Three Chiefs named in Ireland Women's squad

By Mark Stevens
8/3/23

Three Exeter Chiefs Women’s players have been named in a 32-player Ireland Women’s squad for the upcoming TikTok Women’s Six Nations Championship.

Lock Nichola Fryday, who assumed the captaincy for last year’s Six Nations, will once again lead her country into the competition - and she will be joined in the squad by club-mates Edel McMahon and Clara Nielson.

Ireland open their Championship away to Wales at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday, 25 March (2.15pm), before facing France at Musgrave Park in Cork on Saturday, 1 April (3.15pm).

After a down week, the campaign resumes with a trip to Parma to go head-to-head with Italy on Saturday, 15 April (4.45pm), and then McWilliams’ side are back home in Cork for a showdown with England on Saturday, 22 April (2.15pm).

Ireland conclude the Six Nations against Scotland at the DAM Health Stadium in Edinburgh on Saturday, 29 April (7.30pm).

Fryday and McMahon are experienced members of Greg McWilliams’ squad, but Nielson has yet to be capped by her country and will be hoping her impressive displays for the Chiefs in this season’s Allianz Premier 15s will give her the opportunity to win a first Test cap.

In addition to the 32 players included in the Six Nations squad, McWilliams has named 12 players in a wider training panel who will also assemble at the IRFU High Performance Centre this weekend for a two-day camp: Mary Healy, Megan Collis, Andrea Stock, Emma Hooban, India Daley, Claire Bennett, Katie Whelan, Leah Tarpey, Kayla Waldron, Ella Durkan, Clare Gorman and Aoife Corey.

Commenting on the squad announcement, McWilliams said: “There is a great sense of anticipation and excitement leading into the Six Nations. We are very excited about the group of players who will represent Ireland in the upcoming Championship and certainly the Celtic Challenge preparation has been vital for our development.

“We have identified players who are ready for international rugby and we have had the opportunity to work with those players over the last five weeks, with that contact time incredibly valuable as we build the depth and strength of the group. There is an exciting blend of youth and experience and these players are fit for Test rugby.”

Looking ahead to the Six Nations, Ireland captain Fryday added: “We’re really excited to get the Six Nations underway, as it will be our first campaign together as a group since the Tour of Japan, which provided us with an invaluable platform to build together as a squad moving forward.

“The Celtic Challenge has granted so many players access to quality game time in recent weeks, and this coupled with the game time the UK-based players have had in the Premiership in recent months, will serve us well moving into the opening Rounds of the Six Nations.

“It is always an exciting time of year and we’re hugely motivated as a group to build on the positive aspects of last season and continue to grow and evolve under Greg and the coaching team. It is brilliant to see eight uncapped players come into the group, as we are always striving to build squad depth and the value of the Women’s Interprovincial Championship and Celtic Challenge is there for all to see.

“We are really looking forward to returning to Cork for two huge home matches, as the support we received at Musgrave Park last year was incredible.”