Irish women to play Italy at Aviva Stadium

The IRFU has confirmed that the Irish women’s rugby team will play Italy at the Aviva Stadium next March on the same bill as the men’s team.

The double-header will take place at Lansdowne Road on March 8th with the men due to face the Italians at 2.30pm. The IRFU has yet to confirm the kick-off time for the women's match but the confirmation that it will take place at headquarters was welcomed today by coach Philip Doyle.

“Playing in the Aviva Stadium is sure to be one of hopefully many highlights of the 2014 campaign,” he said, “and I know that the team will do their very best to give the crowd a great display of rugby.”

The other home games, against Scotland (January 31st) and Wales (February 7th), are returning to Ashbourne RFC for the popular Friday night under floodlights ties.

Ashbourne RFC has provided the home venue for Ireland these past five years with the local community embracing Fiona Coghlan’s women long before they embarked on this year’s championship winning campaign.

Doyle also announced his squad for the defence of the Six Nations title this morning, bringing in a total of nine new faces.

“Selecting a squad is always hard and this year has to be without doubt the hardest yet,” Doyle added. Selection has been based on the players form throughout the AIL matches, including the English premiership matches where a lot of the exiles players are playing their rugby, and the inter-pro series which concluded at the weekend.

“Some new faces have made this year’s squad which is always a good sign that the competition and standards are rising still.”

"We look forward to working with all the players in the coming weeks in preparation for this year's Six Nations where, of course, we will be doing our very best to defend our title, at the same time making sure that we also use these very important games to very good use with the World Cup 2014 looming very large in the not so distant future."

Ireland squad: Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins /Ulster), Gill Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster), Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster), Lynne Cantwell (Richmond /Exile),Hannah Casey (Saracens/Exile)*, Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster), Kerri –Ann Craddock (Saracens/Exile)*, Amy Davis (Blackrock /Ulster), Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster), Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary's/Leinster), Orla Fitzsimmons (St. Mary's/Leinster)*, Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster), Laura Guest (Highfield/Munster), Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians/Munster), Ashling Hutchings (UL Bohemians/Munster)*, Jemma Jackson (Queens University/Ulster)*, Stacey-Lea Kennedy (Cooke/Ulster), Sharon Lynch (Old Belvedere/Leinster)*, Vikkie Mc Ginn (Blackrock /Leinster)*, Alison Miller (Portlaoise RFC/UCC/Connacht), Sarah Mimnagh (Richmond/Exile)*, Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht), Larissa Muldoon (Bristol/Exile), Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Heather O' Brien (Highfield/Munster), Ruth O'Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht), Geraldine Rae (Highfield/Munster), Marie –Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Jackie Shiels (Richmond/Exile), Juliet Short (Newcastle/Exile)*, Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster)

* Denotes uncapped player