HEAD Coach Scott Bemand has named five Ulster players in an extended Ireland Women’s squad, sponsored by Aon, in preparation for the upcoming Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
The quintet, all in the forwards, are Brittany Hogan, Claire Boles, Fiona Tuite, Sadhbh McGrath and the uncapped Sophie Barrett.
Bemand has selected a preparation squad of 40 players to assemble for camp at the IRFU High Performance Centre on Monday, February 17, as Ireland build towards the opening game of the 2025 Championship against France at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday, March 22 (Kick-off 1.00pm).
There are eight uncapped players in the squad as Bemand and his coaching team have rewarded a number of players for their eye-catching performances in the Celtic Challenge, including forwards Alma Atagamen, Jane Neill, Beth Buttimer, Jane Clohessy and Sophie Barrett.
Barrett, Neill, Buttimer and Clohessy all featured for Ireland Women’s U20s last season, while Atagamen starred for the Ireland Women’s U18s during the Six Nations Festival.
In the backs, Amy Larn, Katie Heffernan and Caitriona Finn will be hoping to impress during the preparatory camps and earn their debut caps in green, as the focus remains on development and acceleration towards the Championship and further beyond to Rugby World Cup 2025.
Larn and Heffernan have represented Ireland on the HSBC SVNS Series, while Finn, alongside Heffernan, travelled to Vancouver with the Ireland squad for WXV1 last Autumn and has been in excellent form for the Clovers in the Celtic Challenge.
Unfortunately Sam Monaghan, who co-captained Ireland alongside Edel McMahon during last year’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations, has been ruled out of the Championship through injury.
Ireland open their campaign against France in Belfast before travelling to Parma to face Italy in Round 2 on Sunday, March 30 (kick-off 3pm).
After a break week, Bemand’s side then welcome England to Virgin Media Park in Round 3 on Saturday, April 12 (kick-off 4.45pm), followed by an away trip to Newport to go head-to-head with Wales on Sunday, April 20 (kick-off 3pm).
Ireland conclude the Championship at Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium against Scotland on Saturday, April 26 (kick-off 2.30pm).
Commenting on his squad announcement, Bemand said: “We’re delighted to select a really strong blend of 40 players in total to assemble and prepare for the start of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, while also building towards Rugby World Cup 2025. We’ll come together in Dublin next Monday and reconnect as a group, laying the foundations for the opportunities ahead.
“Following on from successes during the WXV1 campaign in Vancouver, we have been impressed by the hard work and application of the players as they have returned to club action in recent months. The focus and determination of players as they’ve attacked Celtic Challenge training with the Clovers and Wolfhounds has been particularly pleasing, and a number of players have earned their opportunity in National Camp off the back of those performances as we grow our wave.
“We showed positive growth and evolution over the course of 2024 and the group are excited to get back in together to continue that work as we look towards the opening game against France in Belfast, which will provide a big challenge for us but we’re relishing the opportunity to perform in green while taking the home support along with us.”
Tickets for Ireland’s home matches in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations at Kingspan Stadium and Virgin Media Park are on sale here.
Ireland Preparation Squad – Guinness Women’s Six Nations:
Forwards (22):
Alma Atagamen (Balbriggan RFC)*
Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)(11)
Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC)*
Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)(27)
Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)(19)
Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC/Ulster)(3)
Cliodhna Moloney (Exeter Chiefs)(38)
Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster)(11)
Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs/Munster)(32)
Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht)(30)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)(4)
Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)(10)
Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby)(17)
Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)*
Jane Neill (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)*
Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(41)
Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury)(30)
Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(11)
Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(2)
Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster)(13)
Siobhán McCarthy (Worcester Warriors/Munster)(4)
Sophie Barrett (Railway Union RFC/Ulster)*
Backs (18):
Amee-Leigh Costigan (Railway Union RFC/Munster)(13)
Amy Larn (Athy RFC)*
Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC)(6)
Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)(12)
Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(18)
Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)(26)
Caitríona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)*
Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(19)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)(10)
Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)(25)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)(21)
Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC)(5)
Katie Heffernan (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)*
Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)(13)
Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Leinster)(20)
Nicole Fowley (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)(14)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC)(14)
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC)(1)
* denotes uncapped player
Ireland Fixtures – Guinness Women’s Six Nations 2025:
- Saturday, 22 March: Ireland v France, 1pm, Kingspan Stadium, Belfast – Buy Tickets Here
- Sunday, 30 March: Italy v Ireland, 3pm, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
- Saturday, 12 April: Ireland v England, 4.45pm, Virgin Media Park, Cork – Buy Tickets Here
- Sunday, 20 April: Wales v Ireland, 3pm, Rodney Parade, Newport
- Saturday, 26 April: Scotland v Ireland, 12.15pm, Hive Stadium, Edinburgh.
