Interpros not the full shilling once again

The women’s junior interprovincials get underway this weekend at Jordanstown in Belfast without a full complement of teams for the second successive season. Munster pulled out last term, citing a lack of player interest, while this time around Leinster have withdrawn, highlighting a fixture backlog — due to bad weather and having four teams reach the Irish Junior Cup semi-finals — for being unable to hold player trials. High-profile figures in Irish hockey have in the past claimed inter-pro tournaments are an unnecessary drain on resources at adult level; Leinster’s withdrawal could see that argument resurface at branch AGMs in the coming weeks.

Three other interpro tournaments are going ahead this weekend with all teams present and correct, though not without more controversy. Lisnagarvey host the men’s junior tournament, while the women’s and men’s U21 competitions are down for decision at Grange Road in Dublin. The U21 tournaments were originally scheduled for February, only for the IHA to call them off four days beforehand as a pre-emptive strike against the cold weather which had played havoc with fixtures throughout the season. However, clashes with the final weekend of the Leinster men’s league, the Irish senior men’s squad’s training camp in Alicante and the Irish U18 series against Belgium, has resulted in a series of amendments to the tournament in recent weeks. The culmination is a one-day blitz that will see games played with 30 minutes aside, and will, after all, incorporate the auto-pass rule – a situation which doesn’t seem to have gone down well in Ulster. “We are disappointed with the situation that has arisen over the rescheduling of the Men’s section of the U21 tournament,” Ulster manager Brian Caruth told the Ulster Hockey Blog. “But for the sake of the players and the effort they have put in since December, we will participate in the Sunday blitz – as a one off.” Cork native Jason Lynch will once again line out for Ulster against his native province, having done so at the senior interpros in Garryduff last month. Three of the players included in the Munster senior squad – Dan Hobbs, Patrick Shanahan and David Harvey – are also involved in Stephen Jackson’s U21 side. Shanahan vice-captains the side and is effectively playing on home turf at Grange Road having spent the past season with Rovers. C of I’s Roger Gray skippers a side that has a good spread of players from the top three clubs in the province and includes a single Limerick man in Catholic Institute’s Simon Brickenden. Ulster also appear to hold the aces in the women’s competition – which retains its usual two-day format – boasting a squad with eight Irish senior and A internationals, but Ger O’Carroll’s Munster squad are no slouches themselves. Experienced Ireland international and skipper Cliodhna Sargent will be their taliswoman, alongside A international Miriam Crowley of UCC. Her club-mate Fiona O’Connell gets a chance to showcase her talents on a higher stage having top-scored for College this term, while the squad also includes a notable exile in University of Hampshire’s Kate Collins Smyth. Munster return to the junior interpros after a year’s absence with a squad dominated by Cork Harlequins players, though C of I’s Cathy Walsh also gets a chance to roll back the years and provide a goal-scoring threat.

There is an eyebrow-raising mixture of youth and experience in the men’s squad, where 54-year-old Stuart Egner features alongside a couple of 19-year-olds in Quins club-mate Danny Mulligan and UCC’s John Cudmore. In between there are four Dublin-based players – Railway Union’s Mark Egner, Mervyn McDowell and Rob Devlin, plus Chris Neville of Fingal – in the 16-man squad. Men’s U21 Interprovincials, Grange Road, Dublin Sunday: Leinster vs Munster (10.30am); Ulster vs Munster (1.45pm); Leinster vs Ulster (5pm). MUNSTER: Brian Corcoran (GK, Bandon), Dan Hobbs, Darren Farrell, Eddie Dore (Cork Harlequins), Adam O’Callaghan, David Harvey, Roger Gray (capt), Karl Lynch, Andrew Daunt, Andrew Scannell (Cork C of I), Clinton Sweetnam, Darren Beamish, Aaron Beamish, Fionn O’Leary (Bandon), Simon Brickenden (Catholic Institute), Patrick Shanahan (Three Rock Rovers, vice-capt). Coach: Stephen Jackson Assistant Coach: Andrew Gray Manager: Will Bartley Women’s U21 Interprovincials, Grange Road, Dublin Saturday: Connacht vs Leinster (9am); Munster vs South East (9.30am); Munster vs Connacht (12.30pm); South East vs Ulster (1pm); Leinster vs Ulster (4.45pm). Sunday: Munster vs Ulster (9am); South East vs Connacht (9am); South East vs Leinster (12.15pm); Connacht vs Ulster (3.30pm); Munster vs Leinster (3.30pm). MUNSTER: Emer White (GK, Bandon), Elaine Ryan (GK, Catholic Institute), Naomi Carroll, Christine O’Shea (Catholic Institute), Kate Collins Smyth (University of North Hampshire), Miriam Crowley, Aine Donegan, Fiona O’Connell, Ali O’Regan (UCC), Sarah Delaney, Suzy Herbert, Rebecca Sweetnam (Cork C of I) Cliodhna Sargent (Cork Harlequins, capt), Olivia Roycroft (Bandon), Laura Peters (UL). Coach: Ger O’Carroll Women’s Junior Interprovincials, Jordanstown, Belfast Saturday: Ulster vs Connacht (9.30am); Munster vs South East (11am); Connacht vs Munster (2.30pm); Ulster vs South East (4pm). Sunday: Connacht vs South East (10.30am); Munster vs Ulster (12pm). MUNSTER: Debbi Cashman (GK, Belvedere), Caroline Levis (GK, UCC) Deirdre Daly, Dale Burkley, Francesca Doonan (captain), Kate Herbert, Eleanor Flood, Clair Bergin, Erica Breen, Kay Gaffney (Cork Harlequins), Laura Davis (UL, vice-captain), Maria Twomey (Belvedere), Barbara Ryan, Meave Murphy (Clonmel), Laura McSweeney, Kate Humphries, Edel Coyne, Cathy Walsh (Cork C of I) Coach: David Egner Assistant coach: Sean Nicholson Manager: Kay Gaffney

Men’s Junior Interprovincials, Lisnagarvey HC, Hillsborough, Co Down Saturday: Connacht vs Leinster (10am); Munster vs Ulster (11.45am); Connacht vs Munster (3pm). Sunday: Ulster vs Connacht (10am); Munster vs Leinster (11.45am); Ulster vs Leinster (3pm). MUNSTER: Cormac Moloney (GK, UCC), Stephen Clifford, John Cudmore, David Herbert, Brian Egan (UCC), Tom Cotter, Danny Mulligan, Stuart Egner, Moray Russell, Brian Hayes Curtin (Cork Harlequins), Mark Egner, Mervyn McDowell, Rob Devlin (Railway Union), Stuart Greene, Matt Shine (Limerick), Chris Neville (Fingal) Coach: Brian Hayes Curtin Manager: John Moloney