Kuper runs rule over big squad

Women's HockeyAfter adding five more names to the senior development panel, which meets in Dublin this weekend, national coach Riet Kuper now has a group of 38 players, including the 16 currently on the full senior panel, vying for places in the squad that will travel to New Zealand in March for the Olympic Qualifying tournament.

Later this month Kuper will choose approximately nine of the "development" players, after monitoring their progress over three weekends, to join her existing senior squad, giving her a group of 25 from which she will select the 18 for Auckland.

Pembroke Wanderers' Katherine Little and Siobhán Kane, Hermes' Jenny Osborne and Jill Hodgins and UCD's Suzanne O'Connor are the latest additions to the development panel, although Railway Union's Emma Smyth was unable to accept her call-up.

School and college commitments have also resulted in the withdrawals of Ciara Murphy (Galway) and Emer Dillon (Cork Harlequins), but former Bandon player Emer Harte, now in college in England, is expected to return this weekend for the get-together.

Kuper hopes to arrange training camps for the squad in the US in January and South Africa in February, but with the trip to New Zealand costing up to €70,000, the strain on the budget for the senior women's team could jeopardise those plans, even with a contribution for the Olympic Qualifier from the Sports Council.

Meanwhile, the Irish Hockey Association have received applications for the post of senior women's manager and will interview the candidates in the next couple of weeks.

The post was vacated by Annette Fortune, who has been appointed Leinster under-21 coach, after the European finals in Barcelona.

Irish "development" commitments have reduced this weekend's league programme, with just two Leinster first division games going ahead: Genesis and Corinthian play host to Three Rock and Railway Union respectively.

WEEKEND FIXTURES

LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Genesis v Three Rock, Belfield, 2.45; Corinthian v Railway Union, Whitechurch, 3.30. Division Two: Muckross v Old Alexandra II, Donnybrook, 1.0; Diocesan v Glenanne, Rathgar, 2.0; Loreto II v Clontarf, Beaufort, 2.0; Pembroke Wanderers II v Hermes II, Ballsbridge, 3.30; Corinthian II v Our Lady's, Whitechurch, 5.0.

MUNSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Bandon v Catholic Institute, Bandon Grammar School, 1.30.

ULSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Coleraine v Ards, UUC, 2.30; Ballymoney v Portadown, Joey Dunlop Centre, 2.30; Victorians v Belfast Harlequins, Olympia Leisure Centre, 2.30.