WOMEN'S HOCKEY: The second instalment of Ireland's build-up for the women's hockey European Nations Cup at Belfield in August takes place next weekend in Bremen, Germany, in a Four Nations tournament that includes the world number one, Holland, and Germany, the Olympic gold medallists, with Scotland making up the quartet.
This top-class second outing for the Irish squad, coming in the wake of their trip to Korea for the highly-prestigious Six Nations event which included high ranking world sides in Korea, China and England, must surely produce dividends for the Irish players when it matters in the Europeans.
Irish coach Riet Kuper who has long sought top-ranking opposition for Ireland during her eight-year reign said: "This is another excellent opportunity for the players to gain experience against the world's top hockey teams. The squad selected for Germany is different from the team that took part in Korea. This offers new developing players a chance to prove themselves for the Europeans and playing high quality matches increases our chances of a good result in August."
IRELAND (squad for Germany): Goalkeepers - A Platt (Ballymoney), M Goode (Pembroke Wanderers), Outfield - F Connery, L Caulfield, J Burke, C Carey (Hermes), E Cregan (Univ of Limerick), B McKeever, L McVicker (capt, Ballymoney), J McDonough (Belfast Harlequins), C McKean, N Symmons (Loreto), C O'Brien (Railway Union), E Stewart (Armagh), D Casey (Cork C of I), K Farrell (Waterford), K Maybin (Pegasus), C Parkhill (Randalstown) Coach - R Kuper.
IRELAND'S SCHEDULE (for the Four Nations Tournament in Bremen, Germany): July 8th (v Holland 5 pm), July 9th (v Germany 5 pm), July 10th (v Scotland 10.am).
BASKETBALL: The Irish men's basketball team will seek entry to the European Championships when the return legs of qualifying take place in September, reports Gavin Cummiskey. RTÉ will televise the home games.
To make the international play-offs, against either Denmark or Iceland, Ireland must account for Malta (September 3rd) in the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght then travel to Geneva to take on Switzerland (September 7th) before Slovakia come to Dublin on September 16th.
The international season starts tomorrow as the Irish woman's under-20 team compete in the European championship in Lithuania.
EQUESTRIAN: Trevor Coyle, who claimed the runner-up spot in the Meise Grand Prix in Belgium last Sunday, slotted into the same place in yesterday afternoon's jump-off class at the Belgian Nations Cup fixture in Lummen, reports Grania Willis.
Coyle and Clement McMahon gave Ireland a double-hander in the five-way decider, but it was the home side's Gregory Wathelet - winner of last Sunday's curtain-closer at Meise ahead of Coyle - who took the top prize when clocking 32.26 with the stallion Hugo de Gesmerau.
Meanwhile, Jessica Kurten proved she's in winning form when claiming the women's class at Neuendorf in Switzerland last night. Kurten and the mare Castle Forbes Libertina raced across the finish line in 33.73 at the Swiss four-star yesterday.
MEN'S HOCKEY: Travelling without as many as six first-choice players to meet France in Lille on Saturday and Sunday, Ireland will do well to be as successful as they were in winning the tri-nations tournament in Cork and narrowly getting the better of Scotland in the Test-series in Aberdeen.
Nevertheless, it will be a challenge for players on the fringe of the squad, notably Mark Gleghorne, Ian Lewers, Ronan Gormley, Phelie Maguire and Eugene Magee, to stake a further claim for inclusion in the party for the European Championship in Rome in September.
IRELAND (squad v France): N Henderson, C Henderson; P Brown (capt), K Burns, M Gleghorne, J Black, I Lewers, R Gormley, S Butler, M Black, D Hobbs, P Maguire, G Shaw, A Barbour, D Eakins, G Elliott, T Cockram, E Magee.
