Here’s all you need to know ahead of the Ireland Women’s U20 team’s first ever Six Nations Women’s Summer Series.
Sponsored by PwC, the matchday squad, which was named yesterday, will be raring to go and ready to make history in their inaugural tournament.
What are the competition details?
The Six Nations Women’s Summer Series will take place in Parma, Italy, and will allow for the continued progression of Ireland’s youth systems and pathways.
In the course of the competition, the Ireland Women’s U20 team will play on three occasions:
- England v Ireland, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma, Thursday, July 4, kick off 6.30pm local time/5.30pm Irish time
- Ireland v Italy, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma, Tuesday, July 9, kick off 10am local time/9am Irish time
- Ireland v Scotland, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma, Sunday, July 14, kick off 10am local time/9am Irish time
All of the games will be available to watch live on Six Nations U20/IrishRugby on YouTube (click below for more).
Who is their head coach?
Lead by head coach, and former Ireland player herself, Niamh Briggs, the Ireland Women’s U20 team’s first ever Six Nations Women’s Summer Series is sure to be one you won’t want to miss.
The Munster woman is a former Ireland captain, with 62 caps and two Six Nations wins to her name, and so will have plenty of experience to guide the young rising stars through the ranks.
Speaking ahead of the tournament with Irish Rugby, she touched on how the “competition within the squad has been huge.”
“We’ve prepped really well,” she says.
“It’s going to be tough as England are a very strong team. For us it’s about concentrating on us as we’re at a different stage of the path to them at the moment,” she adds.
Who are the stars to look out for in Ireland Women’s U20 team’s first ever Six Nations Women’s Summer Series?
While an extended 36 player training squad was announced last month, prior to each fixture a 23 player match day squad is to be named, and today’s clash is no exception.
Jane Neill captains the side and is joined by some hefty fire power of talent in Beth Buttimer, Kate Flannery and co.
So too do Chisom Uguweru, Ruth Campbell and Ivana Kiripati, who serve within the allotted three players within each matchday squad that can be over the bracket of U20, but yet still within the U23 age group.
The FULL squad is listed as follows;
- Robyn O’Connor (Wexford Wanderers RFC/Leinster)
- Hannah Clarke (Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Connacht)
- Lucia Linn (Loughborough University/IQ Rugby)
- Ellen Boylan (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)
- Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)
- Kate Flannery (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)
- Jade Gaffney (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
- Hannah Wilson (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
- Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)
- Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC/Railway Union RFC/Ulster)
- Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
- Jane Neill (Galwegians RFC/Leinster) (Captain)
- Brianna Heylmann (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)
- Éadaoin Murtagh (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
- Ivana Kiripati (American International College/Connacht)
Replacements
- Kelly Burke (Mullingar RFC/Leinster)
- Grainne Burke (Ennis/Kilrush RFC/UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)
- Lily Morris (Killarney RFC/Munster)
- Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
- Aoibheann Hahessy (Ennis/Kilrush RFC/UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)
- May Goulding (Saracens/Old Albanian Saints/IQ Rugby)
- Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton (Mullingar RFC/Leinster)
- Niamh Gallagher (Saracens/IQ Rugby)
