MEN'S HOCKEY: Coach Dave Passmore has selected 24 players for the national squad who will train for the next four months leading up to the World Cup qualifying event in China in April.
Passmore has reintroduced a few faces and importantly has hung on to his experienced captain Paddy Brown, whose career in law was largely put on hold during Ireland's intense build-up to the European Championship Trophy, which they won in Rome in September.
Having taken a break from the international scene, Lisnagarvey's Mark Robinson also comes back in after a strong showing at the interprovincial tournament in Garryduff last weekend, where Ulster triumphed in the senior event.
"As a central midfield player, he showed strength, maturity and technical ability well beyond his years," said Passmore. "The interprovincioal tournament demonstrated much of the technical and tactical development made over the last 12 months.
"The squads should provide the basis for the challenge of the World Cup qualifier and the longer term prospects of A division hockey and the Olympic campaign.
"I am pleased there is competition within the group for places for the trip to South Africa (part of the warm-up campaign)," he continued. No player will be taken who does not address his fitness levels over the next two months."
By squads, Passmore means the elite squad and development squad. Movement between the two is a possibility with injuries and form a likely selection issue over the coming months.
There are 15 additional players on the national development squad and of those Annadale's Stephen Redpath, Glenanne's Joe Brennan and Trinity's Peter Blackeney will attend the December training camps with the elite 24.
Ireland will have to begin to shake themselves quite quickly and having come off a few heavy defeats to England and Belgium will again want to find the high-tempo game that served them so well in Rome.
Leinster will be disappointed that only six players are among the 24, including Stephen Butler and Justin Sherriff, who did not take part in the interprovincial tournament. Seven players are from Cork and the rest are Ulster based.
One of the most critical decisions over the next four months is which goalkeepers will travel and who will take the number-one slot. Since the retirement of Nigel Henderson and Wesley Bateman, Passmore must decide which two goalkeepers can fill such a gaping hole. Mark Ruddle, Gareth Lennox and Charlie Henderson are all in the squad.
Weekend Fixtures
Saturday
Leinster Senior League: Division One: Avoca v Monkstown, Newpark 1.45pm; Glenanne vs Railway Union, Glenanne Park 1.30pm; Dublin University vs Corinthians, Santry noon; YMCA v TRR, Claremont Rd 1.30pm; Pembroke Wanderers v Fingal, Serpentine Avenue 2pm.
Division Two: Naas v Kilkenny, Naas 1pm; Skerries v Bray, Skerries 2pm; Suttonians v Weston, Sutton Park 1pm; St James' Gate v UCD, Iveagh Grounds 2.15pm; Clontarf v Portrane/PP/St B, Mount Temple 2pm. Munster Senior League: Cork Harlequins II v Bandon A, Bandon 3pm.
Sunday
Munster Senior League: Church of Ireland A v Catholic Institute, Garryduff 1.30.
Ireland squad
A Barbour (Cookstown), J Black (C Harlequins), M Black (C Harlequins), P Brown (Inst), K Burns (C of I), S Butler (Glenanne), T Cockram (Lisnagarvey), M Gleghorn (Loughborough Univ), R Gormley (Pembroke), C Henderson (Corinthians), D Hobbs (C of I), M Irwin (Inst), J Jermyn (C if I), G Lennox (Banbridge), I Lewers (Annadale), E Magee (Banbridge), P Maguire (Trinity), S Nicholson (C Harlequins), M Raphael (Lisnagarvey), M Robinson (Lisnagarvey), M Ruddle (C of I), G Shaw (Glenanne), J Sherriff (Pembroke), B Waring (Lisnagarvey).
Coach: D Passmore. Manager: S Hiles.
