The inaugural Women's U20s Six Nations will be a huge help in bridging the gap that exists to senior level, says Niamh Briggs.
Ireland will take on England, Italy and Scotland at the Six Nations Women’s Summer Series, which takes place in Parma between 4-14 July.
Earlier today Ireland named a 36-woman training squad for training camps in Dublin with the travelling panel to be finalised ahead of the tournament.
Predominantly made up of U20 players, there is allowance for three U23s in each match-day squad.
The senior Ireland team has endured some difficult results over the last two years but finished off the Six Nations campaign with a victory over Scotland that secured World Cup qualification for Scott Bemand’s side.
"It’s obviously huge, it’s a natural progression for us," said head coach Briggs of the new tournament.
"For a long time, we have been looking for these pathways to be put in place. We have been looking for structures around that 18s and 20s. It’s so important.
The Ireland Under-20 training squad has been named for the Six Nations Women's Summer Series, which will debut this July, in Parma, Italy. 🟢
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"What it does is give players time.
"When you look back a couple of years ago at that [senior] trip to Japan, we had four or five 18-year-olds, it’s a really difficult place to learn, international rugby is tough.
"This gives players time to expose themselves to better opposition and I suppose expose themselves to higher level rugby, expose themselves to camp and the environment that that brings.
"It’s all a huge learning for them.
"Not everyone in the squad is going to go on and play senior rugby for Ireland but we have to make sure we prepare them and put them in the best possible position so that they have a chance to go and do that.
"The fact that we now have an U18s national squad and 20s national squad, it definitely helps to bridge that gap for those players heading into senior rugby."
Hannah Wilson, Ivanna Kiripati, Ruth Campbell, Jane Neill, Karly Tierney, Kate Flannery, Clara Barret, Cara Martin and Abby Moyles all featured in last year's Ireland U20 squad, who played Italy and Scotland, in July 2023.
Six players named in the training squad, featured in this year’s Energia AIL Final at Aviva Stadium including player of the match Chisom Ugwueru (above, r) as well as Beth Buttimer, Brianna Heylmann, Faith Oviawe, Kate Flannery, and Éabha Nic Dhonnacha.
Twenty-two players named in the training squad played in the U18 WXV tournament in Wales in April and May this year, while 13 players featured in last season’s Vodafone Women's Interprovincial series for their provinces.
Forwards:
Sophie Barrett – Enniskillen RFC/Ulster
Grainne Burke – Ennis RFC/Munster
Kelly Burke – Mullingar RFC/Leinster
Beth Buttimer – UL Bohemian RFC/Munster
Ruth Campbell – Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster
Maebh Clenaghan – Queens University RFC/Ulster
Olivia Constable – Gloucester Hartpury /IQ Rugby
Saoirse Crowe – Shannon RFC/IQ Rugby
Poppy Garvey – Sligo RFC/Connacht
Aoibheann Hahessy – Ennis RFC/Munster
Brianna Heylmann – UL Bohemian RFC/Munster
Ivana Kiripati – American International College/Connacht
Roisin Maher – Galwegians RFC/Connacht
Amanda McQuade – Ealing Trailfinders/IQ Rugby
Lily Morris – Kilarney RFC/Munster
Eadoin Murtagh – Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster
Jane Neill – Galwegians RFC/Leinster
Cliodhna Ni Chonchobhair – Blackrock College RFC/Leinster
Faith Oviawe – Railway Union RFC/Connacht
Karly Tierney – UL Bohemian RFC and Tuam-Oughterard RFC/Connacht
Hannah Wilson – Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster
Backs:
Clara Barrett – UL Bohemian RFC/Connacht
Ellen Boylan – Carrick on Suir RFC/Munster
Hannah Clarke – Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Connacht
Kate Flannery – UL Bohemian RFC/Munster
Jade Gaffney – Navan RFC/Leinster
Niamh Gallagher – Saracens / IQ Rugby
May Goulding – Hartpury College / IQ Rugby
Lucia Linn – Loughborough University/ IQ Rugby
Cara Martin – Blackrock College RFC/Leinster
Abby Moyles – Blackrock College RFC/Ulster
Éabha Nic Dhonnacha – UL Bohemian and Tuam-Oughterard RFC/Connacht
Robyn O'Connor – Wexford Wanderers RFC/Leinster
Tara O’Neill – Cooke RFC/Ulster
Ellie O’Sullivan/Sexton – Mullingar RFC/Leinster
Chisom Ugwueru – UL Bohemian RFC/Munster
IRELAND FIXTURES
England v Ireland, Thursday, 4 July 4, kick-off 5.30pm Irish time
Ireland v Italy, Tuesday, 9 July, kick-off 9am Irish time
Ireland v Scotland, Sunday, 14 July, kick-off 9am Irish time
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Watch the URC final, Bulls v Glasgow Warriors, on Saturday from 4.55pm on the RTÉ News Channel
