Uncapped players Louise Henderson, Zanya Dahl, Sinead Dooley and Katherine Elkins have all been named in Ireland’s squad which will begin preparations for the World Cup qualifying competition in Rome next April.

VENI, VIDI, VICI! How appropriate it was Rome where Ireland came, saw and conquered in the European Nations Championship on Saturday night.

IRELAND’S women’s coach Riet Kuper has backed the idea of our leading young players moving to Europe’s top leagues to further their hockey education.

Ireland 0 Holland 4

Ireland 0 Spain 0

RIET KUPER has collected a lot of air miles during her eight-year tenure as Irish coach.

TEENAGE hockey sensation Emma Stewart has been named in the final Irish squad for the European Championships in Dublin in less than two weeks time.

The Ireland women’s team travel to Germany for a four-nation tournament next week as they prepare to host the European Championship in August.

Ireland missed out on a bronze medal at the KT Cup in South Korea after China, ranked fourth in the world, won the third-placed play-off 5-2.

IRELAND will face China, the team ranked fourth in the world, in the bronze medal match at the KT Cup in South Korea after beating Malaysia 4-0 yesterday.

Ireland will face world number four China in the bronze-medal match at the KT Cup in South Korea after beating Malaysia 4-0 today.

Korea 6 Ireland 3

NIGEL BUTTIMER has announced his retirement from international hockey at the age of 28.

Ireland women’s coach Riet Kuper has omitted three experienced internationals from her training squad, which travels to Spain next month, in order to give younger players a chance.

Ireland's women's hockey team signed off their failed Olympic qualifying campaign in New Zealand with a 4-1 defeat against England.

New Zealand 5 (Igasan 17, Sharland 29, Provan 37, 51, Roberts 47) Ireland 1 (McDonough 37)

ORLA RYAN and Pamela Orr were yesterday dropped by Irish ladies hockey coach Riet Kuper, as she announced her squad for the forthcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Auckland, New Zealand from March 19 to 28.

Ireland women’s tour to the USA ended in a three-match whitewash after a 2-0 defeat at Stanford University in California.

DESPITE the fact that Cork Harlequins have beaten today’s Irish Senior Women’s Cup opponents Knock in the competition for the past two years, coach Ivan Bateman is taking nothing for granted in the third round encounter at Harlequin Park (hit off 1.30pm).

IRISH ladies hockey coach Riet Kuper has named a squad of 20 to travel to America next month as preparations intensify ahead of the Olympic qualifying tournament in Auckland from March 19-28.

RACHEL KOHLER, Ireland’s most capped hockey player and the captain of the side which claimed sixth place at the recent European championships in Barcelona, has announced her retirement from the international side.

Ireland 4 France2

THE Irish men’s hockey team will have to quickly overcome their disappointment of failing to beat Belgium on Monday and missing out on a top eight finish in the European Championships, or they could lose further momentum.

Ireland 0, England 3

THE Irish Hockey Association raised more than a few eyebrows at the European Championships over the weekend when it emerged that an Irish player was allowed home from the tournament on Friday to attend a wedding.

Ireland 0, Germany 4

Ireland2 Italy1

IRELAND’S men’s hockey coach John Clarke watched France beat Russia on Monday and despite his own side’s 6-4 loss to Spain, he is quietly confident of being able to beat both Pool A rivals, with the Russians being first up on the agenda at Montjuich this afternoon.

RIET KUPER remembers only too vividly Ireland ladies’ first training camp in the build up to this week’s European Championships in Barcelona.

ON June 17 2001 Karen O’Brien walked away from international hockey. At just 27 years of age she was probably just coming to the peak of her career as an international striker, but the burden of being an amateur player in an almost entirely professional set-up with Ireland was becoming too much.

Ireland women’s plans for the forthcoming European Nations Cup have been boosted by the decision of two senior players to return to the international game.

Ireland women’s first full international since last winter’s World Cup ended in a 0-0 draw against Japan in Den Bosch, Holland, today.

Bill George talks to a husband and wife team driven

Ireland women’s coach Riet Kuper has handed first call-ups to five players for a three-day Easter training camp.

IRISH ladies’ hockey coach Riet Kuper is to remain in the job, despite recent speculation to the contrary.

Three of Ireland’s senior women players have announced their retirements from the international game.

“THAT was the week that was,” and one the Irish women’s World Cup hockey squad will be trying to make amends for to some small measure of degree when they resume action today against Japan in the Women’s Hockey World Cup tournament in Perth.

THE Irish women’s squad face another mammoth World Cup task against powerful Netherlands in Perth today.

IRISH coach Riet Kuper was left frustrated yesterday after she witnessed her Irish hockey team played brilliantly but lose 2-1 to world champions Australia in the World Cup in Perth to remain point-less at the bottom of their pool.

USA 2 Ireland 1

England 3 Ireland 1

Ireland lost 1-0 to France in the women's hockey World Cup qualifying tournament in Amiens.