Head Coach Greg McWilliams has today named a 32-player Ireland squad for the TikTok Women’s Six Nations, as preparations step up a gear for the 2023 campaign opener away in Wales on Saturday, 25 March.
Ulster players include debut call ups for loosehead prop Sadhbh McGrath and lock Fionas Tuite. They are joined by hooker Neve Jones, back row player Brittany Hogan and centre Vicky Irwin.
Following the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship and the recently concluded Celtic Challenge tournament, McWilliams and the Ireland coaching team have confirmed their panel for the upcoming Championship, with eight uncapped players included in the squad.
Forwards Niamh O’Dowd, Sadhbh McGrath, Fiona Tuite and Molly Boyne have all impressed for the Combined Provinces XV during their unbeaten Celtic Challenge campaign and earn a first Ireland call up, while uncapped IQ Rugby duo Kathryn Buggy and Clara Neilson are also included.
Ella Roberts was one of the stars of the Celtic Challenge campaign and off the back of her performances for the Combined Provinces, is one of two uncapped backs in the squad alongside Harlequins scrum-half Emma Swords.
Having assumed the captaincy for last year’s Six Nations, Nichola Fryday will once again skipper the side from the second row, with the likes of Linda Djougang, Neve Jones, Sam Monaghan and Hannah O’Connor providing valuable experience in McWilliams’ pack.
There is an exciting look to Ireland’s backline options with Dannah O’Brien, Méabh Deely, Aoife Dalton and Tash Behan, who all made their Test debuts during the historic Summer Tour of Japan, set to feature in their first Six Nations campaign.
In addition to the 32 players included in the Six Nations squad, McWilliams has named 12 players in a wider training panel who will also assemble at the IRFU High Performance Centre this weekend for a two-day camp: Mary Healy, Megan Collis, Andrea Stock, Emma Hooban, India Daley, Claire Bennett, Katie Whelan, Leah Tarpey, Kayla Waldron, Ella Durkan, Clare Gorman and Aoife Corey.
Ireland open their Championship away to Wales at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday, 25 March (Kick-off 2.15pm, live on RTÉ2), before facing France at Musgrave Park in Cork on Saturday, 1 April (Kick-off 3.15pm, live on Virgin Media).
Commenting on the squad announcement, Head Coach McWilliams said: “There is a great sense of anticipation and excitement leading into the Six Nations. We are very excited about the group of players who will represent Ireland in the upcoming Championship and certainly the Celtic Challenge preparation has been vital for our development.
“We have identified players who are ready for international rugby and we have had the opportunity to work with those players over the last five weeks, with that contact time incredibly valuable as we build the depth and strength of the group. There is an exciting blend of youth and experience and these players are fit for Test rugby.
Looking ahead to the Six Nations, Ireland captain Fryday added: “We’re really excited to get the Six Nations underway, as it will be our first campaign together as a group since the Tour of Japan, which provided us with an invaluable platform to build together as a squad moving forward.
Ireland Squad, TikTok Women’s Six Nations:
Forwards (18):
Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)\*<br>
Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster)\*<br>
Kathryn Buggy (Gloucester-Hartbury/IQ Rugby)\*<br>
Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)<br>
Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)<br>
Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartbury/Ulster)<br>
Clara Nielson (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby)\*<br>
Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster)<br>
Nichola Fryday (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht)(captain)<br>
Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartbury/IQ Rugby)<br>
Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)\*<br>
Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)<br>
Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)<br>
Grace Moore (Saracens/IQ Rugby)<br>
Maeve Óg O’Leary (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)<br>
Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht)<br>
Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)<br>
Molly Boyne (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)\*
Backs (14):
Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)<br>
Emma Swords (Harlequins/IQ Rugby)\*<br>
Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)<br>
Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)<br>
Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)<br>
Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)<br>
Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)<br>
Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)<br>
Vicky Irwin (Sale Sharks/Ulster)<br>
Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)<br>
Aoife Doyle (Railway Union RFC/Munster)<br>
Natasja Behan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)<br>
Ella Roberts (Wicklow RFC/Leinster)\*<br>
Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby).
Ireland Coaching Team and Management:
Greg McWilliams – Head Coach<br>
John McKee – Senior Coach<br>
Alana Gattinger – Programme Manager<br>
Denis Fogarty – Scrum Coach<br>
Niamh Briggs – Backs Coach<br>
Andy Weir – Baggage Master<br>
Emma Brennan – Performance Nutritionist<br>
Roisin Murphy – National Team Physio<br>
Matt Cosgrove – Team Doctor<br>
Cian O’Brien – Performance Analyst<br>
Ed Slattery – Head of Athletic Performance<br>
Ryan Bailey – Media and Communications.
Ireland Fixtures:
- Wales v Ireland, Saturday 25 March, Cardiff Arms Park, 2.15pm
- Ireland v France, Saturday 1 April, Musgrave Park, 3.15pm
- Italy v Ireland, Saturday 15 April, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, 4.45pm
- Ireland v England, Saturday 22 April, Musgrave Park, 2.15pm
- Scotland v Ireland, Saturday 29 April, DAM Health Stadium, 7.30pm.