Rugby:Ireland coach Philip Doyle has blended youth and experience in naming a 25-player squad ahead of the Women's Six Nations Championship.
Fiona Coghlan will captain the side for a second season and is joined by the hugely experienced Lynne Cantwell, while Ulster prop Lauren Day, who missed last year’s World Cup through injury, also features in the squad.
With Orla Brennan and Joanne O'Sullivan now retired, it left the way for some new faces to emerge in a squad showing no less than 10 uncapped players, who either impressed in the women's domestic league or interprovincial series.
Tania Rosser is still recovering from an injury she picked up at the World Cup but Doyle is hopeful of calling on her experience in the latter stages of the championship.
Doyle emphasised the need for “concentration” and “accuracy” when they open their Six Nations account against the Italians.
Ireland travel to Rovigo for their opener on Sunday, February 6th before they host France, from their home venue of Ashbourne RFC, on Friday, February 11th.
Ireland Women's Six Nations Squad:Gillian Bourke (Munster/Bristol), Niamh Briggs (Munster/ UL Bohemians), Lynne Cantwell (Exile/Richmond), Fiona Coghlan (Leinster/ UL Bohemians), Amy Davis (Leinster/Blackrock),Lauren Day (Ulster/Waterloo), Ailis Egan (Leinster/Old Belvedere)*, Siobhan Fleming (Munster/ Tralee RFC)*, Laura Guest (Munster/Highfield RFC), Ashling Hutchings (Munster/ UL Bohemians)*, Niamh Kavanagh (Munster/ UL Bohemians)*, Mairead Kelly (Munster/ UL Bohemians), Stacey Kennedy (Ulster/City of Derry)*, Emer McManamly (Leinster/Blackrock), Claire Molloy (Connacht /Bristol), Larissa Muldoon (Exile/UWIC)*, Joy Neville (Munster/ UL Bohemians), Gill Nolan (Leinster/St Marys)*, Deirdre O'Brien (Leinster/Blackrock)*, Heather O'Brien (Munster/ Highfield RFC)*, Geraldine Rea (Munster/ Highfield RFC)*, Marie Louise Reilly (Leinster/Old Belvedere), Jackie Shiels (Leinster/Richmond), Nora Stapleton (Leinster/Old Belvedere), Carol Staunton (Connacht/Galwegians)
*Denotes uncapped Player
Ireland Fixtures
(All times Irish)
06/02/11: Italy v Women (Rovigo, 1.30)
11/02/11: Ireland v France (Ashbourne RFC, 7.30)
26/02/11: Scotland v Ireland (Lasswade RFC, Edinburgh, 2.0)
13/03/11: Wales v Ireland (Cross Keys RFC, 2.30)
18/03/11: Ireland v England (Ashbourne RFC, 7.30)
