WOMEN'S HOCKEY: All is well in Ireland's World Cup training camp: the facilities are excellent, the accommodation superb, the sun is shining, the ocean is stunning and, most impressive of all, the required equipment has arrived on time. And this lot are only amateurs.
Little wonder, then, that Irish manager McCarthy (Denise, that is) reports that "RK", the Cork midfielder and Irish captain, is content and raring to go, so impressed is she by the professional quality of the preparations and facilities. Rachael Kohler's only regret, in fact, is that she has to wait 16 days for the World Cup to start.
The other "RK", coach Riet Kuper, was in good spirits, too, after the squad's arrival in Bunbury, 175 kilometres south of Perth, after a journey that started with collection at 4.45 a.m. from the squad's Dublin hotel on Wednesday morning, before flying to London, Kuala Lumpur and Perth, and then travelling the two hours to Bunbury.
The only problem?
"You'd almost need to put a sweater on here at night," said Kuper, the reply she received unrepeatable. "The flight was smooth, no problems, our apartments are spacious and comfortable, it was a little dark when we arrived, but tomorrow we see the ocean," she said.
Already Bunbury's Irish community is doing its bit to make the squad feel at home, several turning out to welcome the players and officials on their arrival in the city they've dubbed "the lifestyle capital of western Australia".
Tomorrow the squad will be the guests of honour at a reception hosted by Bunbury's "Irish club", before getting down to the job of preparing for the World Cup.
On Sunday Ireland play state team Western Australia Diamonds in the first of five warm-up games ahead of their opening World Cup tie against England on November 24th (they are also scheduled to play a Bunbury regional team, Canada, Germany and New Zealand).
By then fitness coach Sarah Naylor, an "SAQ (speed, agility, quickness) International" representative, the company that has already worked with the Irish rugby team, the Tipperary hurlers and Arsenal, hopes a session or two swimming with dolphins in the Indian Ocean, which she has already arranged, will help sooth the players' aching muscles.
On the club front, Hermes returned to the top of the Leinster League Division One table after Wednesday's scoreless draw with Old Alexandra (during which Alexandra goalkeeper Nikki King made a series of exceptional saves) and they will hope to retain that position after tomorrow's meeting with Corinthian.
Second-placed Pembroke Wanderers, who have a game in hand on Hermes, play Railway Union tomorrow while Alexandra meet Genesis at Milltown and Loreto take on Glenanne in Tallaght.
LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Corinthian v Hermes, Whitechurch, 12.30; Glenanne v Loreto, Tallaght, 1.30; Old Alexandra v Genesis, Milltown, 2.30; Pembroke Wanderers v Railway Union, Ballsbridge, 2.0. Trinity v UCD, postponed. Division Two: Clontarf v Genesis II, Dardistown, 11.30; Three Rock v Old Alexandra II, Grange Road, 12.45; Our Lady's v Corinthian II, Terenure, 1.15; Aer Lingus v Pembroke Wanderers II, ALSAA, 2.30; Hermes II v Loreto II, Belfield, 4.15.
MUNSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Waterford v Church of Ireland, Newtown, 1.0; Harlequins v Bandon, Farmers Cross, 1.0.
ULSTER LEAGUE - Section One: Ards v Ballymena, Ards Leisure Centre, 2.30; Belfast Harlequins v Ballymoney, Deramore, 2.30; Knock v Pegasus, Queens, 2.30; Randalstown v Portadown, Antrim Forum, 2.30.
