Megan Frazer has been included in Graham Shaw’s squad of 18 players for next month’s World Cup in London despite concerns over her fitness.

Roisin Upton is hoping to make up for lost time with the Irish women’s team as they look to land a 2018 World Cup spot over the course of the next two weeks.

Ireland’s hopes of World Cup qualification have been dealt a serious blow after captain Megan Frazer was ruled out for up to nine months.

The second season of the EY Hockey League gets underway this weekend and 11 Olympians will feature, fresh from their Rio 2016 campaign.

John Jermyn’s second successive hat-trick has Cork C of I mixing it with the big guns in the EY Hockey League after they scalped Glenanne 4-2 in Tallaght.

After the utter devastation of a shoot-out loss to China in what was a direct Olympic qualifier, Darren Smith has the unenviable task of picking up his players to go again for another huge match on Saturday in Valencia.

Ireland 2 USA 0: Ireland will take aim at a place in the 2016 Olympics with confidence tomorrow after stunning world number five USA 2-0 in Valencia yesterday.

Ireland’s Olympic qualification campaign is already ahead of schedule following a stunning 4-1 success over South Africa on day one of World League 3 in Valencia yesterday.

Captain Megan Frazer believes Ireland’s World League 2 performances show how far they have come under Darren Smith’s tutelage.

Ireland proved far too strong for Turkey to complete their World League 2 pool games with a huge 13-0 win, with Clare woman Naomi Carroll netting four times at Belfield.

Hockey: Profligacy is an issue for Ireland but it’s still a case of a job well done so far.

Hockey: Cork Harlequins are a step away from being back in the big time after ousting Pegasus 2-1 in the Irish Senior Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.

Ireland’s women claimed Champions Challenge I silver for the first time, but gold eluded them as USA claimed a 3-1 final victory in Glasgow.

Ireland’s men will feel the heat when they get their Champions Challenge I campaign underway against favourites New Zealand in Kuantan, Malaysia today (8am Irish time).

Some of Ireland’s most established international hockey players were left reeling yesterday after being dumped from Darren Smith’s squad ahead of August’s European championships.

Irish hockey has waved goodbye to some of its brightest female prospects in recent weeks, as the trickle of talent heading to America turns into a flood.

Three Rock Rovers came to Cork with six Irish Hockey League debutants, a clutch of teenagers and little in the way of form — but still left Garryduff with a 2-0 victory that all but ends Church of Ireland’s qualification hopes.

There were few surprises as Ireland’s coaches revealed their hands for this month’s Olympic qualifiers, but fitness concerns could give Paul Revington and Gene Muller sleepless nights yet.

John Jermyn faces into a crucial week in his race to be fit for Ireland’s Olympic qualification tournament in Dublin next month.

LOUISA HEALY and Megan Frazer will make their first international appearances in over 18 months later this month following their inclusion in Gene Muller’s panel for Ireland’s tour to South Africa.

MEGAN FRAZER looks set to answer Ireland’s call once more after being named as America’s best university field hockey player.

EIMEAR CREGAN could overtake fellow Munster woman Rachael Kohler as the most capped Irishhockey player of all time this month.

FOUR uncapped players have been included in the Ireland women’straining squad as they begin their build-up to next April’s World Cup qualifier in Chile.

NEW Ireland senior men’s hockey coach Paul Revington gets his first chance to see his new charges in action later this month as Scotland arrive for a three-game series.