MEN'S HOCKEY: The 26-man panel named by Irish coach John Clarke during the week will take part in an intensive two-day session at the National Stadium in Belfield this weekend.
It will be the squad's first meeting since the team finished a successful year in winning the Senior Celtic Trophy, a Manchester invitational tournament and the European Qualification event staged in Belfield during the summer. Stage one complete. Oh yes, and a win against the world seventh-ranked team England, the first in over 50 years.
John Clarke has brought in five uncapped players to the squad that will now turn it's collective mind towards preparation for the European Championships in Barcelona next September.
Cookstown's Andrew Barbour, YMCA's Will Powderly, Ian Clarke from Glenanne, Charlie Henderson from Corinthians and Cork Harlequins' Sean Nicholson come into the squad, which will be ultimately trimmed down to 16 travelling players.
Mark Black, who played in every international in 2002, has sustained a serious cruciate knee injury and is not included but the return of Nigel Buttimer, who was injured in last season's interprovincial tournament after he turned on a dry patch on the astro turf, makes a welcome return.
While there has been a great deal of satisfaction taken out of winning the qualifier in Dublin and the win over England and 11th-ranked Belgium, the European finals represents a huge step up.
A trip to Barcelona has been scheduled for February when Ireland will play three games against the Belgian national side, Spain's under-23 team and Real Club de Polo. Other expressions of interest to play Ireland in the build-up to the finals have come from Poland, Austria, Holland and England.
Elsewhere in the Irish Senior Cup the match between the new PSNI and Naas marks a first for the competition when the southern team travels to Palace Barracks outside Belfast for their second round match.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Tomorrow
Avoca v Glennane 1:45pm Rathdown; Corinthian v Aer Lingus 12.30pm, Whitechurch Park; Monkstown vs YMCA 2.00 pm, St Andrew's College; Railway Union v Three Rock Rovers 2.00 pm, Park Avenue; UCD v Pembroke Wanderers 1.00 pm. Belfield
IRISH SENIOR CUP
(Second round)
Cliftonville v Antrim, OLC 2.30; North Down v Suttonians, Comber LC 2.30; Skerries v Newry, Santry 3.00; Raphoe v Armagh, Royal and Prior School 1.00; QUB v St James Gate, Malone 1.00; Belfast Harlequins v Bangor, Deramore 2.30; Clontarf v Portrane, DCU 2.30; Parkview v Dublin University, Jordanstown 1.00; PSNI v Naas, Palace Barracks 2.30.
