The Ireland Women’s 36-strong squad for the rescheduled Women’s Six Nations games against Italy and France has been announced.
Head Coach, Adam Griggs has named a squad of 36 to play in the upcoming re-scheduled games.
Ireland welcome back Beibhinn Parsons who was a shining light for the Girls In Green in the opening two games before she stepped away from the squad to focus on her Leaving Cert
Ireland have played three games to date, winning their opening two games before being defeated by leaders England.
In the opening fixture, Ireland held off a relentless Scotland side, in a tense and pulsating match at Donnybrook to secure a vital 18-14 victory. They followed this up with a bonus-point victory over Wales before losing 27-0 to England in Doncaster.
Ireland host Italy in their rescheduled Round 4 fixture on the weekend of 24th October before concluding the 2020 Championship with an away trip to France on the weekend of 31st October.
Speaking to IrishRugby.ie, Head Coach, Adam Griggs said:
"We are picking up where we left off over five months ago. At the outset of this year’s tournament we had clear priorities set. Our aim was to win our three home games and play competitively in our two away games and we felt like we were in a good place before the postponement of the tournament.
We have stayed connected as a team who trained remotely throughout the lock-down. We have a number of training dates in the schedule ahead of the tournament and it will be good to get together. We have a busy few month ahead of us, and look forward to getting back to playing rugby."
Beibhinn Parsons makes an interception and scores Ireland's third try against the run of play. #rterugby #IREvSCO pic.twitter.com/BYsQ8ZAmju
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) February 2, 2020
Rugby World Cup 2021 European Qualifiers have also been announced this week. Previously due to take place in September they will now be played as a single round-robin tournament on the weekends of 5th, 12th and 19th December 2020.
Ireland will be joined in the tournament by Six Nations rivals Scotland and Italy and the winner of the Women’s Rugby Europe Championship 2020, which will be completed in October, as announced by Rugby Europe on Monday.
The winner of the Rugby World Cup 2021 European Qualifiers will qualify for Rugby World Cup 2021 and the runner-up will progress to the final qualification tournament, which will be organised by World Rugby in 2021.
Ireland Women’s Squad, Women’s Six Nations 2020
Backs:
Enya Breen (UL Bohemian/ Munster)
Michelle Claffey (Blackrock/ Leinster)
Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian/ Munster)
Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian/ Munster)
Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere/ Ulster)
Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/ IQ Rugby)
Aoife Doyle (Railway Union/ Munster)
Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/ Leinster)
Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union/ Leinster)
Claire Keohane (Railway Union/ Munster)
Larissa Muldoon (Railway Union/ Leinster)
Ellen Murphy (Blackrock/Leinster)
Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/ Leinster)
Beibhinn Parsons (Blackrock/ Connacht)
Laura Sheehan (UL Bohemian/ Munster)
Shannon Touhey (Suttonians/ Connacht)*
Hannah Tyrell (Old Belvedere/ Leinster)
Forwards:
Judy Bobbett (Blackrock/ Leinster)
Anna Caplice (Harlequins/ IQ Rugby)
Ciara Cooney (Railway Union/ Leinster)
Victoria Dabanovich O'Mahony (Old Belvedere/ Leinster)
Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/ Leinster)
Laura Feeley (Blackrock/ Connacht)
Nichola Fryday (Old Belvedere/ Connacht)
Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemian/ Munster)
Neve Jones (Malone/Ulster)*
Leah Lyons (Harlequins/ IQ Rugby)
Aoife McDermott (Railway Union/ Leinster)
Claire McLaughlin (Old Belvedere/ Ulster)
Edel McMahon (Wasps/ IQ Rugby)
Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps/ IQ Rugby)
Hannah O'Connor (Blackrock/ Leinster)
Katie O'Dwyer (Railway Union/ Leinster)*
Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemian/ Munster)
Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/ Leinster)
Dorothy Wall (Railway Union/ Munster)
*Denotes uncapped player at this level
Ireland Fixtures and Results, Women’s Six Nations 2020
Sun, 2nd Feb, Ireland Women 18 v 14 Scotland Women
Sun, 9th Feb, Ireland Women 31 v 12 Wales Women
Sun, 23rd Feb, England Women 27 v 0 Ireland Women
WE 24th October, Ireland Women v Italy Women – TBC
WE 31st October, France Women v Ireland Women- TBC
