Its Round 2 of the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship this weekend as Connacht travel to Belfast to take on Ulster at Kingspan Stadium.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s game.

When’s the game?

Kick-off is 2.30pm on Saturday 14th January.

What’s the state of play so far?

Connacht come into the game after last Saturday’s defeat to Leinster at Energia Park.

Ulster suffered a 34-0 defeat to Munster at the weekend down in Musgrave Park.

How’s our recent record against them?

Our last meeting with Ulster was September 2021 at The Sportsground which ended 12-12.

• Con 12-12 Uls
• Uls 19-20 Con
• Con 31-17 Uls

How will the two teams line up?

The Connacht management team will announce their squad on Friday when it will be named on connachtrugby.ie and the Connacht Rugby social channels.

How do I get tickets?

Tickets available through Ulster Rugby.

What channel is it on?

TV viewing on TG4 and BBC NI.

Connacht get the first of their Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship fixtures underway this weekend as they travel to Dublin to take on Leinster at Energia Park.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s game.

When’s the game?

Kick-off is 2.30pm on Saturday 7th January.

What’s the state of play so far?

It’s the first round and one Connacht will be feeling confident about. Connacht have a lot of bright up and coming players in the squad which brings great excitement around the province.

Who’s in the Connacht squad?

A 36-player extended training squad will be announced on Wednesday morning.

How’s our recent record against them?

Our last meeting with Leinster was August 2021 at The Sportsground which Leinster won 17-12.

• Con 12-17 Lei
• Lei 25-12 Con
• Con 6-34 Lei

How will the two teams line up?

The Connacht management team will announce their squad on Friday when it will be named on connachtrugby.ie and the Connacht Rugby social channels.

How do I get tickets?

Tickets available through Leinster Rugby.

What channel is it on?

TV viewing on TG4.

THE IRFU HAVE confirmed that the Women’s XVs High Performance Programme is under way.

Launched this week, the new full-time programme is under the direction of Ireland Head Coach Greg McWilliams with 29 female players now fully contracted to it including including three Connacht players, Aoibheann Reilly, Beibhinn Parsons and Méabh Deely.

As anticipated, the English based players, Nichola Fryday, Sam Monaghan and Neve Jones, have not signed up to the deal as they play with clubs in the UK.

Women’s XVs High Performance Programme, McDarby said: “It is a hugely significant day. We have 29 players contracted across the XVs and 7s Programmes and the contracting process is ongoing.”

Women’s Contracted Players, 2022/23 Season:

Kathy Baker
Natasja Beehan
Claire Boles
Enya Breen
Megan Burns
Aoife Dalton
Kathryn Dane
Méabh Deely
Linda Djougang
Vicky Elmes Kinlan
Kate Farrell McCabe
Stacey Flood
Katie Heffernan
Eve Higgins
Brittany Hogan
Erin King
Lucinda Kinghan
Emily Lane
Anna McGann
Lucy Mulhall
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe
Dannah O’Brien
Maeve Óg O’Leary
Beibhinn Parsons
Aoibheann Reilly
Leah Tarpey
Aoife Wafer
Kayla Waldron
Dorothy Wall.

The IRFU confirmed the dates for the 2022/23 Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship ahead of the 2023 TikTok Women’s Six Nations.

Connacht will be on the road for the opening two rounds with away trips to Leinster in Round 1 and Ulster in Round 2.

Round 3 will see us take on Munster at home.

Confirmation of venue and k/o times tbc.

The Championship will run for three rounds in a round-robin format as follows:

• Round 1: January 7th/8th – Leinster v Connacht; Munster v Ulster.
• Round 2: January 14th/15th – Munster v Leinster; Ulster v Connacht.
• Round 3: January 21st/22nd – Connacht v Munster; Ulster v Leinster.

 

The senior women’s season is back, with the Bank of Ireland Invitational Cup getting underway this weekend.

The opening game sees Tuam/Oughterard welcoming OLBC on Saturday evening, while there is more Pool B action on Sunday, as Corinthians host Sligo at 1pm.

There are eight teams taking part in this year’s tournament and a full list of fixtures and pool standings is available here.

