A 40-player training group has been selected, as Ireland build towards their opening fixture of the 2025 Guinness Women's Six Nations Championship against France at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday 22nd March (13:00 kick-off).
The squad includes eight uncapped players, with Bemand and his coaching team rewarding standout performers from the Celtic Challenge. Among them are forwards Alma Atagamen, Jane Neill, Beth Buttimer, Jane Clohessy, and 2024 Women's Summer Series MVP, Sophie Barrett.
Barrett, Neill, Buttimer, and Clohessy were key figures for the Ireland Women’s U20s last season, while Atagamen impressed for the Ireland Women’s U18s during the Six Nations Festival.
In the backs, Amy Larn, Katie Heffernan, and Caitríona Finn will be eager to make their mark in camp and push for a senior debut. Development remains a key focus as the squad builds towards the Championship and the Rugby World Cup in 2025.
Larn and Heffernan have both played for Ireland on the HSBC SVNS Series, while Finn—who also featured in the WXV1 squad alongside Heffernan in Vancouver last autumn—has been in excellent form for the Clovers in the Celtic Challenge.
However, Ireland will be without Sam Monaghan, who co-captained the team with Edel McMahon during last year’s Guinness Women's Six Nations, as she has been ruled out due to injury.
Commenting on today’s squad announcement, Bemand said: “We’re delighted to select a really strong blend of 40 players in total to assemble and prepare for the start of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, while also building towards Rugby World Cup 2025. We’ll come together in Dublin next Monday and reconnect as a group, laying the foundations for the opportunities ahead."
“Following on from successes during the WXV1 campaign in Vancouver, we have been impressed by the hard work and application of the players as they have returned to club action in recent months. The focus and determination of players as they’ve attacked Celtic Challenge training with the Clovers and Wolfhounds has been particularly pleasing, and a number of players have earned their opportunity in National Camp off the back of those performances as we grow our wave."
“We showed positive growth and evolution over the course of 2024 and the group are excited to get back in together to continue that work as we look towards the opening game against France in Belfast, which will provide a big challenge for us but we’re relishing the opportunity to perform in green while taking the home support along with us."
Ireland’s Six Nations campaign begins at home against France before they travel to Parma to face Italy in Round 2 on Sunday 30th March (15:00 kick-off).
Following a rest week, Bemand’s side will take on England at Virgin Media Park in Round 3 on Saturday 12th April (16.45 kick-off), before heading to Newport to face Wales on Sunday 20th April (15:00 kick-off). They will end their 2025 Guinness Women's Six Nations campaign in Edinburgh as they take on Scotland on 'Super Saturday' on 26th April.
Ireland Preparation Squad – Guinness Women’s Six Nations:
Forwards (22):
Alma Atagamen (Balbriggan RFC)*
Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)(11)
Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC)*
Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)(27)
Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)(19)
Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC/Ulster)(3)
Cliodhna Moloney (Exeter Chiefs)(38)
Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster)(11)
Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs/Munster)(32)
Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht)(30)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)(4)
Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster)(10)
Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby)(17)
Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)*
Jane Neill (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)*
Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(41)
Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury)(30)
Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(11)
Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(2)
Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster)(13)
Siobhán McCarthy (Worcester Warriors/Munster)(4)
Sophie Barrett (Railway Union RFC/Ulster)*
Backs (18):
Amee-Leigh Costigan (Railway Union RFC/Munster)(13)
Amy Larn (Athy RFC)*
Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC)(6)
Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)(12)
Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(18)
Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)(26)
Caitríona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)*
Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)(19)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)(10)
Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster)(25)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)(21)
Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC)(5)
Katie Heffernan (Railway Union RFC/Leinster)*
Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht)(13)
Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Leinster)(20)
Nicole Fowley (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)(14)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC)(14)
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC)(1)
