Five of last season's Irish under-21 squad have been included in the 21 player panel announced yesterday by senior coach Riet Kuper for a week-long training camp in Barcelona in January. Two practice matches against Spain and one against Germany have also been scheduled for the week.

Kuper watched four of the players - Anya Bowers, Jill Orbinson, Shauna Parkhill and Claire Redpath - in action for Interprovincial winners Ulster in Cork last weekend. The fifth, South East's under-21 Caitriona Carey, joins six of her Hermes' clubmates on the panel.

Irish Squad: T Browne, J Burke, C Carey, C Devine, S Hilliard, M Logue, D Sixsmith (all Hermes), C Redpath, A Thompson, C McMahon (all Pegasus), R Kohler, K O'Brien, S Hutchinson (all Harlequins), A Bowers (Trinity), S Kelleher (Slough), M Merrigan (Loughborough), K Humphreys (Bonagrass Grove), C O'Kelly (Loreto), J Orbinson (Portadown), J Stewart (Ards), S Parkhill (Randalstown).