Cawley Cup and Curley Cup continue this weekend

In the men’s game, Westport and Monivea will be hoping to put disappointing opening day defeats behind them in the Bank of Ireland Cawley Cup when they face on Saturday.

Connemara and Tuam face off in the other game in Group B on Sunday at 2.30pm.

In the Bank of Ireland Curley Cup, Loughrea take on Carrick On Shannon in Group A, with both sides hoping to build on opening game bonus point victories.

Group B sees Ballinasloe RFC and University of Galway get their seasons underway, with games against Claremorris and Ballina on Sunday.

In Group C, Ballyhaunis face Tuam’s Curley Cup side on Friday evening. Meanwhile in Group D, Galwegians’ Curley Cup side face Corrib RFC on Saturday, while Oughterard host Ballinrobe on Sunday.

Full club fixtures can be found here.

This Saturday at the HPC in Dublin, Connacht U16s and U18s squads are in action in the 7s Inter Pro tournament. The tournaments gets underway at 10:30am

 

CONNACHT U18s TEAM 1

NAME/CLUB
Karly Tierney (C) – Tuam/Oughterard

Sarah McCormick – Ballina

Beibhinn Gleeson – Tuam/Oughterard

Hannah Clarke (VC) – Tuam/Oughterard

Eabha Nic Dhonncha – Corinthians

Clara Barrett – Ballina

Giselle Gallagher – Sligo

Evanna Finn – Corinthians

Eabha Dowd – Creggs

Mila Sotoparra –  Ballina

Cria Flannagan – Sligo

Emma Mitchell – Ballinasloe

 

CONNACHT U18s TEAM 2

NAME/CLUB
Eloise Clarke – Buccaneers

Ella Greene – Ballinasloe

Kayla Conway – Westport

Niamh Corless – Claremorris Colts

Jade Herry – Corinthians

Abbie Murray – Buccaneers

Laura Hastings – Tuam/Oughterard

Rachel Forkan – Tuam/Oughterard

Ellen O’Toole – Westport

Saoirse Quinn – Claremorris Colts

Natasha Deacy – Tuam/Oughterard

Katie Dwyer – Buccaneers

 

Aoife Gormley and Clionadh O’Sullivan (both Sligo), out of the tournament due to injury.

 

CONNACHT U16s TEAM 1

NAME/CLUB
Ailbhe Gannon – Oughterard

Ailish Quinn – Ballina

Aoibhinn Tynan – Buccaneers

Aoife Heaney – Claremorris

Catherine Fleming – Ballinasloe

Ceoladh Lydon – Tuam

Emer Collins – Ballina

Emily Foley – Ballina

Eva White – Sligo

Lea Walsh – Westport

Mollie Ronan – Sligo

Siofra Hession – Creggs

 

CONNACHT U16s TEAM 2

Ciara Power – Ballinasloe

Eabha Ni Choisdealbha – Corinthians

Emma Poland – Ballinasloe

Grainne Moran – Ballina

Isobel Phillips – Claremorris

Jemma Lees – Galwegians

Magdalen Ebalu – Corinthians

Meabh Golding – Claremorris

Merisa Kiripati – Buccaneers

Rebecca Hastings – Galwegians

Sara Kenneally – Galwegians

Siomha McNulty – Claremorris

 

Fixture List:

U18s Fixtures – All games on pitch 2

QF1 – Leinster 1 v  Ulster 2 – 11am

QF2 – Connacht 1 v Connacht 2 – 11:22am

QF3 – Ulster 1 v Leinster 2 – 11:44am

QF4 – Munster 1 v Munster 2 – 12:06pm

 

Lunch and Break – 12:28pm

 

5^th place SF – L QF1 v L QF3 – 1:43pm

5^th place SF – L QF2 v L QF4 – 2:05pm

 

Cup SF – W QF1v W QF3 – 2:27pm

Cup SF – W QF2 v W QF4 – 2:49pm

 

Break – 3:11pm

 

7^th place play-off – 4:11pm

5^th place play-off – 4:33pm

3^rd place play-off – 4:55pm

Cup Final – 5:17pm

 

