Ten Connacht players have been selected on the Ireland U18 women's squad ahead of the 2023 Six Nations Festival.
Seven clubs, Sligo, Oughterard/Tuam, Ballina, Connemara, Westport, Creggs and Connemara have players in the squad, showing the continued development of women's rugby throughout Connacht.
The six forwards are Poppy Garvey, Sligo RFC; Beibhinn Gleeson Oughterard/Tuam RFC; Roisin Maher (Creggs RFC ); Sarah McCormick and Ailish Quinn Ballina RFC, and Ellen O’Toole, Wesport RFC. In the backs are Molly Boote (Connemara RFC ), Hannah Clarke (Oughterard/Tuam RFC ), and Emily Foley and Grainne Moran (Ballina RFC ).
Molly Boote and Sarah McCormick are two of six players who have already been capped at this level.
The U18 Women’s Six Nations Festival takes place at Wellington College in England with the first two match days consisting of each team playing four 35 minute fixtures, followed by a full 70 minute fixture on the third match day.
On April 7, Ireland play France (3pm ) and Italy (5pm ), with matches against Scotland (10am ) and England (11am ) on April 11, followed by Ireland v Wales on April 15 (2.15pm ).
Connacht Five on club and schools' XV
Five Connacht players have been been selected on the Ireland U18’s Clubs and Schools team which meets an Italy U18 XV on Sunday (April 2 ) at Ashbourne RFC (2pm ).
Fullback Cian Brady from Coláiste an Eachréidh/Monivea RFC, right wing Orin Burke of Presentation College/Monivea RFC, and No 8 Ambrose Bamber (Connacht/Sligo Grammar School/Sligo RFC ) are named in the starting XV, with Arann Platt (Connacht/ Sligo Grammar School/Sligo RFC ) and Gerard Murtagh (Connacht/Sligo Grammar ) on the bench.
Head coach Fiach O’Loughlin (Munster Rugby ) will be hoping for a repeat of November’s performance which saw his side comfortable 43-10 winners in Rome.
Only six players remain in the squad from the side that travelled to Rome last autumn – Connacht's Cian Brady, Ambrose Bamber and Arann Pratt, and Connor Fahy, Eoghan Smyth, and Henry Walker,. Bamber, Fahy and Pratt were all try-scorers that day.
Second-row Billy Corrigan will captain the side, which is sponsored by PwC, with outside centre Connor Fahy named as vice-captain.
IRELAND U18 CLUBS & SCHOOLS v Italy U18: Cian Brady (Connacht/Coláiste an Eachréidh/Monivea RFC ), Orin Burke (Connacht/Presentation College/Monivea RFC ), Connor Fahy (Leinster/Good Counsel College/Wexford Wanderers RFC ), Eoghan Smyth (Munster/Midleton College/Midleton RFC ), Matthew Te Pou (Munster/St Munchins College ), Harry McKeown (Ulster/Sullivan Upper School ), Marcus Lyons (Munster/Crescent College Comprehensive ), Alex Usuanov (Leinster/Belvedere College SJ ), Henry Walker (IQ Rugby/Hartpury College/Saracens RFC ), AdamWatchorn (Leinster/Kilkenny College ), Billy Corrigan (Leinster/Presentation College Bray ), David Walsh (Leinster/St Michael’s College ), Jack Ryan (Munster/Rockwell College ), Sam Corrigan (Leinster/St Micheal’s College ), Ambrose Bamber (Connacht/Sligo Grammar School/Sligo RFC ). Replacements, Fionn Casserly (Munster/Crescent College Comprehensive ), Arann Platt (Connacht/Sligo Grammar School/Sligo RFC ), Tom McAllister (Ulster/Ballclare High School ), . Tommy Butler (Leinster/Blackrock College ), Ruairi Munnelly (Leinster/Newbridge College ), David Armstrong (Ulster/Methodist College ), Sam Wisniewski (Leinster/Castleknock College ), Gerard Murtagh (Connacht/Sligo Grammar )
