Connacht squad announced for Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship

The Connacht Women management team have named a 37-player extended training squad for the upcoming Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship.

The team return to action this Saturday when they travel to Leinster for the first round of the Championship, with a 2.30 p.m. kick-off at Energia Park.

The squad are back on the road the following week with a trip to Kingspan Stadium to face Ulster on Saturday, January 14, with another 2.30 p.m. start.

Their sole home game follows on Saturday, January 21, for a 1 p.m. kick-off at home to Munster at The Sportsground. Tickets are on sale now at connachtrugby.ie with free entry for all season ticket holders.

Head coach Lyndon Jones says he can’t wait for the Championship to get going:

“It’s great that the games are finally here. The squad have been training really hard over Christmas so now it’s about putting all our hard work into practice over the next three weeks.

"Thanks to the ongoing work of our Women’s Emerging Talent programme we have seen a number of exciting young players come through the ranks in the 15 months since our last competitive game. A number of those are named in today’s squad.

"Unfortunately the likes of Aoibheann Reilly and Rhiann Heery are unavailable through injury, while Beibhinn Parsons and Anna McGann are on the IRFU Sevens programme, but I feel we’ve still put together a really strong squad – which is a testament to all the hard work being done by both Connacht and the clubs in continuing to grow the Women’s game.

"We’ve just the one home game this year so I’d really encourage every rugby supporter in the province to come out and support the group on the 21st. It would be well deserved for these players after all their efforts and commitment the past few months.”

CONNACHT RUGBY WOMEN 2022-23

Forwards (22)

Katelyn Bourke

Lily Brady

Grace Browne-Moran

Dearbhla Canty

Hannah Coen

Emma Fabby

Laura Feely

Orla Fenton

Emily Gavin

Stacy Hanley

Maria Kelleher

Jessica Loftus

Eva McCormack

Sonia McDermott

Elizabeth McNicholas

Lisa-Marie Murphy

Niamh O’Grady

Grainne O’Loughlin

Alana Roche

Fiona Scally

Mollie Starr

Karly Tierney

Backs (15)

Clara Barrett

Finola Collins

Mairead Coyne

Meabh Deely

Orla Dixon

Nicole Fowley

Maria Gorham

Olivia Haverty

Mary Healy

Laoise McGonagle

Eabha Nic Dhonnacha

Sarah O’Connell

Ava Ryder

Shannon Touhey

Kayla Waldron