Hockey: Cork players included in Irish Junior World Cup squads
UCC hockey club captains Niamh Casey and Callum Griffin, make a presentation to Eabha Curran and Robyn Murphy as they head to Santiago, Chile, to play with the Irish U21 squad in the FIH Junior World Cup.
Two Cork players have been included in the Irish U21 men’s squad selected to compete at the upcoming FIH Junior World Cup, taking place from November 28 to December 10 in Tamil Nadu, India.
Harlequins' Sam Dale and Jamie Horgan, Church of Ireland and Bandon Grammar School, are the two Cork players heading away this weekend ahead of the tournament.
Horgan’s selection is a major achievement as he is still only in fifth year at the school and is still eligible to play at U18 level.
But if he has any concerns then he will know Sam Dale only too well as they are cousins and no doubt will be helping each other out over the tournament.
Ireland have been drawn in Pool A, where they will face Canada, Germany, and South Africa in the group stages. They open their campaign against Canada on Friday, November 28 at 5.45am (Irish time), before taking on South Africa on Saturday, November 29, at 8am, and concluding their pool fixtures against Germany on Monday, December 1, at 8am.
With only the pool winners and two best-performing runners-up progressing to the semi-finals, Ireland will need to deliver near-perfect performances in what promises to be a fiercely competitive Pool A.
The squad, however, is relishing the challenge and ready to make their mark on the world stage.
The 18-player group features a strong mix of talent and experience, headlined by Louis Rowe and Greg Williams, both of whom have already represented Ireland at senior international level.
Also named are Pembroke Wanderers duo Jake Fulton and Toby Slye O’Connell, alongside Lisnagarvey’s John Cunningham and Milo Thompson — all four having impressed during the summer as part of the Ireland U18 squad that captured gold at the EuroHockey Championship II.
Alongside them are a number of experienced players, many of which return from the 2024 EuroHockey U21 Championships, including Banbridge pair Matthew McKee and Ben Walker, and Three Rock Rovers’ forward Rex Dunlop and 2024/25 EY Hockey League Golden Glove winner James Coffey.
Meanwhile, three Cork players are in the Irish U21 women’s squad selected to compete at the upcoming FIH Junior World Cup, taking place in Santiago, Chile from December 1–12.
UCC’s Eabha Curran and Robyn Murphy are part of the squad, along with Maia McCourt who plays with Monmouth University in America and is a former Bandon Hockey Club and Bandon Grammar School player.
Ireland have been drawn in Pool C, where they will face Germany, India, and Namibia. The team will feature in the opening match of the tournament, taking on Germany on December 1 at 12 noon, before facing Namibia on December 3, and concluding their pool fixtures against India on December 5.
With some of the world’s top hockey nations in their group, Ireland will need to deliver consistent performances to advance to the knockout stages — a challenge the young Green Army are eager to embrace.
The squad boasts a blend of experience and exciting new talent, led by Amy Handcock, who headlines the selection after making her senior international debut earlier this year during Ireland’s tour to the USA in preparation for the EuroHockey Championships.
Several players make the step up from the Ireland U18 squad that earned promotion to the EuroHockey U18 Championship in 2026 following their triumph at the EuroHockey Championship II in Glasgow earlier this year, including Railway Union’s Hollai Quinn, Portadown’s Rebekah Lennon and Katie Herron, and UCD duo Sarah Byrne and Lucy McGoldrick.
Returning from the 2024 EuroHockey U21 Championship squad are Milla Fulton, Robyn Murphy, and Roisin Sexton, all of whom played key roles in Ireland’s campaign that concluded with a crucial victory over France to book their ticket to Santiago.
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