Ulster out for revenge on Leinster

Andrea McCullough should have no great difficulty in motivating her Ulster players in Galway this weekend when they will try to bury the memory of last November's 6-0 defeat by Leinster in the deciding match of the Senior Interprovincial Championships.

The Ulster coach, who was recently appointed as Peter McCabe's successor in the post, will, however, be without three current internationals - Laura Brown, Caroline Craig and Julie Stewart - who are all unavailable for this year's championship in Dangan.

But the squad remains a formidable one. Five of the Irish squad that played in Zimbabwe during the summer - goalkeeper Alison Vance, recently retired captain Jeanette Turner, Arlene Thompson, Claire McMahon and Karen Humphreys - are included, along with South Africa's Caryn Bentley, who will make her Ulster debut.

Not surprisingly, Fintan Butler has kept faith with the bulk of the Leinster squad that was so impressive at Grange Road last year, making only two changes to that 16: Loreto captain Aoife Pomeroy and Hermes' Aoife Byrne take the places of Dearbhla O'Carroll and Jan Perrin.

Mary Logue captains a squad chosen from just six Leinster clubs - Hermes' growing strength is reflected in the fact that they have the largest representation of any club in the squad (six), followed by Muckross (three), Old Alexandra (three), Loreto (two) and one each from Railway Union and Trinity.

Sarah Kelleher returns from England to play for Munster this weekend, when she will line up alongside two other current internationals, Rachel Kohler (captain) and UCC's Michelle O'Sullivan. Coach Bernie Heffernan will be without long-serving goalkeeper Sharon Hutchinson, who recently moved to Uganda, but has named one of the most promising young players in the country, Hermes' Aisling Keane, in her squad.

Hosts Connacht, coached by Loreto's Noel Keogh, will be captained by Harlequins' Shirene Young, and their challenge will be led by a core of experienced Leinster League players, including Hermes' Tara Browne and Roly Burke, Loreto's Linda Jenkinson and the Muckross trio of Clodagh Grealy, Clodagh McMorland and Sarah Scott.

The Irish Umpires' Association are holding an umpires' seminar in Galway this weekend, in conjunction with the Senior Interprovincial Championships. Top FIH umpires' coach Japik Riemersma (Netherlands) will conduct the seminar. Further information from the Irish Ladies Hockey Union office at 660 6780.