WOMENS HOCKEY: While the Irish team's success in winning a place in next April's World Cup Qualifier in Rome last month would have been greeted with satisfaction by the clubs whose players contributed to the achievement, the same clubs would have been mindful of the consequences for them.
Those consequences, of course, are the clubs will lose their Irish panellists for a significant part of the season. While the panellists will be permitted to play in Irish Senior Cup matches after Christmas they will be unavailable for all other competitions until after the Qualifier (which ends on May 6th).
Even then players who made it into the squad for Rome will be required to rest for a week after the tournament and will only be able to train with their clubs, in preparation for the Club Championships (May 26th-29th) from May 16th on.
The Irish Hockey Association, meanwhile, has "accepted in principle" invitations to compete in tournaments in Argentina and/or South Africa between January and March next year and so some Irish Cup fixtures may be rescheduled.
Loreto and Hermes, who, between them, had seven players in the European Championship squad, will try to make the most of their Irish players up to Christmas, starting tomorrow when the teams meet at Booterstown. They last met on the final day of last season when Hermes' 3-1 win was Loreto's first league defeat in 26 months - by then, though, Loreto had the league won.
Pembroke Wanderers and Old Alexandra meet at Serpentine Avenue, Corinthian play Three Rock at Whitechurch and UCD begin their season away to Railway Union. A new-look UCD it will be too after the students lost key players, including Jean McDonnell to Railway. Tom O'Donoghue, though, has a new batch of players to choose from, including Lisa Jacob (from Hermes), Nicky Keogh (Genesis), Elaine O'Neill (Hermes) and Ciara McNestry (Pembroke).
LEINSTER LEAGUE: Division One: Pembroke Wanderers v Old Alexandra, Ballsbridge, 12.30; Railway Union v UCD, Sandymount, 2.0; Hermes v Loreto, Booterstown, 2.0; Corinthian v Three Rock, Whitechurch, 3.0. Division Two: Glenanne v Old Alexandra II, Tallaght, 12.0; Bray v Loreto II, Bray, 1.0; Pembroke II v Genesis, Ballsbridge, 2.0; Corinthian II v Diocesan, Whitechurch, 3.30; Hermes II v Loreto III, Booterstown, 4.0.
