The two Irish teams competing in this year’s competition will see two provinces combining namely; Connacht and Munster (Clovers), and Leinster and Ulster (Wolfhounds). In order to provide quality game time and positional cover, there will also be some crossover with the provincial players.
Included in the squads are a mix of Ireland internationals and players from the Energia Women’s All-Ireland League.
Gillian McDarby, the IRFU Head of Women’s Performance and Pathways, commented: “The Celtic Challenge is an integral tournament for the development of Women’s rugby players in Ireland and will play a significant role in the player pathway moving forward.”
> “Players named within the Clovers and Wolfhound squads have come through our rugby pathways. The Celtic Challenge competition provides players the opportunity to be exposed to a high performance training environment supported by our National Coaches and Management Teams. The competition structure will support their development and ensure that players are in the best position to compete in the Women’s Six Nations.”
This season’s tournament will span an 11-week period and will culminate on Sunday, 3 March 2024, with all Irish home games played across 3 venues; Musgrave Park, Energia Park and Kingspan Stadium. The competition will adopt a new format which will be made up of five rounds.
Round 1 will see a derby day clash for the home Unions with their respective sides facing off for the first time.
The play-offs will be made up of three rounds, with each round being hosted by a Home Union as a double-header event. The fixtures, which will be determined by the regular round standings, will be the culmination of the competition’s most competitive fixtures as teams go head to head to be crowned this season’s winners.
Tickets for the Kingspan game will be on sale in the New Year.
# 2023/24 Celtic Challenge Squads
## WOLFHOUNDS SQUAD
FORWARDS:<br>
Sophie Barrett (Railway Union/Ulster)<br>
Molly Boyne (Railway Union/Leinster)<br>
Keelin Brady (Railway Union/Ulster)<br>
Maebh Clenaghan (Queens University/Ulster)<br>
Megan Collis (Railway Union/Leinster)<br>
Eimear Corri (Blackrock/Leinster)<br>
India Daley (Blackrock/Ulster)<br>
Sarah Delaney (Blackrock/Leinster)<br>
Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
Christy Haney (Blackrock/Leinster)<br>
Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere/Ulster)<br>
Aoife Moore (Blackrock/Leinster)<br>
Eadain Murtagh (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock/Leinster)<br>
Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster)<br>
Aoife Wafer (Blackrock/Leinster)
BACKS:<br>
Natasja Behan (Blackrock/Leinster)<br>
Nikki Caughey (Railway Union/Leinster)<br>
Aimee Clarke (Railway Union/Leinster)<br>
Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
Ella Durkan (Blackrock/Ulster)<br>
Jade Gaffney (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
Niamh Marley (Cooke/Ulster)<br>
Erin McConnell (Wicklow/Leinster)<br>
Kelly McCormil (Cooke/Ulster)<br>
Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
Ava Ryder (Railway Union/Connacht)<br>
Leah Tarpey (Railway Union/Leinster)<br>
Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
### WOLFHOUNDS MANAGEMENT TEAM
Head Coach – Neil Alcorn<br>
Assistant Coach – Michelle Claffey<br>
Development Coach – Judy Bobbett<br>
S&C Coach – Greg Hollins<br>
Physio – Naomi Hamilton<br>
Team Manager – Marianne Breen
## CLOVERS SQUAD
FORWARDS:<br>
Lily Brady (UL Bohemians/Connacht)<br>
Clare Bennett (UL Bohemians/Munster)<br>
Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemians/Munster)<br>
Eilis Cahill (UL Bohemians/Munster)<br>
Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemians/Munster)<br>
Brianna Heylman (UL Bohemians/Munster)<br>
Eva McCormack (UL Bohemians/Connacht)<br>
Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke/Ulster)<br>
Jane Neill (Galwegians/Leinster)<br>
Maeve Óg O’Leary (Blackrock/Munster)<br>
Niamh O Dowd (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
Roisin Ormond (Ballincollig/Munster)<br>
Faith Ovawie (Railway Union/Connacht)<br>
Shannon Touhey (Tullamore/Connacht)<br>
Dorothy Wall (Blackrock/Munster)
BACKS:<br>
Clara Barrett (UL Bohemians/Connacht)<br>
Ellen Boylan (Blackrock/Munster)<br>
Aoife Corey (UL Bohemians/Munster)<br>
Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemians/Munster)<br>
Maebh Deely (Blackrock/Connacht)<br>
Aoife Doyle (Railway Union/Munster)<br>
Kate Flannery (UL Bohemians/Munster)<br>
Clare Gorman (Old Belvedere/Leinster)<br>
Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union/Leinster)<br>
Laoise McGonagle (UL Bohemians/Connacht)<br>
Alana McInerney (UL Bohemians/Munster)<br>
Michelle O’Driscoll (Ballincollig/Munster)<br>
Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemians/Munster)<br>
Kayla Waldron (Railway Union/Connacht)
### CLOVERS MANAGEMENT TEAM
Head Coach – Denis Fogarty<br>
Assistant Coach – Niamh Briggs<br>
Development Coach – Deirbhile Nic A Bhaird<br>
Physio – Ciaran Purcell<br>
S&C Coach – Lorna Barry<br>
Team Manager – Natalie Fox
## Fixtures & Tickets
Wolfhounds v Clovers<br>
Friday, 29 December 2023, Musgrave Park – kick off 4pm<br>
<br>
Edinburgh Rugby v Wolfhounds <br>
Saturday 6th January 2024, Hive Stadium – kick off 2pm
Clovers v West Wales<br>
Saturday, January 06, 2024, Energia Park – kick off 2.30pm
<br>
Glasgow Warriors v Wolfhounds <br>
Saturday 13th January 2024, Scotstoun Stadium – kick off 2pm
Clovers v East Wales<br>
Sunday, January 14, 2024, Musgrave Park – kick off 1pm
<br>
Wolfhounds v West Wales<br>
Saturday, January 27, 2024, Kingspan Stadium – kick off 7.30pm
<br>
Glasgow Warriors v Clovers <br>
Saturday 27th January 2024, Scotstoun Stadium – kick off 2pm
Wolfhounds v East Wales<br>
Saturday, February 03, 2024, Energia Park – kick off 2.30pm
<br>
Edinburgh Rugby v Clovers<br>
Saturday 3rd February 2024, Hive Stadium – kick off 12:30pm
Play off Fixtures<br>
Saturday 17, February 2024, Scotstoun Stadium
Saturday, February 24, 2024, Kingspan Stadium
Sunday, March 03, 2024, Parc y Scarlets Stadium