A round-up of other rugby news in brief…
Charity ball THE Captain’s Banquet Ball 2009 will take place this year on February 27th at the D4 hotel (formerly Jurys Hotel) in Ballsbridge, Dublin. All the proceeds of the event will go towards the IRFU Charitable Trust Injured Player’s Fund, a charity set up to aid seriously injured Irish rugby players around the country. Today there 35 seriously injured players and the IRFU Charitable Trust dedicate themselves to making life easier for these people and for their families. It is a black-tie event and patrons will get the chance to meet past captain’s of Irish rugby teams. Unchanged side for women’s match STEVE Hennessy, Ireland women’s coach, yesterday named an unchanged side for Sunday’s game against Italy in Collefero. The team opened their Six Nations campaign with a 7-5 win over their French counterparts last weekend in Ashbourne.
IRELAND WOMEN: J O’Sullivan (Ulster) J Feighery (Munster), L Cantwell (Munster), H Brosnan (Munster), A Davis (Ulster) N Briggs (Munster), T Rosser (Leinster) F Coughlan (Leinster), Y Nolan (Leinster), G Bourke (Munster), C Mahon (Leinster), O Brennan (Leinster), L Austin (Leinster), S Ryan (Leinster), J Neville (Munster, capt). Replacements: J Limbert (Ulster), E MaManamly (Leinster), K O’Loughlin (Munster), C Molloy (Connacht), L Beamish (Munster), S Houston (Leinster), J Neville (Munster).