13 Munster Players In Women’s Rugby World Cup Training Panel

The Ireland Women’s management team have included 13 Munster players in a 48-strong training panel to prepare for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland this August.

The training panel boasts 13 players with previous World Cup experience including Claire Molloy, Marie-Louise Reilly, Nora Stapleton and Munster’s Niamh Briggs who will be hoping to appear in their third World Cup having featured in England (2010) and France (2014).

46 members of the squad have previous international experience, with 16 of the squad having lined out for Ireland at both 15s and 7s.

Nine players are uncapped at 15s, with six of those uncapped players being Ireland 7s internationals.

Recently crowned All-Ireland League Champions UL Bohemian have six players in the panel, including captain Niamh Briggs, flankers Ciara Griffin, Anna Caplice and winger Eimear Considine.

Hooker Leah Lyons who started in every game of this year’s Six Nations, is one of three Highfield players in the panel, alongside Heather O’Brien and Elaine Anthony.

Shannon pair Nicole Cronin and Aoife Doyle are two of four players from outside the AIL to feature.

IRFU Director of Women’s Rugby Anthony Eddy said, “We have named an experienced panel, encompassing players from a wide cross section of our clubs.

“It’s an exciting group and includes players who’ve performed for Ireland on the international stage, players we’ve been working closely with in the National Women’s Programme, as well as several players who have been rewarded for their performances at provincial and club level over the course of the season.

“As well as the nine internationals we’ve played since November, we will have a series of warm up games with a view to preparing well for the demands in August.

“Selection in this panel does not guarantee selection in the WRWC squad announced in July. Players from outside the panel will continue to be invited to training days, where the can compete for positions and final selection. We will have the best players from a wide number of our clubs and communities across Ireland.”

The players selected will be involved in both skills and national camps over the coming months, and will play two warm-up games against Japan and a training camp with Spain, in the build-up to Ireland’s opening World Cup game against Australia on the 9th August.

The final squad for the Women’s Rugby World Cup will be confirmed in July.

Ireland Women’s training panel for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017
Forwards
Elaine Anthony (Highfield/Munster)
Ashleigh Baxter (Cooke/Ulster)
Anna Caplice (UL Bohemian/Munster)
Ciara Cooney (Railway Union/Leinster)
Jeamie Deacon (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Laura Feely (Galwegians/Connacht)*
Jennie Finlay (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s College RFC/Leinster)
Orla Fitzsimons (St. Mary’s College RFC/Leinster)
Nichola Fryday (Tullamore/Connacht)
Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemian/Munster)
Leah Lyons (Highfield/Munster)
Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht)
Cliodhna Moloney (Railway Union/Leinster)
Heather O’Brien (Highfield/Munster)
Ciara O’Connor (Galwegians/Connacht)
Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht)
Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster)
Marie-Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Ilse Van Staden (Cooke/Ulster)

Backs
Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemian/Munster)
Nikki Caughey (Railway Union/Ulster)
Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian/Munster)
Mairead Coyne (Galwegians/Connacht)
Nicole Cronin (Shannon RFC/Munster)*
Aoife Doyle (Shannon RFC/Munster)
Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Kim Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster) *
Nicole Fowley (Galwegians/Connacht)
Louise Galvin (UL Bohemian/Munster) *
Mary Healy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster) *
Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union/Leinster)
Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemian/Munster)
Claire McLaughlin (Cooke/Ulster)
Alison Miller (Old Belvedere/Connacht)
Larissa Muldoon (Railway Union)
Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum RFC) *
Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe (Railway Union/Munster) *
Sene Naoupu (Aylesford Bulls)
Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (Aylesford Bulls /Munster)*
Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Megan Williams (St. Mary’s College RFC) *

*Denotes uncapped at this level

Tickets for all Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 fixtures are now on sale on ticketmaster.co.uk/wrwc2017 and ticketmaster.ie/wrwc2017.

Ireland Women’s Fixtures for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017
Pool C Fixtures
Wednesday 9^th August 2017
Ireland v Australia – 7pm – UCD Bowl, University College Dublin

Sunday 13^th August 2017
Ireland v Japan – 5.15pm – UCD Bowl, University College Dublin

Thursday 17^th August 2017
Ireland v France – 7.45pm – UCD Bowl, University College Dublin

Play-Off Dates
Tuesday 22^nd August
Quarter-Finals – Kingspan Stadium, Belfast
Ranking Games – Queen’s University, Belfast

Saturday 26^th August
Finals – Kingspan Stadium, Belfast
Ranking Games – Queen’s University, Belfast