SEVEN IRISH PLAYERS have been named in the Barbarian Women squad for their upcoming two-match, two-hemisphere Autumn Tour.
Former Ireland captain Ciara Griffin and fellow ex-international star Lindsay Peat are among the 24-strong squad to face South Africa and Munster later this month.
Ciara O’Connor, Kathryn Buggy, Ciara Cooney, Ailsa Hughes and Mary Healy have also been called up by Premier 15s-winning Gloucester-Hartpury head coach Sean Lynn for the Tour.
Two years on from a 60-5 win over South Africa Women’s XV in front of 29,581 fans at Twickenham Stadium, the Barbarians travel to Cape Town for a return fixture on Saturday 23 September. Kick-off at Athlone Stadium is 4.30pm.
Then, they face Munster in a thrilling Thomond Park double-header on 30 September, with the Barbarian Men’s side also in action. The women’s game gets underway at 2pm, marking six years since the invitational team’s inaugural match, against the same. opposition at the same venue. The Baa Baas won 19-0 back in 2017.
There’s no shortage of Irish interest in both fixtures, with former international Lynne Cantwell now SA Rugby’s High Performance Manager.
“We were truly honoured when invited to play the BaaBaas at Twickenham at the end of 2021 and although effects of the Covid pandemic impacted on the game, we still played them with close to 30,000 people in attendance, the highest spectator count for a women’s game at the time,” she said.
“They come with a team that will be packed with international experience and class and their presence in Cape Town will be a massive boost to the exposure of the WXV tournament. This is going to be an historic and very meaningful match for women’s rugby in the country and continent.”
Barbarian Women
- Lindsay Peat (Ireland / Railway Union)
- Ciara O’Connor (Ireland / Ponsonby Fillies)
- Kathryn Buggy (Ireland / Gloucester-Hartpury)
- Elizabeth Crake (England / Ealing Trailfinders)
- Jo Kitlinski (USA / Colorado Gray Wolves)
- May Campbell (England / Saracens)
- Beth Stafford (unattached)
- Ciara Cooney (Ireland / Harlequins)
- Eloise Blackwell (New Zealand / Ponsonby Fillies)
- Vicky Fleetwood (England / Saracens*)
- Christiana Balogun (Bristol Bears)
- Kayleigh Searcy (Sale Sharks)
- Ciara Griffin (Ireland / UL Bohemians)
- Sara Barratin (Italy / Bennetton Rugby*)
- Ailsa Hughes (Ireland / Railway Union)
- Patricia Garcia Rodriguez (Spain*)
- Elinor Snowsill (Wales / Bristol Bears*)
- Gemma Rowland (Wales / Wasps)
- Katie Alder (Wasps)
- Megan Gaffney (Scotland / Heriots)
- Maria Magatti (Italy / Bennetton Rugby)
- Carla Hohepa (New Zealand / Kihikihi Rugby Club)
- Elizabeth Goulden (Gloucester-Hartpury)
- Mary Healy (Ireland / Galwegians RFC)
Head coach: Sean Lynn (Gloucester-Hartpury).
