*Saoirse Crowe. Photograph: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
A STRONG Clare cohort has been included in the Irish Rugby U20 men and women’s squads for their upcoming summer tournaments.
Between both squads, seven Clare rugby players have been included and will get the opportunity to line out for their country.
Squads were announced by the IRFU on Wednesday. Neil Doak’s Men’s side head to Italy for the U20 World Championships with 30 players named in the squad.
Head Coach of the Ireland U20’s Women, Niamh Briggs has named a 35 person squad for the 2025 Summer Series taking place in Wales. The series returns for a second year, eleven players return to the squad having taken part in the inaugural Summer Series last year and Wicklow’s Jane Neill captains the side again.
Killaloe duo Tom Wood and Oisin Minogue and Cratloe’s Luke Murphy are included. They all featured in the U20 squad for a recent outing against Ulster A.
Ennis RFC duo Lyndsay Clarke and Sally Kelly form part of the Women’s squad along with former clubmates Grainne Burke and Saoirse Crowe who have since joined UL Bohs, Saoirse also lines out with Shannon RFC.
Doora/Barefield’s Lyndsay won a Munster U14 league medal with Ennis RFC in 2020 while she is also a talented ladies footballer at club level with The Parish and has represented Clare.
Newmarket-on-Fergus’ Sally has won camogie championships at underage level with The Blues. She captained Munster last August in their Interpro clash against Leinster.
Kilnamona’s Grainne who attended Scoil Mhuire is expected to feature in the front row, she is a past pupil of Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon.
Saoirse made her Munster debut in August 2022 for the U18s against Connacht. She was part of the Irish Clovers squad who took on The Wolfhounds in Musgrave Park last December, she was also part of last year’s U20 squad. She started her career in Kilrush.
