WOMENS HOCKEY:  WITH THE domestic club season concluding last weekend Gene Muller's players can turn their attention to preparations for next month's Champions Challenge II in Kazan, Russia, and August's European Championships in Amsterdam, starting with two games against Germany this weekend.

Only Hermes, whose goalkeeper Emma Gray is in the Ireland squad, still have to complete their campaign, at the European Champions Trophy in Switzerland later this month.

Germany, ranked third in the world, are in Ireland’s pool in Amsterdam, so the games in Nuremberg should give Muller an idea of what work needs to be done between now and August.

Old Alexandra and Church of Ireland, meanwhile, held off the challenge of Greenfields and Belfast Harlequins to take the wildcard places in the line-up for next season’s Irish Hockey League.

Like Ards and UCD, Alexandra will be making their debut in the competition, but have been drawn in a tough pool alongside champions Loreto, Hermes, Pegasus, Randalstown and UCC. Leinster champions Railway Union are the top seeds in Pool A, where they are joined by Ballymoney, Ards, Pembroke Wanderers, Cork Harlequins and Church of Ireland.

INTERNATIONALS(at Nuremberg) – Tomorrow: Germany v Ireland, 2.0. Sunday: Germany v Ireland, 11.0.

IRELAND SQUAD:R Mulligan, E Stewart (both Armagh), L Barr, B Cleland (both Ballymoney), C O'Brien (Chelmsford), E Cregan (capt, Cork Harlequins), E Gray (Hermes), L Healy, C McKean, N Small, N Symmons (all Loreto), M Harvey (Pegasus), E Smyth (Railway Union), R Flinn, L Jacob (both UCD), E Clarke (Ulster Elks).