Ireland U18 Womens Squad Announced For Six Nations Festival

A 26 player Ireland U18 Women’s squad, supported by PwC, will travel to Edinburgh over the Easter break to compete in the inaugural U18 Women’s Six Nations festival in Edinburgh.

An extended squad participated in three weekend camps at the IRFU’s High Performance Centre in Dublin in preparation for the festival which takes place at the Dam Health Stadium beside Murrayfield. The Girls U18 Six Nations Festival promotes a learning environment for these young players and the coaches to develop and experience international competition.

Ireland will play 35-minute matches against England and France on Game Day 1 on April 9th before playing a full 70-minute fixture against Wales on Game Day 2 on the 13th April. Six Nations will stream each game from Day 2 of the U18 Women’s Festival on their YouTube channel and the feed for Ireland’s game against Wales will be available on irishrugby.ie.

Katie Fitzhenry, IRFU Women’s Performance Pathway Coach, commented:

“Over the past few weeks we have seen this group grow and meet each challenge the coaching group have set for them. They are a credit to their clubs and provincial coaches.

“The Six Nations Festival will be another great development marker in their young playing careers as the format ensures that each performance is a chance to learn and get better. It is a proud moment to pull on a green jersey for the first time and I am sure it will just as special for this group.”

Cill Dara RFC, Navan RFC, Ballina RFC, Fethard RFC and Greystones RFC each have two club representatives in the squad while Carrick-on-Suir RFC, Connemara RFC, Tullow RFC, Portarlington RFC, Corinthians RFC, Wexford RFC, Ballina-Killaloe RFC, Enniskillen RFC, Malone RFC, Letterkenny RFC, Mullingar RFC, Portlaoise RFC, City of Derry RFC, Arklow RFC, Tuam/Ougherard RFC and Enniscorthy RFC are also represented.

There are six players from the newly established Women’s National Talent Squad (WNTS) selected for the U18s Six Nations Festival – Molly Boote (Connacht/Connemara RFC), Alanna Fitzpatrick (Leinster/Portarlington RFC), Kate Flannery (Munster/Fethard RFC), Eabha Nic Donncha (Connacht/Corinthians RFC), Eva Sterritt (Leinster/Greystones RFC) and Sophie Barrett (Ulster/Enniskillen RFC).

Ireland Squad – U18 Women’s Six Nations Festival

Backs (12)

Clara Barrett (Connacht/Ballina RFC)
Ellen Boylan (Munster/Carrick on Suir RFC)
Molly Boote (Connacht/Connemara RFC) WNTS
Katie Corrigan (Leinster/Tullow RFC)
Alanna Fitzpatrick (Leinster/Portarlington RFC) WNTS
Kate Flannery (Munster/Fethard RFC) WNTS
Jade Gaffney (Leinster/Navan RFC)
Abby Moyles (Leinster/Navan RFC)
Eabha Nic Donncha (Connacht/Corinthians RFC) WNTS
Robyn O’Connor (Leinster/Wexford RFC)
Rebecca Rodgers (Munster/Ballina-Killaloe RFC)
Eva Sterritt (Leinster/Greystones RFC) WNTS

Forwards (14)

Sophie Barrett (Ulster/Enniskillen RFC) WNTS
Jorja Battishill (Ulster/Malone RFC)
Beth Buttimer (Munster/Fethard RFC)
Maebh Clenaghan (Ulster/Letterkenny RFC)
Isobel Clerk (Leinster/Mullingar RFC)
Sarah Delaney (Leinster/Cill Dara RFC)
Koren Dunne (Leinster/Portlaoise RFC)
Amy O’Mahony (Leinster/Greystones RFC)
Sarah McCormick (Connacht/Ballina RFC)
Sadhbh McGrath (Ulster/City of Derry RFC)
Jane Neill (Leinster/Arklow RFC)
Karly Tierney (Connacht/Tuam/Oughterard RFC)
Orla Wafer (Leinster/Enniscorthy RFC)
Hannah Wilson (Leinster/Cill Dara RFC)