10 Connacht players named in Irish U18 squad

Head coach Larissa Muldoon has overseen a series of camps at the IRFU’s High Performance Centre on the Sports Ireland campus across March with the final camp taking place over the weekend.   The squad of 28 players will now head to England later this week to compete in the second iteration of the U18 Women’s Six Nations Festival.

The festival takes place between the 7^th – 15^th April.  Across the first two match days each team will play four 35-minute fixtures followed by a full 70-minute fixture on the third match day.  Just six players who participated in the inaugural tournament last year in Edinburgh return to the squad this year – Molly Boote, Beth Buttimer, Katie Corrigan, Sarah McCormick, Robyn O’Connor andOrla Wafer.

Muldoon, will be assisted by forwards coach Neill Alcorn while Connacht player and current Irish international Aoibheann Reilly will be an additional coaching resource for the group.

Ireland will play 35-minute fixtures against France and Italy on the Friday 7^th April, they will play in the same format against Scotland and England on Tuesday 11^th April and will finish the Festival with a 70 minute fixture against Wales on Saturday 15^th April.  All games will be live streamed by Six Nations with details to follow.

Ireland U18 Women’s Squad – 2023 Women’s U18 Six Nations Festival

Forwards (15)
Grainne Burke (Munster/Ennis RFC)
Kelly Burke (Leinster/Mullingar RFC)
Beth Buttimer (Munster/Fethard RFC)*
Lily Byrne (Leinster/Skerries RFC)
Poppy Garvey (Connacht/Sligo RFC)
Beibhinn Gleeson (Connacht/Oughterard/Tuam RFC)
Roisin Maher (Connacht/Creggs RFC)
Lilly Morris (Munster/Killarney RFC)
Sarah McCormick (Connacht/Ballina RFC)*
Alma Obehi Atagamen (Leinster/Balbriggan RFC)
Ellen O’Toole (Connacht/Wesport RFC)
Ruby Starrett (Ulster/Larne RFC)
Ailish Quinn (Connacht/Ballina RFC)
Orla Wafer (Leinster/Enniscorthy RFC)*
Saskia Wycherly (Munster/Bantry Bay RFC)

Backs (13)
Molly Boote (Connacht/Connemara RFC)*
Emma Brogan (Leinster/Navan RFC)
Lyndsey Clarke (Munster/Ennis RFC)
Hannah Clarke (Connacht/Oughterard/Tuam RFC)
Katie Corrigan (Leinster/Tullow RFC)*
Emily Foley (Connacht/Ballina RFC)
Caitriona Finn (Munster/UL Bohemians/Ballina-Killaloe RFC)
May Goulding (IQ Rugby/Hartpury)
Abby Healy (Leinster/Wicklow RFC)
Lucia Linn (IQ Rugby/Loughborough University)
Grainne Moran (Connacht/Ballina RFC)
Niamh Murphy (Leinster/Cill Dara RFC)
Robyn O’Connor (Leinster/Wexford Wanderers RFC)*

*capped at U18 level

Match Day 1: Friday 7^th April, 2023
France v IRELAND                       KO 3.00pm
IRELAND v Italy                           KO 5.00pm

Match Day 2: Tuesday 11^th April, 2023
Scotland v IRELAND                    KO 10.00am
IRELAND v England                    KO 11.00am

Match Day 3: Saturday 15^th April, 2023
IRELAND v Wales                        KO 2.15pm