Clarke selects six debutants

Ireland men's hockey coach, John Clarke, has picked a 28-strong training squad - including six uncapped players - as he steps…

Ireland men's hockey coach, John Clarke, has picked a 28-strong training squad - including six uncapped players - as he steps up preparations for September's European Nations Cup.

Clarke expects to play 20 internationals before his side travel to Barcelona for the opening game on September 1st and this programme will hopefully include matches against some of the home nations as well as Holland, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Russia and Switzerland.

The squad will get together over the weekend of March 29th and 30th.

Ireland squad: A Barbour (Cookstown); W Bateman, J Black, D Eakins, S Nicholson (Cork Harlequins); J Brennan, S Butler, I Clarke, G Shaw (Glenanne); P Brown, M Irwin (Instonians); K Burns, N Buttimer, D Hobbs, J Jermyn (Cork C of I); G Elliott, R Gormley, N Henderson, J Sherriff (Pembroke Wanderers); C Henderson (Corinthians); C Jackson, D Smyth (Annadale); E Lutton, M Raphael, J Stevenson, B Waring (Lisnagarvey); W Powderly (Dublin YM); I Steen (Surbiton).