New Ireland Women's head coach Scott Bemand has included Beibhinn Parsons and Eve Higgins in his first squad ahead of the inaugural WXV3 competition in Dubai.
Bemand has named a 30-player training squad, with 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.
The return of Parsons and Higgins is a significant boost.
Both players last featured for Ireland in the 2022 Six Nations having focused on the Sevens programme and were instrumental in helping secure Olympic qualification.
Ireland, under coach Greg McWilliams, finished bottom of the Six Nations table after suffering five defeats.
Ahead of the three-game WXV3 campaign in October, Bemand has also included five uncapped players in the training squad.
Forwards Fiona Tuite, Sarah Delany and Siobhan McCarthy are named in the panel, while 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.
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.
Bemand has rewarded those who have shown some recent form at inter-provincial level.
"There have been a number of impressive performances during the interpros and the coaching team believe we have selected an exciting blend of youth and experience for the competition ahead," he said.
"We will assemble as a wider group in two weeks as we narrow the focus on our opening game against Kazakhstan in Dubai."
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.
Ireland 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
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