Women’s U18 Squad Confirmed For Six Nations Festival

The Ireland U18 Women’s squad has been confirmed for the upcoming U18 Women’s Six Nations Festival at Wellington College in England. 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 7th – 15th 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 and Orla Wafer. Muldoon, will be assisted by forwards coach Neill Alcorn while 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 7th April, they will play in the same format against Scotland and England on Tuesday 11th April and will finish the Festival with a 70 minute fixture against Wales on Saturday 15th 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 Wycherley (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 (Munster/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 7th April, 2023 France v IRELAND, 3pm IRELAND v Italy, 5pm Match Day 2: Tuesday 11th April, 2023 Scotland v IRELAND, 10am IRELAND v England, 11am Match Day 3: Saturday 15th April, 2023 IRELAND v Wales, 2.15pm