Work commitments rule national champion Sonya McGinn out of the Leinster squad that defends its senior title at the interprovincial badminton series in Baldoyle but Elaine Kiely, who was forced to withdraw from the singles event in the Nationals last week with flu, has recovered and takes her place in the squad.
Mark Peard, Donie O'Halloran, Anglea Carr and Niall Gannon complete the Leinster panel, which will face a difficult task repeating last year's 3-2 victory over Ulster, who are at full strength for this year's tournament. Irish champion Michael Watt, brothers Bruce and Mark Topping, Graham and Claire Henderson and Jayne Plunkett make up the Ulster squad.
Leinster won four of the five titles - senior, under-21, under-19 and under-17 - last, year but the availability of the in-form Sandra Lynch and Mark Dempsey should boost their hopes of winning the junior title, the only one that eluded them in Lisburn. Connacht have not entered this year's event, much to the disappointment of the organisers, and will be replaced by a selection drawn from the other three provinces. Munster do not contest the senior event, but will have teams in the other four sections.
