Lightning’s Aoibhe Kelly has been named in Ireland Women’s U21s squad, for the inaugural U21 Women’s Six Nations Series.
Kelly made her senior PWR debut off the bench against defending champions Gloucester-Hartpury in February, becoming Lightning #157 in the process.
Following the success of the U20 Women’s Summer Series in recent years, the introduction of this new tournament will see Ireland face Italy, England and Wales in three home and away fixtures across April and May.
Commenting on the announcement, Head Coach Niamh Briggs said: “The evolution of this tournament into the U21 Women’s Six Nations Series, to run alongside the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, is a significant addition to the calendar.
“These matches will provide a vital bridge between representing Ireland at the underage level to making the step to the senior Test level, ensuring our high-potential players are exposed to consistent and high-quality minutes in green.
“For us, it’s about creating an environment where these young athletes can grow, be challenged, and truly understand what it means to represent Ireland at the highest level.
“We have had a good period of preparation in camp, and we look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead, starting with a landmark double-header match day for Irish Rugby at Dexcom Stadium in Galway.”
Ireland Women’s U21 squad
Forwards
Jemima Adams Verling
Gabby Brown
Ella Buckley
Grainne Burke
Ella Burns
Aoife Corcoran
Annakate Cournane
Saoirse Crowe
Sarah Delaney
Emma Dunican
Alisha Flynn
Poppy Garvey
Sally Kelly
Roisin Maher
Aoibheann McGrath
Orlaith Morrissey
Aoibhe O’Flynn
Ailish Quinn
Rosie Searle
Naoise Smyth
Backs
Lyndsay Clarke
Alex Connor
Katie Corrigan
Emily Foley
Siofra Hession
Leah Irwin
Aoibhe Kelly
Lucia Linn (captain)
Heidi Lyons
Niamh Murphy
Robyn O’Connor
Teni Onigbode
Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton
Chisom Ugwueru
Ava Usanova