Mayo player called up to Ireland's senior rugby training squad

Ballina RFC player Clara Barrett has been selected in Ireland's training squad ahead of the upcoming WXV3 competition in Dubai in October, the club has announced.

The call-up is Clara's first to the senior squad and follows on from some excellent performances for Connacht in the ongoing Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship series.

The new Ireland women's team head coach, Scott Bemand, has selected an extended group of players to assemble for camp at the IRFU High Performance Centre on Sunday, September 10, with Clara among them.

Bemand has included five uncapped players in the training squad – forwards Fiona Tuite, Sarah Delany and Siobhan McCarthy as well as backs Barrett and Katie Whelan.

Delany, Barrett and Whelan are three of five players included who featured for the Ireland women’s Under 20 team on their tour to Italy in June, while Béibhinn Parsons and Eve Higgins add major experience to the squad having last year helped the Ireland Sevens secure Olympic qualification.

In addition, Bemand has selected six players – Eimear Corri, India Daley, Kayla Waldron, Leah Tarpey, Megan Collis and Ruth Campbell – to train with the squad for the duration of the preparatory camps.

Following the squad announcement, Bemand said: “After settling into the role in recent weeks and connecting with many of the players and staff, it is exciting to announce our WXV3 training squad. There have been a number of impressive performances during the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship and the coaching team believe we have selected an exciting blend of youth and experience for the competition ahead.

“We will assemble as a wider group in two weeks as we narrow the focus on our opening game against Kazakhstan in Dubai. There is a lot of hard work ahead but there is exciting potential within the squad and now is our opportunity to start on the right trajectory, targeting growth and progression as we build into the campaign and indeed the 2023/24 season ahead.”

Ireland face Kazakhstan in their WXV3 opener on Friday, October 13, before taking on Colombia at The Sevens Stadium on Saturday, October 21, and concluding against Spain on October 28.

See more about Clara's call-up to the Irish squad on https://www.ballinarfc.com.