Connacht Women's squad named

Connacht Rugby Women’s Head Coach Craig Hansberry has named a 40-player squad for the upcoming Vodafone IRFU Women’s Interprovincial Championship.

In a big boost, internationals Beibhinn Parsons, Anna McGann, Aoibheann Reilly. Ailish Quinn and Clara Barrett are all included – as is Galway native Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald – as they look to build up their playing time ahead of the upcoming WXV Global Series.

The squad kick-off their campaign away to Ulster on Saturday 8^th August, before a trip to Dublin to face Leinster the following weekend. Their sole home game in the group stage comes against Munster on Saturday 22^nd August at Dexcom Stadium (k/o 16:15), but they’ll be back in action at the same venue the following weekend when the ground hosts the playoff finals for the first time.

Commenting on his squad selection, head coach Craig Hansberry said:

“We’ve had a great few weeks training with our extended squad, and with the rest of the coaching team we had a tough job whittling it down to the 40 players who will take us through to the interpros.

It’s a massive boost to be able to call on our international players. Some of them have gone on to play on the biggest stage in women’s rugby, but despite representing Connacht at underage level, they haven’t yet had the opportunity to represent their home province in a senior interprovincial championship. So it’s great news for them as well as us, and not to mention the young girls from across Connacht who will get to watch them in action when they hopefully come out to support us for all four games.”

Tickets for Connacht v Munster, as well as the playoff finals day, will go on sale in the coming days, with free access for 2026/27 Connacht Season Ticket holders.

CONNACHT RUGBY WOMEN’S SQUAD 2026/27
* denotes development player

Forwards
Jemima Adams Verling
Ella Burns
Hannah Coen
Uillin Eilian
Emma Fabby
Catherine Fleming *
Poppy Garvey
Katie Griffin *
Stacy Hanley
Hannah Johnston
Emma Kelly
Evie Kennedy *
Merisa Kiripati
Anna McDermott *
Edel McMahon
Amanda McQuade
Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald
Faith Oviawe
Ailish Quinn
Hannah Rapley
Laura Scuffil
Olivia Tallon Daly

Backs
Clara Barrett
Kyah Coady *
Lyndsay Clarke
Sophie Cullen
Meabh Deely
Alanna Fitzpatrick
Emily Foley
Clare Gorman
Aoife Heaney
Siofra Hession
Anna McGann
Amy McGuire
Gráinne Moran
Roisín O’Sullivan *
Beibhinn Parsons
Sarah Purcell
Aoibheann Reilly
Ava Ryder

• women