U16s Fixtures – All games on pitch 1

QF1 – Leinster 1 v Ulster 2 – 10:30am

QF2 – Munster 1 v Munster 2 – 10:52am

QF3 – Connacht 2 v Leinster 2 – 11:14am

QF4 – Connacht 1 v Ulster 1 – 11:36am

 

Lunch and Break – 11:58am

 

5^th place SF – L QF1 v L QF3 – 1:13am

5^th place SF – L QF2 v L QF4 – 1:35am

 

Cup SF – W QF1 v W QF3 – 1:57pm

Cup SF – W QF2 v W QF4 – 2:19pm

 

Break – 2:41pm

 

7^th place play-off – 3:41pm

5^th place play-off – 4:03pm

3^rd place play-off – 4:25pm

Cup Final – 4:47pm

 

Corinthians hosted the third Girls Mini Blitz last weekend, with eight clubs represented on the day.
 
Players from Galwegians, Loughrea, Tuam, Oughterard, Portumna, Sligo, Claremorris, Corinthians and Gort came together and played some great rugby.
 
Wendy Hickey, Connacht Women’s Development Officer, was delighted with day. “Girls Only sections are the only way to increase participation at mini level as players really enjoy playing against other girls! A huge thank you to Jonathan Kay and Corinthians RFC for coordinating the day, to all the coaches, players, referees and parents for all their support, and to John Howard from Gort RFC for all the great pics!”
 
The next blitz is on Dec. 8th in Galwegians RFC, kick off 10:30. Any queries, please contact [email protected]
 
See below for some of the best pics from Corinthians at the weekend.
 

The Connacht Women’s management team have named their team for Saturday’s opening inter-provincial series tie against Munster.

The side will be captained by Grainne Egan who’s joined in the back row by Edel McMahon and Nichola Fryday. Vice-captain Laura Feely starts in the front row alongside Ciara O’Connor and Annmarie O’Hora, and the pack is completed by Nicola Caldbeck and Amelie Roux in the second row.

The half-back partnership sees scrum-half Mary Healy play alongside fly-half Nicole Fowley, with Shannon Touhy and Catherine Martin named as centres. The back three sees wingers Orla Dixon and Rachel Healy alongside full-back Jill Draper

Kick-off at Irish Independent Park, Cork is at 2.30pm on Saturday, the squad’s only one home game of the series with ties against Leinster (Sunday 9th September) and Ulster (Saturday 15th September) to follow at The Sportsground.

CONNACHT WOMEN STARTING XV VS MUNSTER
1. Laura Feely (vice captain) – Galwegians
2. Ciara O’Connor – Galwegians
3. Annmarie O’Hora – Castlebar / Galwegians
4. Nicola Caldbeck – Tullow
5. Amelie Roux – Galwegians
6. Edel McMahon – Galwegians
7. Grainne Egan (captain) – Railway Union
8. Nichola Fryday – Galwegians
9. Mary Healy – Galwegians
10. Nicole Fowley – Galwegians
11. Orla Dixon – NUIG
12. Shannon Touhy – Galwegians
13. Catherine Martin – Suttonians
14. Rachel Healy – Railway Union
15. Jill Draper – Tullamore

16. Moya Griffin – Tullamore
17. Elizabeth McNicholas – Tuam
18. Julia Bauer – Suttonians
19. Denise Redmond – Galwegians
20. Tara Buggie – NUIG
21. Shannen Lane – Galwegians
22. Hilary Griffin – Tullow
23. Mairead Coyne – Galwegians

Extended Squad

Aifric O’Brien – Suttonians
Clodagh Dunne – Old Belvedere
Ellen Taite – Mullingar
Jane O’Neill – Old Belvedere
Lauren Retig – Suttonians
Racheal O’Brien – UL Bohemians
Sarah Jane Fox – Galwegians
Tracey Foley
Ursuala Sammon – Castlebar / Galwegians

Management Team
Jarleth Naughton (Head Coach
Jason East (Forwards Coach)
Brian Murphy (Backs Coach)
Dan McCabe (Physio)
Mark Moran (Manager)