The Irish U21 women’s side had their status in the top tier of European competition assured thanks to an EHF executive board decision this week which keeps alive their hopes of playing in the 2020 Junior World Cup.

IRELAND’S U18 girls produced a superb backs-to-the-wall effort to keep Belgium at bay and secure a top four ranking at the Volvo EuroHockey U18 Championships in Utrecht yesterday.

IRELAND will be bidding to advance to their third FIRA-AER U18 Championship decider in four years when they face Georgia in tonight’s semi-final at Casale Sul Sile, Treviso, (7pm, Irish time).

The Irish U18 boys have beaten Spain 6-1 in the second phase of the European Nations Cup A Division qualifiers in Barcelona.