Kuper starts rebuilding

WOMEN'S HOCKEY: Fifteen players, all 22 or under, have been invited to attend this weekend's Irish senior get-together in Dublin in what appears to be Riet Kuper's most significant rebuilding programme since she took the Irish job six years ago.

None of the 15 has, as yet, been added to the senior panel, but the group has been asked to follow the physical training programme Kuper has set out for her players in the build-up to March's Olympic qualifier.

The group includes nine of last season's Irish under-21 panel, four under-18s, one under-16 player, Royal School Armagh's Emma Stewart, and UCD's Emer Horan, a member of Leinster's senior interprovincial squad in Cork last March.

The 15 are: Nadine Graham, Susie Martin, Kirsty McCollum (all Pegasus), Hannah Bowe, Emma Stewart (both Royal School Armagh), Jessica Lynch, Louisa Healy (both Loreto), Kristin Farrell (Waterford), Emer Horan (UCD), Katherine Elkin (Randalstown), Ciara Murphy (Galway), Emer Dillon (Cork Harlequins), Deirdre Casey (Church of Ireland), Emer Harte (Bandon) and Nicky McCaughern (Ballymoney).

Meanwhile Loreto's Orla Ryan has been added to the senior panel, making her Ireland's only senior Connacht representative following the retirement of fellow Galwegian Tara Browne.

Ryan, one of Leinster hockey's more combative players, won caps at under-16, -18 and -21 level, but this is her first senior squad call-up.

The four Leinster clubs that contributed players to the Irish squad in Barcelona earlier this month will, after all, have those players available to them this weekend for their league fixtures, despite them being initially instructed by Kuper to take a two-week break after the European finals.

The change of heart comes after a misunderstanding on the part of three Ulster players - Lynsey McVicker, Bridget McKeever (both Ballymoney) and Suzanne Beaney (Belfast Harlequins) - who turned out for their clubs last weekend, saying they were unaware of Kuper's instruction, which she delivered at a team meeting at the end of the European finals in Barcelona.

Hermes, Loreto, Old Alexandra and UCD are, then, entitled to call upon their Irish panellists for tomorrow's games, although UCD's Ciara O'Brien, who is taking a break after the Europeans, will not feature for her club.

A senior squad meeting with Kuper, scheduled tomorrow for 5.30 p.m. in Dublin, will, however, make it a tight squeeze for Ireland's Ulster and Munster players if they want to play for their clubs and make it to Dublin on time.

Irish and Leinster champions Hermes, coached by Aidan Kidney, begin their season against Corinthian at their new "home" in Booterstown tomorrow.

They expect to have all four of their Barcelona players available (Jenny Burke, Fiona Connery, Linda Caulfield and Daphne Sixsmith, who announced her international retirement last week), as well as the promising Christine Quinlan, who is now full-time with the club after finishing school last summer, and new recruit Aoife Mitchell (ex Trinity).

Alma Carey (ex UCC) has, however, opted to join Pembroke Wanderers.

LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Three Rock v Loreto, Grange Road, 1.45; Genesis v Trinity, Belfield, 2.30; Old Alexandra v UCD, Milltown, 2.45; Hermes v Corinthian, Booterstown Avenue, 3.15; Pembroke Wanderers v Railway Union, Ballsbridge, 3.30.

Division Two: Glenanne v Old Alexandra II, Tallaght, 1.0; Muckross v Hermes II, Milltown, 1.0; Our Lady's v Loreto II, Templeogue Road, 1.0; Pembroke Wanderers v Clontarf, Ballsbridge, 2.0; Corinthian II v Diocesan, Whitechurch, 3.30.

MUNSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Cork Harlequins v Bandon, Farmers Cross, 11.30; Waterford v Catholic Institute, Newtown, 3.0; Univ of Limerick v UCC, Univ of Limerick, 1.0.

ULSTER LEAGUE - Section One: Ards v Portadown, Ards Leisure Centre, 2.30; Belfast Harlequins v Randalstown, Deramore, 1.0; Pegasus v Coleraine, Queens, 2.30; Ballymoney v Victorians, Joey Dunlop Centre, 2.30; Ballymena v Ballyclare, Ballymena, 2.30.