HOCKEY: With several of the senior players in the national panel just returning from injury, coach John Clarke is using the four-match trip to Barcelona next month to bring in a number of fresh figures to gain experience.
Of these, Cork C of I's David Hobbs and John Jermyn, members of the Irish under-21 side in the Junior World Cup in Tasmania last October, will get a chance to impress as preparations get under way for the European Championship qualifying tournament in Dublin in July.
Glenanne's former Ireland under-21 skipper Graham Shaw is the only other uncapped player in the 17-man squad, which will be captained by Nigel Henderson.
The squad will depart on February 6th and play Racing Club de Polo of Barcelona on Thursday, followed by two games against the Spanish under-21s, and it is hoped the final match on Sunday will be a full international against Spain.
IRISH SQUAD (number of caps in brackets): N Henderson (Pembroke Wanderers) (21) capt, W Bateman (Cork Harlequins) (2); J Black (Cork Harlequins) (24), M Black (Cork C of I) (10), P Brown, (Instonians) (28), K Burns (Cork C of I) (1), S Butler (Glenanne) (23), G Elliott (Pembroke Wanderers) (7), C Hanna, (Cork C of I) (13), D Hobbs (Cork C of I) (0), C Jackson (Annadale) (31), J Jermyn (Cork C of I) (0), E Lutton (Lisnagarvey) (56), vice-capt, M Raphael(Lisnagarvey) (25), G Shaw (Glenanne) (0), J Sherriff (Pembroke Wanderers) (8), D Smyth (Annadale) (14). Coach: J Clarke: assistant coaches: D Judge, J Kirkwood; manager: S Hiles.
Strategic planning meetings to help shape Irish hockey's future will take place around the country in the coming weeks. The Dublin meeting takes place at Pembroke Wanderers on Friday from 7 p.m. (contact Jantien Findlater at 01-2955554). The Belfast gathering will be on Sunday (Ronnie Smyth at 028-90962087).
