Riet Kuper is expected to have her position as senior national coach ratified by a meeting of the Irish Ladies Hockey Union council tomorrow in Dublin. The Dutch woman had initially pledged herself to the job only up to last July's European Nations' Cup qualifier in Finland, but is now likely to remain Irish coach for at least another season.

"Riet has agreed to go through to the European Nations Cup next August in Germany and, hopefully, on to the Olympic qualifier the following year," the ILHU honorary secretary, Joan McCloy, confirmed yesterday.

"We will meet her tomorrow and discuss her plans for the coming season. She is also meeting the underage national and provincial coaches at the weekend, in an effort to establish a common approach to how we're going to coach right through all the squads."

A panel for the first training weekend of the season, in October, will also be announced this weekend, with a number of the Irish under-21 team expected to be promoted to the senior ranks.

Meanwhile, in Leinster club hockey, Mary Logue meets her former club Railway Union for the first time since she joined Hermes at Belfield tomorrow afternoon. Old Alexandra return to their former home of Milltown, where they will hope to bounce back on their new astroturf, after last week's defeat by Loreto, when they play Muckross.

After a comfortable opening to the defence of their Munster title last weekend, when they beat Church of Ireland 3-1, Harlequins take on their second team at Harlequin Park.