THE live television cameras will be in situ as the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship gets underway this weekend, but many familiar faces from the provinces won’t be in view.

With Ireland’s World Cup qualifiers following hot on the heels of the competition, coach Adam Griggs has opted to keep his players in camp to prepare for the challenge of facing Italy, Spain and Scotland in the round-robin tournament.

At Leinster, it means new coach Phil de Barra is dealing with a new-look squad. Fourteen of the players he would usually call upon are otherwise engaged, which means they go to the Sportsground with a new-look group.

De Barra held a screening process to identify new players early in the summer before bringing together a squad that still boasts international quality in centres Jenny Murphy and Michelle Claffey, among others.

Many players will be playing their first match in more than 18 months against Connacht as Leinster look to make it three titles in a row.

“We’re in a good spot, we got enough contact in and we’re feeling excited,” said De Barra, who steps up from his role as assistant. “There’s quite a change, around half the squad to be honest.

“We had a broad screening process, a lot of people were in and the positive in that was we saw a lot of young faces.

 

Caps

“We have girls coming in who wouldn’t have the number of caps of those that are gone, but we’ve got a sprinkling of more experienced players.

“We’re in transition, but the players have plenty of ability.

“It’s been a strange few years. The reality is that we have 14 involved in the international setup also, which is a factor. I can think of one retiree. For us, it’s quite a natural progression, and it allows us to broaden our base.

“I’m a new coach also; there were going to be changes anyway. The way we play would have been slightly different, and a few players may be too. Honestly, it is not a big challenge.”

Vice-captain Claffey last played a match in March 2020, and she can’t wait for her teammates to show their wares to a bigger audience with the games broadcast on TG4.

“When I started playing in 2011, we played (Munster) in Highfield RFC and there weren’t many supporters at the game,” Claffey (pictured) recalled.

“Ten years later, we have got a sponsor in Vodafone and the games will be on TG4, so there have been massive steps forward.

“Since Covid-19, there’s been a push in Gaelic football, camogie and rugby for national coverage and its exposure to younger girls who can see players playing and say, ‘I see her on television, she’s my idol’ – it’s only that exposure which brings that. Our aim is to win, to retain our provincial title.”