Wolfhounds Head Coach Neill Alcorn, who is joined by former Ireland international Maz Reilly and Ben Martin, has named the team to kick off the tournament with Ulster Senior Women’s player, Claire Boles as captain.
Alcorn has mixed youth and experience throughout the side with international props Niamh O’Dowd and Linda Djougang packing down either side of rising Ulster hooker Maebh Clenaghan.
In the second row Alma Atagamen teams up with Poppy Garvey while in the backrow World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Erin King is named at 8 with Molly Boyne and the captain Boles at 6 and 7.
Katie Whelan partners Dannah O’Brien in the half-backs while Eve Higgins and Aoife Dalton form a strong centre partnership. 7s and 15s-star Stacey Flood is named at fullback with Amy Larn and Vicky Elmes Kinlan completing the back three.
Speaking about the first-round match Alcorn said, “We’re excited to get going this weekend. We may have won last year but it’s a clean slate as far as the players are concerned. Obviously, we want to build on what we did but there are new faces in the side who have an opportunity to impress in what promises to be a big year for the Women’s game.
The recent performances by Ireland in the 150 match and the WXV1 have shown the talent that we have, and we’ve seen the emergence of some really promising young players coming through the U18s and U20s. We want to give them every opportunity to put their hands up for selection.”
Clovers Head Coach Denis Fogarty, whose coaching ticket includes former internationals Larissa Muldoon and Leah Lyons, has named Munster and Ireland star Enya Breen to captain the team.
Breen is joined in the centre by Ellen Boylan, who lined out for the Ireland U-20s last summer while there’s plenty of experience at 9 and 10 with Emily Lane and Nicole Fowley teaming up.
Meabh Deeley is named at fullback with Chisom Ugwueru and Hannah Clarke on the wings.
Up front Siobhán McCarthy, Beth Buttimer and Sophie Barrett form an exciting front row unit while Jane Neill, who captained the Ireland Women’s U-20 side during the Summer Series has been included in the 2nd Row alongside Ruth Campbell who won her first Ireland cap in the 150 Anniversary match against Australia at the start of the season.
Jemima Adams Verling, capped at Ireland U-18s last season, lines out at 6 with the hugely experienced Deirbhile Nic a Bháird named at 7 and Ireland U-20s star Ivana Kiripati at 8.
The Clovers can also call on the experience of Ireland internationals Edel McMahon and Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe who are named in the replacements.
Clovers Head Coach Denis Fogarty commented, “This is a huge year for Women’s rugby with the Rugby World Cup in England. Before that we have the Six Nations and right now the Celtic Challenge. The players know the challenge and the opportunity that lies ahead, and they’ve been working incredibly hard.
“I’ve seen first-hand the growth and development of these players over the last year. Add to that some really exciting young talent coming through the age grade sides and we’re really looking forward to kicking things off against the Wolfhounds on Sunday”.
Wolfhounds
15\. Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)<br>
14. Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow/Leinster)<br>
13. Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
12. Eve Higgins (Railway Union)<br>
11. Amy Larn (Athy/Leinster)<br>
10. Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
9. Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
1. Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
2. Maebh Clenaghan (Queens/Ulster)<br>
3. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
4. Alma Atagamen (Balbriggan/Leinster)<br>
5. Poppy Garvey (Railway Union/Connacht)<br>
6. Molly Boyne (Railway Union/Leinster)<br>
7. Claire Boles (Railway Union/Ulster) Captain<br>
8. Erin King (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Replacements
16\. Kelly Burke (Mullingar/Leinster)<br>
17. Tricia Doyle (Railway Union/Leinster)<br>
18. Caoimhe Molloy (Wicklow/Leinster)<br>
19. Cliodhna Ni Chonchobhair (Blackrock College/Leinster)<br>
20. Ciara Short (Wicklow/Leinster)<br>
21. Erin McConnell (Wicklow/Leinster)<br>
22. Megan Burns (Blackrock College/Leinster)<br>
23. Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Clovers
15\. Meabh Deely (Blackrock College/Connacht)<br>
14. Hannah Clarke (Galwegians/Connacht)<br>
13. Ellen Boylan (Blackrock College/Munster)<br>
12. Enya Breen (Blackrock College/Munster) Captain<br>
11. Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian/Munster)<br>
10. Nicole Fowley (Galwegians/Connacht)<br>
9. Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Munster)<br>
1. Siobhán McCarthy (Railway Union/Munster)<br>
2. Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian/Munster)<br>
3. Sophie Barrett (Railway Union/Ulster)<br>
4. Jane Neill (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
5. Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
6. Jemima Adams Verling (Creggs/Connacht)<br>
7. Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere/Munster)<br>
8. Ivana Kiripati (Creggs/Connacht)
Replacements
16\. Saoirse Crowe (Shannon/Munster)<br>
17. Grainne Burke (UL Bohemian/Munster)<br>
18. Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke/Ulster)<br>
19. Faith Oviawe (Railway Union/Connacht)<br>
20. Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht) <br>
21. Grainne Moran (Galwegians/Connacht)<br>
22. Caitriona Finn (UL Bohemian/Munster)<br>
23. Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster)