Women's Six Nations: Five new faces in Ireland squad as fixtures confirmed
- Published
Ireland Sevens players Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe and Stacey Flood are named in Adam Griggs' squad
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, the top try scorer in the 2019 World Rugby Sevens, is one of five uncapped players in Ireland's Women's Six Nations squad.
She joins Sevens team-mates Stacey Flood, Eve Higgins, Emily Lane and Grace Moore in the 35-player panel.
Ireland travel to Wales on 10 April before hosting France a week later.
The condensed tournament concludes with a final round of games on 24 April, which are determined by results over the first two rounds.
Adam Griggs will be without the experienced trio of Ciara Cooney, Edel McMahon and Grand Slam winner Larissa Muldoon as all three are unavailable due to injury.
Munster back row Ciara Griffin will again captain Ireland and Claire Boles and Emma Hooban join the five uncapped players in the squad.
Kathryn Dane, Neve Jones, Brittany Hogan and Boles are the four Ulster players to be named.
Ireland's 2020 Six Nations campaign was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic however they still won three of their four matches. Tournament organisers announced a condensed campaign for 2021 and the World Cup was postponed by 12 months to September 2022.
"It means a huge amount to us to have test rugby on the horizon. This group have been working very closely together over the past number of months and the Six Nations was always going to be a priority for us, said head coach Griggs.
"We have two more camps to fine tune things ahead of the first fixture and competition for match squad places will be high."
Ireland's three Six Nations matches will be available to watch on the BBC Sport website and BBC iPlayer.
Ireland squad:
Forwards: Claire Boles (Ulster), Anna Caplice (Harlequins), Linda Djougang (Leinster), Laura Feely (Connacht), Nichola Fryday (Connacht), Ciara Griffin (Munster), Brittany Hogan (Ulster), Emma Hooban (Leinster), Neve Jones (Ulster), Leah Lyons (Harlequins), Aoife McDermott (Leinster), Claire Molloy (Wasps), Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps), Grace Moore (Railway Union), Hannah O'Connor (Leinster), Katie O'Dwyer (Leinster), Chloe Pearse (Munster), Lindsay Peat (Leinster), Dorothy Wall ( Munster).
Backs: Enya Breen (Munster), Eimear Considine (Munster), Kathryn Dane (Ulster), Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks), Aoife Doyle (Munster), Katie Fitzhenry (Leinster), Stacey Flood (Leinster), Eve Higgins (Leinster), Ailsa Hughes (Leinster), Emily Lane (Munster), Ellen Murphy (Leinster), Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe (Munster), Sene Naoupu (Leinster), Beibhinn Parsons (Connacht), Laura Sheehan (Exeter Chiefs), Hannah Tyrrell (Leinster).