AFTER LAST season’s extraordinary display in the under-21 interprovincial tournament at Lisnagarvey, Ulster will seek their third title in a row at Grange Road this weekend. A year ago they swept aside the opposition, beating Connacht 11-0 in their opening game, before three successive 7-0 wins over South East, Munster and Leinster.
Senior international Megan Frazer, who scored nine goals in those four games, is included again in the Ulster squad, as are her Irish team-mates Lauren Barr, Shirley McCay, Liz Colvin, Michelle Harvey and Rachel Mulligan.
UCD have five players in the Leinster panel, which is captained by Hermes’ Anna O’Flanagan, with the province’s recently-crowned champions, Railway Union, represented by Eimear Dolan and Kate McKenna.
Munster are captained by international Cliodhna Sargent and have four of the UCC squad that has pushed Cork Harlequins to a title play-off this season. They open their campaign tomorrow against South-East, who are coached by former Irish captain Linda Caulfield.
The first fixture of the tournament is between hosts Leinster and Connacht, almost half of whose squad is made up of players from Greenfields, who won the Connacht title for the first time in 15 years earlier this month.
FIXTURES: Under-21 Interprovincial Tournament(at Grange Road): Tomorrow:Connacht v Leinster, 9.0; Munster v South East, 9.30; Munster v Connacht, 12.30; South East v Ulster, 1.0; Leinster v Ulster, 4.45. Sunday:Munster v Ulster, 9.0; South East v Connacht, 9.0; South East v Leinster, 12.15; Connacht v Ulster, 3.30; Munster v Leinster, 3.30. Junior Interprovincial Tournament(at Jordanstown): Tomorrow:Ulster v Connacht, 9.30; Munster v South East, 11.0; Connacht v Munster, 2.30; Ulster v South East, 4.0. Sunday: Connacht v South East, 10.30; Munster v Ulster, 12.0.
