Sport

Men’s Premier League All-Star squad named for China tour

Provisional squad of 23 selected for Sino-European Championships in July

The coach for the tour is UCC Demons player-coach Colin O’Reilly, who will cut the squad down to 12 for the tournament. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/INPHO
The coach for the tour is UCC Demons player-coach Colin O’Reilly, who will cut the squad down to 12 for the tournament. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/INPHO
Thu Feb 26 2015 - 19:44

Colin O'Reilly has laid down a challenge to players hopeful of making the Men's Premier League All-Star team competing at the Sino-European Championships this July. Twenty-three players are in a provisional squad for the trip to China and O'Reilly, player-coach with League and Cup champions UCC Demons, is counting on a selection headache.

“Each one of them needs to make it too hard for us not to pick them,” he said. Only 12 players will make the cut to compete against Italy, Slovenia and China in Jiangsu Province with the squad set to gather for the first time on April 18th.

“They have seven weeks to get ready. They’ll need to be in the best shape possible and develop their game to be the best players on the floor when we get together.”

Killester will secure third place in the Men’s Premier League this weekend with a win at home to UL Eagles. Eagles coach Paul Kelleher says his priority is developing a competitive squad for next season.

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"We're at a stage where I think we'll be in good shape. Krystian Burchardt has been tremendous with other younger players like Jamie McAuliffe and Seamus Hickey also flying the flag."

A Killester win would leave Templeogue fighting for the last Champions Trophy spot. They play at Dublin Inter. Travelodge Swords Thunder go to UCD Marian while Belfast Star are at home to DCU Saints.

The final placings in the Women’s Premier League will be confirmed by Sunday. Team Montenotte Hotel secured the regular season trophy with Wednesday’s win over Singleton SuperValu Brunell. DCU Mercy will take second if they beat Courtyard Liffey Celtics while Brunell could avoid Montenotte Hotel in the playoffs if they beat Meteors. Killester host Maxol WIT Wildcats.

Men's Premier League All-Star Training Squad – Guards: R Downey (Neptune), K Hosford (UCC Demons), S Coughlan (UCC Demons), M Nagle (DCU Saints), K Lacey (Travelodge Swords Thunder), C Meany (UCD Marian), D James (UCD Marian), S Kinevane (UL Eagles), P Dick (EVL Limburg). Forwards: C O'Sullivan, (UCC Demons), D Cunningham (Moycullen), C Grace (Templeogue), L Thompson (Templeogue), N O'Reilly (UCC Demons), C O'Reilly (UCC Demons). Centres: K Cairns (Belfast Star), L Colbert (UCC Demons), M Provizors (DCU Saints), J Turner (Killester), R O'Sullivan (Moycullen), J Killeen (Templeogue), N Baynes (UCD Marian), K Hansberry (Maree).