Fixtures
Round 1: Sunday 10 August
Leinster v Ulster, Energia Park at 2:30pm
Munster v Connacht, Virgin Media Park at 4:15pm
Round 2: Saturday 16 August
Leinster v Munster, Energia Park at 2:30pm
Connacht v Ulster, Dexcom Stadium at 4:15pm
Round 3: Saturday 23 August
Connacht v Leinster, Dexcom Stadium at 2:30pm
Ulster v Munster, Kingspan Stadium at 4:15pm
Finals Day: Saturday 30 August
3rd v 4th and 1st v 2nd in Energia Park
TV
Watch all eight games on TG4's YouTube channel.
Online
Match reports available on RTÉ Sport Online and RTÉ News app.
Recent Winners
2024: Leinster (beat Munster in final)
2023: Leinster (beat Munster in final)
2022: Munster (round robin win; Leinster finished 2nd)
2021: Munster (beat Leinster in final)
The Vodafone Women's Interprovincial series kicks off this afternoon with a double header that sees defending champions Leinster host Ulster at the Energia Stadium in Donnybrook, while Connacht visit Munster in Cork.
There’s an off-Broadway feel to the interprovincial championship during a World Cup year, more so with the changeover across the board.
However, with star players in Ireland camp mixed with coaching and captaincy changes at the provinces, it’s all to play for this time around.
Leinster and Munster have dominated this competition since the early 2000s but are no strangers to a rotated and fresh feel to their squads, meaning their round-two clash might not be the dress rehearsal for the final like it has been in recent years.
Although most eyes will be on Northampton for the final weekend in August, the 'Finals Day’ in Energia Park is finely poised to be a brilliant day of action.
All that is three weeks away, as first up in the round robin stages Leinster and Munster host Ulster and Connacht respectively.
Leinster v Ulster
First up at 2.30pm, Ulster travel to Energia Park to face the reigning champions Leinster.
Now under the stewardship of new head coach Ben Martin, Leinster come into the competition looking to win three interprovincial titles in a row for the first time.
Martin named a massive 65-player training squad earlier in the summer, later whittled down to 30, with Wexford native Molly Boyne taking over the captaincy following the retirement of Hannah O’Connor.
Meanwhile, former Kerry Gaelic footballer Andrea Murphy is named in the squad and is set to win her first cap for the province.
Ulster are led into the championship by head coach Murray Houston, with Ulster men’s prop Eric O’Sullivan also among the coaching ticket.
The returning India Daley will captain the side for the tournament while outside back Lucy Thompson will be one to watch having impressed in last year’s tournament.
Coaching comments:
Ben Martin: "It is clear for all to see the talent that is out there and the work that is going on in our schools and clubs, and with the player pathway programmes and the BearingPoint Sarah Robinson Cup. It’s all eyes on Ulster now... We can’t wait to tear into our first match week and run out in front of our supporters in Energia Park."
Murray Houston: "With the absence of the World Cup hopefuls, it presents an opportunity for players who may not have had the chance previously. There are nine players in our squad who will be looking to get their first cap this summer."
Leinster: Caoimhe McCormack; Emma Brogan, Kathy Baker, Cara Martin, Maggie Boylan; Nikki Caughey, Jade Gaffney; Aoife Moore, Lisa Callan, Katie Layde; Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair, Kate Jordan; Ciara Short, Molly Boyne (capt), Jane Neill.
Replacements: Méabh Keegan, Kelly Burke, Clodagh Dunne, Rosie Searle, Emma Kelly, Erin McConnell, Ellie O’Sullivan-Sexton, Katie Corrigan.
Ulster: Niamh Marley; Lucy Thompson, Siohbán Sheerin, Tara O’Neill, Paige Smyth; Lauren Farrell McCabe, Georgia Boyce; Sarah Roberts, Maebh Clenaghan, Sophie Barrett; Lauren Darley, Brenda Barr; Ruby Starrett, Katie Hetherington, India Daley (capt).
Replacements: Megan Simpson, Cara McLean, Ava Fannin, Rebecca Beacom, Moya Hill, Rachael McIlroy, Kelly McCormill, Stacey Sloan.
Munster v Connacht
The second of the opening-round fixtures sees Munster host Connacht in Cork at 4.15pm.
With Matt Brown now in charge of the southern province, he will be looking to mix in some young prospects with the experience of new captain Maeve Óg O’Leary, Chloe Pearse, Stephanie Nunan and others.
Like Leinster, Connacht elected for a large extended training panel of 56, given the potential absences of some Ireland 15s or 7s players.
It is a squad loaded with Galwegians players, as the highest ranked Connacht club, but also features Lily Brady, Clara Barrett and captain Éabha Nic Dhonnacha from AIL champions UL Bohemians, while Ailish Quinn returns from Ireland camp.
These two sides played out an entertaining, end-to-end battle in the Dexcom Stadium last year which Munster edged 29-24, and although Connacht appear slightly more hamstrung to losses to Ireland camp, they do have an exciting crop of younger players looking to make the step-up after impressive underage interprovincial showings in recent seasons.
Coaching comments:
Matt Brown: "Everyone is excited, and I think when you’ve been training for that long everyone is excited for the game because with training you can never directly replicate it, so yeah, we’re all in a good spot."
Emer O’Dowd: "We're not going down to participate anymore. We're going down to put a performance together and that performance, I think, will lead to something special."
Munster: Aoife Corey; Lyndsay Clarke, Alana McInerney, Stephanie Nunan, Chisom Ugwueru; Caitriona Finn, Abbie Salter-Townshend; Gráinne Burke, Saoirse Crowe, Eilís Cahill; Aoibhe O’Flynn, Claire Bennett; Brianna Heylmann, Maeve Óg O’Leary (capt), Chloe Pearse.
Replacements: Aoife Fleming, Ciara McLoughlin, Lily Morris, Jane Clohessy, Annakate Cournane, Eve Prendergast, Kate Flannery, Orna Moynihan.
Connacht: Clara Barrett; Emily Foley, Orla Dixon, Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (capt), Ava Ryder; Siofra Hession, Grainne Moran; Ella Burns, Lily Brady, Megan Collis; Poppy Garvey, Grace Browne Moran; Beibhinn Gleeson, Lesley Ring, Jemima Adams Verling.
Replacements: Stacy Hanley, Hannah Coen, Roisin Maher, Ailish Quinn, Caoilfhionn Morrissey, Karly Tierney, Sinead O’Brien, Fódhla Ní Bhraonáin.
