JENNY MURPHY IS set to make her Leinster return this weekend after the former Ireland international was named in the province’s squad for the 2019 women’s inter-provincial series.
Murphy opted to take a break from the international set-up following Ireland’s 2017 World Cup campaign and then suffered a serious knee injury which has kept her sidelined since last year.
But the centre is back in the fold for Leinster’s opening game of their title defence this Saturday, as Ben Armstrong’s side welcome Connacht to Donnybrook [5.30pm] as part of a historic triple-header with the senior men’s team and U19 side.
Sene Naoupu will once again captain Leinster this season while head coach Armstrong has included 10 uncapped players in his squad for the extended inter-pro series, which now includes semi-finals, a third-place play-off and a final.
Among the uncapped players in the eastern province’s panel is ex-Ireland scrum-half Larissa Muldoon, who last season played for Ulster, but is employed by Leinster as a women’s community rugby officer.
Munster, meanwhile, have included five uncapped players in their squad, while Laura Delaney returns to the fold after missing a couple of seasons through injury.
Ireland captain Ciara Griffin, Niamh Briggs, Nicole Cronin and Eimear Considine add plenty of experience to Laura Guest’s side, who get their campaign underway against Ulster at Musgrave Park on Saturday [3pm].
Ali Miller, who recently retired from international rugby, has been named in the Connacht squad, while Ulster have included plenty of young talent in their ranks for the 2019 season, as the northern province bid to win their first game in the competition since the 2012/13 campaign.
Women’s inter-pro squads:
Munster: Fiona Hayes, Fiona Reidy, Chloe Pearse, Laura Delaney, Sarah O’Gorman, Kate Sheehan, Edel Murphy, Siobhan McCarthy, Roisin Ormond, Ciara O’Halloran, Sarah Garrett, Clodagh O’Halloran, Ciara Griffin, Sarah Quin, Dorothy Wall, Grainne Fennelly, Nicole Cronin, Christine Coffey, Rachel Allen, Niamh Briggs, Claire Keohane, Enya Breen, Niamh Kavanagh, Ciara Scanlan, Laura Sheehan, Eimear Considine, Laura O’Mahony, Stephanie Carroll, Aine Staunton.
Leinster: Elaine Anthony, Chloe Blackmore, Judy Bobbett, Lisa Callan, Michelle Claffey, Aimee Clarke, Alison Coleman, Jeamie Deacon, Linda Djougang, Anna Doyle, Clodagh Dunne, Daisy Earle, Jennie Finlay, Christy Haney, Rachel Horan, Ailsa Hughes, Gemma Matthews, Grace Miller, Larissa Muldoon, Jenny Murphy, Sene Naoupu, Niamh Ní Dhroma, Meabh O’Brien, Elise O’Byrne-White, Hannah O’Connor, Katie O’Dwyer, Lindsay Peat, Molly Scuffil-McCabe, Juliet Short, Megan Williams.
Ulster: Hannah Beattie, Keelin Brady, Holly Brannigan, Megan Brodie, Shannon Buller, Beth Cregan, Kathryn Dane, Ella Durkan, Shannon Heapes, Katie Hetherington, Dolores Hughes, Vicky Irwin, Jemma Jackson, Neve Jones, Emma Jordan, Emma Kearney, Stacey-Lea Kennedy, Rebecca Lawlor, Maeve Liston, Aishling O’Connell, Lauren Maginnes, Peita McAlister, Kelly McCormill, Lesley Megarity, Chloe McIlwaine, Jenna McKeown, Lisa Mullen, Diane Ramsay, Fiona Tuite, Ilse Van Staden.
Connacht: Lily Brady, Tara Buggie, Lisa Carroll, Ciara Farrell, Kate Feehan, Laura Feely, Nichola Fryday, Moya Griffin, Jessica Loftus, Edel McMahon, Elizabeth McNicholas, Katie Murray, Aifric O’Brien, Alex O’Brien, Niamh O’Grady, Nicola Caldbeck, Anne-Marie O’Hora, Denise Redmond, Aisling Brosnan, Rachel Cox, Mairead Coyne, Meabh Deely, Orla Dixon, Nicole Fowley, Rebecca Gavin, Mary Healy, Shannen Lane, Catherine Martin, Alison Miller, Hazel Moran, Beibhinn Parsons, Aoibheann Reilly, Ursula Sammon, Shannon Touhey.
Women’s inter-pro fixtures:
Round 1, Saturday 17 August
- Leinster v Connacht, Energia Park, 5.30pm
- Munster v Ulster, Musgrave Park, 3pm
Round 2, Saturday 24 August
- Connacht v Munster, Sportsground, 3pm
- Ulster v Leinster, City Of Armagh RFC, 7pm
Round 3, Saturday 31 August
- Ulster v Connacht, Queen’s Sport Upper Malone, 3pm
- Munster v Leinster, Musgrave Park, 3pm
Semi-Finals, Saturday 14 September
Finals, Saturday 21 September
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