto at Beaufort tomorrow.
Loreto, meanwhile, are still waiting for news of their appeal to Ireland over Leinster's decision to dock them three points and there is, as yet, no indication whether they will be given a decision before they complete their league programme.
If their appeal is unsuccessful Loreto's only hope of winning the league would be if they took maximum points from their final two games and if Hermes and Alexandra drew on Saturday week - such a combination of results would leave them level on 43 points with Hermes but they would finish top of the table because they would have won one more game. If, however, Ireland support their appeal then two wins in their final two games would secure them the title.
Bottom of the table Muckross (seven points) desperately need a win at home to Pembroke Wanderers tomorrow with Railway Union and Glenanne (both on nine points), third and second from bottom respectively, meeting in Tallaght. One of the three could yet meet Corinthian in a promotion/relegation play-off should the Senior B side hold on to second place in their division. They are currently four points adrift of leaders Hermes II, who cannot be promoted - they have three games left to overtake the leaders and clinch automatic promotion.
In Munster, Church of Ireland, who are four points behind Harlequins, must beat the University of Limerick at Garryduff tomorrow if they are to keep their hopes alive of forcing an end of season title playoff against Harlequins who meet Belvedere at Ballincollig.
