Ireland women's head coach Scott Bemand has been handed an early new year’s boost, with back row Erin King set to make her long awaited return from injury this weekend.
The back row, who hasn't featured since suffering a serious knee injury in April, will play her first game in more than eight months for the Wolfhounds in their Celtic Challenge Irish derby against the Clovers on Saturday at Creggs RFC.
The 22-year-old, who was World Rugby’s Women’s XV Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2024, starts at number 8 for the Wolfhounds in a side that contains seven members of Ireland’s 2025 World Cup squad.
Her return appears to be ahead of schedule, having previously set a target of February for her comeback.
King, who was part of Ireland’s Olympic Sevens squad for Paris in 2024, made her XV-a-side debut in September of that year and was part of an Ireland side that pulled off a shock win against New Zealand at the WXV in Canada that year, finishing second overall.
The versatile back row also started the first three games of Ireland’s 2025 Six Nations campaign, before suffering a rare knee injury in round three against England in Cork, which ruled her out of the World Cup in England last year.
She joins a Woflhounds side captained by Aoife Dalton, and also containing Stacey Flood, Eve Higgins, Dannah O’Brien, Aoibheann Reilly, Linda Djougang and Claire Boles, with Fiona Tuite among the replacements.
Ireland international Emily Lane captains the Clovers from scrum-half, with Beibhinn Parsons, Anna McGann, Siobhán McCarthy, Beth Buttimer, Sadhbh McGrath also in the starting XV for a side coached by Denis Fogarty.
Both sides were victorious in their opening round before Christmas, with Clovers narrowly defeating Gwalia Lightning 35-31, while the Wolfhounds saw off Edinburgh 34-7.
Clovers: Aoife Corey; Béibhinn Parsons, Anna McGann, Niamh Murphy, Emily Foley; Caitriona Finn, Emily Lane (capt); Siobhán McCarthy, Beth Buttimer, Sadhbh McGrath; Aoibhe O’Flynn, Jane Clohessy; Rosie Searle, Faith Oviawe, Jemima Adams Verling
Replacements: Emma Dunican, Orlaith Morrissey, Ella Burns, Aoibheann McGrath, Caoimhe Murphy, Gráinne Moran, Méabh Deely, Lucia Linn
Wolfhounds: Stacey Flood; Robyn O’Connor, Aoife Dalton (capt), Eve Higgins, Maggie Boylan; Dannah O’Brien, Aoibheann Reilly; Linda Djougang, India Daley, Sophie Barrett; Naoise Smyth, Kate Jordan; Claire Boles, Maeve Óg O’Leary, Erin King.
Replacements: Maebh Cleneghan, Cara McLean, Caoimhe Molloy, Fiona Tuite, Poppy Garvey, Moya Hill, Katie Whelan, Vicky Elmes Kinlan
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