Women's Hockey Weekend previews: Shirley McKay (Randalstown), Kerry McComish (Pembroke Wanderers), Christine Quinlan (UCD) and Emma Smyth (Railway Union) have all earned call-ups to the senior Irish panel after impressing national coach Gene Muller at last weekend's open trial in Dublin.
The quartet will now be in contention for a place in the squad that travels to South Africa next month. "I held the open trial because I did not feel confident that I had identified all the players who could play for Ireland in the future," said Muller.
"I had seen many players at various interprovincial tournaments and club matches, but there are always players who are missed for a variety of reasons. I wanted to give these players an opportunity for further assessment.
"Adding these girls to the forthcoming camp will give me an opportunity to further assess them and see them play and train with the best in Ireland," he said.
The panel will take part in regional training sessions, in Cork, Dublin and Belfast, and will meet in Dublin on Saturday and Sunday week for a national training camp.
On the club front, as the Leinster first division nears the half-way point in the season, there are a string of crucial fixtures over the next few days that will have a significant bearing on the outcome of the title race.
The only two remaining unbeaten teams in the division, leaders Loreto and second-placed Old Alexandra, meet at Milltown tomorrow, with Alexandra also in action on Sunday against UCD.
Loreto, meanwhile, play their final pre-Christmas game on Tuesday when they meet Railway Union.
In Munster, champions Cork Harlequins play three games in four days (tomorrow, Sunday and Tuesday) but the key game is on Sunday when they meet Church of Ireland, like Harlequins on maximum points so far. C of I, though, are none too pleased about the timing of the "re-fixture" because of the unavailability of Sinéad Connery and Orla McCarthy.
LEINSTER LEAGUE: Division One: Tomorrow: Hermes v Railway Union, Booterstown, 11.15; Trinity v Corinthian, Santry, 12.0; Three Rock v UCD, Grange Road, 1.0; Old Alexandra v Loreto, Milltown, 1.15; Clontarf v Pembroke Wanderers, Clontarf, 2.0. Sunday: Old Alexandra v UCD, Milltown, 2.15. Division Two: Tomorrow: Glenanne v Hermes II, Tallaght, 11.45; Corinthian II v UCD II, Whitechurch, 1.0; Diocesan v Railway Union II, Rathgar, 2.0; Old Alexandra II v Loreto II, Milltown, 2.30; Genesis v Pembroke Wanderers II, Belfield, 2.30.
MUNSTER LEAGUE: Division One: Tomorrow: Bandon v Catholic Institute, Bandon, 2.30; Ashton v Cork Harlequins, Ashton School, 12.0; Church of Ireland v Univ of Limerick, Garryduff, 3.30. Sunday: Church of Ireland v Cork Harlequins, Garryduff, 3.30.
