Edel McMahon named in Ireland Squad for the WXV Training Camp

New Women’s Head Coach Scott Bemand has named a 30-player Ireland training squad, ahead of the inaugural WXV3 competition in Dubai.

Bemand, who started in the position earlier this month, has selected an extended group of players to assemble for camp at the IRFU High Performance Centre on Sunday, 10 September in preparation for the three-game WXV3 campaign in October.

A number of players have impressed the Ireland Coaching Team during the ongoing Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship and Bemand has included five uncapped players in the training squad.

Forwards Fiona Tuite, Sarah Delany and Siobhan McCarthy are named in the panel, while young backs Clara Barrett and Katie Whelan earn their first call ups to the senior squad.

Delany, Barrett and Whelan are three of five players included who featured for Ireland Women’s U20s 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.

Ireland face Kazakhstan in their WXV3 opener on Friday, 13 October before going head-to-head with Colombia at The Sevens Stadium on Saturday, 21 October. Bemand’s side conclude the competition against Spain on Saturday, 28 October.

World Rugby will confirm broadcast details for WXV3 in due course.

Ireland Women’s Training Squad:

Forwards:

Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)
Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Deirbhile Nic A Bhaird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster)
Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)
Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht)
Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)*
Grace Moore (Saracens/IQ Rugby)
Kathryn Buggy (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby)
Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
Maeve Óg O’Leary (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)
Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury/Ulster)
Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
Sadhbh McGrath (City of Derry/Cooke RFC/Ulster)
Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby)
Sarah Delaney (Cill Dara RFC/Leinster)*
Siobhan McCarthy (Worcester Warriors/Munster)*

Backs:

Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)
Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
Aoife Doyle (Railway Union RFC/Munster)
Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)
Clara Barrett (Ballina RFC/Connacht)*
Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)
Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)*
Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)
Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)
Nicole Fowley (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
Natasja Behan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Vicky Irwin (Sale Sharks/Ulster).

*Denotes uncapped

Additional Players:

Eimear Corri (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
India Daley (Cooke RFC/Ulster)
Kayla Waldron (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
Leah Tarpey (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)
Megan Collis (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)
Ruth Campbell (MU Barnhall RFC/Leinster)

WXV3 Fixtures:

The Sevens Stadium, Dubai

• Ireland v Kazakhstan, Friday 13 October
• Ireland v Colombia, Saturday 21 October
• Ireland v Spain, Saturday 28 October