Champs UL remain favourites

DEFENDING champions, University of Limerick, go into the ESB Women’s Cup as raging hot favourites to retain the title.

They have an easy first round assignment away to Firhouse Notre Dame while the leading challengers are also in against Division One sides - Bausch & Lomb Wildcats at home to Longford Falcons, and Scruffy’s St Paul’s awaiting Sligo Warriors in Killarney. The only all-Superleague clash is the meeting of Vienna Woods Glanmire and Tolka Rovers at Little Island and the home side should win on the back of their big win over the Dublin side in the ESB Superleague last weekend.

“But it is not a foregone conclusion,” Glanmire Coach Sean O’Regan insisted.