The most notable absentee from the squad is scrum-half Amy Davis who is ruled out through injury. There are seven additions to the squad that competed in the 2014 RBS 6 Nations earlier in the year – Mary Healy (Galwegians/Connacht), Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster), Vickie McGinn (Blackrock/Leinster), Sarah Mimnagh (Richmond/Exile), Ruth O'Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht), Tania Rosser (Blackrock/Leinster) and Juliet Short (Newcastle/Exile).
Niamh Briggs, Lynne Cantwell and Fiona Coghlan are also named in the training squad. Ireland Women face defending champions New Zealand, USA and Kazakhstan in Pool B. Ireland kick-off their World Cup campaign against the USA on Friday 1st August at 16:00. Next up is New Zealand on Tuesday 5th August at 17:00 with their final pool game against Kazakhstan on Saturday 9th August at 12:00.
Philip Doyle, Ireland Women's Head Coach, commented, "Over the coming months we will host a number of training camps in preparation for the World Cup. We played some pretty good rugby during the 6 Nations but we will need to find another level if we are to compete with the world's best sides.”
IRELAND Training Squad for IRB Women's Rugby World Cup:
Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Gill Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Lynne Cantwell (Richmond /Exile)
Hannah Casey (Saracens/Exile)
Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster)
Kerri Ann Craddock (Saracens/Exile)
Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster)
Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary's/Leinster)
Orla Fitzsimmons (St. Mary's/Leinster)
Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster)
Laura Guest (Highfield/Munster)
Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Mary Healy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Ashling Hutchings (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Stacey-Lea Kennedy (Cooke/Ulster)
Sharon Lynch (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Vickie McGinn (Blackrock/Leinster)
Alison Miller (Portlaoise RFC/UCC/Connacht)
Sarah Mimnagh (Richmond/Exile)
Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht)
Larissa Muldoon (Bristol/Exile)
Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Heather O' Brien (Highfield/Munster)
Ruth O'Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht)
Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Tania Rosser (Blackrock/Leinster)
Jackie Shiels (Richmond/Exile)
Juliet Short (Newcastle/Exile)
Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
IRB Women's World Cup IRELAND Women's Fixtures
IRELAND WOMEN v USA
Marcoussis 2; 16:00 (17:00 local time)
Friday 1st August, 2014
IRELAND WOMEN v New Zealand
Marcoussis 1; 17:00 (18:00 local time)
Tuesday 5th August, 2014
IRELAND WOMEN v Kazakhstan
Marcoussis 2; 12:00 (13:00 local time)
Saturday 9th August, 2014