IRELAND WOMENS COACH Sean Dancer has named five uncapped players in his squad for next month’s Hockey World Cup campaign. 

Their tournament gets underway on 2 July at Amsterdam’s Wagener Stadium.

Under-21 captain Caoimhe Perdue, Christina Hamill and Siofra O’Brien all starred in the Junior World Cup in April and impressed – alongside Katie McKee and Charlotte Beggs – in recent challenge matches against Scotland and in Japan to land their place in the line-up.

At the other end of the spectrum, the side features five players from the groundbreaking 2018 run to the World Cup final with Katie Mullan reprising her role as captain.

 Ayeisha McFerran was named goalkeeper of the tournament in London and they are among the leaders in the group along with Lena Tice, Róisín Upton and Deirdre Duke. 

“The team are excited about our progress and the opportunities that lie ahead over the next month, and know that anything is possible at a World Cup,” Dancer says.

“Our entire group, players and staff have been working extremely hard over the last month, on the basics that a new group has to do. This has been a tough but a very enjoyable period.”

Ireland start off against the hosts and current world number one side, the Netherlands, with the 9,500-strong venue already sold out. 

Next up are tournament debutantes Chile, before concluding the group stage against Germany 

Ireland panel: 

Ayeisha McFerran (goalkeeper, SV Kampong (NED), 113)

Elizabeth Murphy (goalkeeper, Loreto, 13)

Caoimhe Perdue (UCC, 0)

Charlotte Beggs (Ulster Elks, 0)

Christina Hamill (Loreto, 0)

Deirdre Duke (Old Alex, 154 )

Ellen Curran (Pembroke, 27)

Erin Getty (Queen’s, 11)

Hannah McLoughlin (UCD, 26)

Katie McKee (Pegasus, 0)

Katie Mullan (captain, Ballymoney, 206)

Lena Tice (Old Alex, 122)

Michelle Carey (UCD, 10)

Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute, 121)

Roisin Upton (vice-captain, Catholic Institute, 89)

Sarah Hawkshaw (Railway Union, 46)

Sarah McAuley (UCD, 9)

Sarah Torrans (Loreto, 33)

Siofra O’Brien (Loreto, 0)

Zara Malseed (Ards, 7)

Group A schedule (all at Wagener Stadium, Amsterdam)

2 July: Ireland v Netherlands, 6.30pm 

5 July: Ireland v Chile, 1pm

6 July: Ireland v Germany, 3.30pm