Opportunity knocks for younger crew

Women's Hockey: Just three months short of the seventh anniversary of her appointment as senior Irish coach, which makes her one of the longest serving national coaches in the game, Riet Kuper began a "building for the future" phase this week by including 10 uncapped players in her new panel.

Ulster's Hannah Bowe, Kirsty McCollum and Clare Parkhill, Leinster's Mary Goode, Louisa Healy and Anya Bowers (formerly Ulster), Munster's Jill Hodgins and Alison Lappin (formerly Ulster) and Connacht's Aoife Mitchell and Ciara Murphy all received call-ups to the 30-player squad after last weekend's senior interprovincial tournament.

Bowe (17), who is now on course to emulate her brother Tommy, who made his rugby debut for Ireland against the United States last month, by representing her country at senior level in her chosen sport, joins her Armagh team-mate Emma Stewart in the panel - Stewart made her senior debut as a 16-year-old in last June's Celtic Cup.

While Kuper retains a core of experienced players - Jenny Burke and Lynsey McVicker have over 100 caps each, Linda Caulfield is only a handful short of her century and Ciara O'Brien and Eimear Cregan have over 50 - she has given youth its fling, partly by choice, partly by necessity.

In any amateur sport there is, inevitably, a rapid turnover in players, but such has been the increasing demands on Irish internationals since Kuper's appointment the turnover in her panels has been even more dramatic. Unsurprisingly not one of the 18 players she selected for her first senior squad in May 1998 remains while half of the 18-player panel she took to Australia this time two years ago has since retired or is unavailable. Opportunities knock, then, for the younger crew in the build-up to August's European Championships in Dublin.

Several of the 30 players will be in action in the second round of the Irish Senior Cup this weekend when 16 teams will attempt to take their places in the third round draw when the eight seeded teams enter the fray.

IRISH SENIOR CUP, second round: Ards v Knock, Ards Leisure Centre, 2.30; Pembroke Wanderers v Ballymena, Serpentine Avenue, 1.30; Enniskillen v Clontarf, Bawnacre, 3.0; Ballymoney v Three Rock, Joey Dunlop Centre, 2.30; Civil Service v Corinthian, Stormont, 1.0; Ashton v Railway Union, Ashton School, 1.0; Waterford v Cork Church of Ireland, Newtown School, 1.30; Victorians v Cookstown, Olympia Leisure Centre, 2.30.

LEINSTER LEAGUE, Sunday, Division One: UCD v Hermes, Belfield, 2.30. Division Two: Saturday: Trinity v Diocesan, Santry, 1.0; Glenanne v Skerries, Tallaght, 2.15; Loreto III v Loreto II, Beaufort, 2.15; Hermes II v Muckross, Booterstown, 4.30.

Sunday: Skerries v Pembroke Wanderers II, Dardistown.

MUNSTER LEAGUE, Division One, Saturday: Church of Ireland v UCC, Garryduff, 3.30. Sunday: Church of Ireland II v Cork Harlequins, Garryduff, 1.30; UCC v Belvedere, Mardyke, 3.30.