Celtic Challenge: Ten Ulster players included in Greg McWilliams' Combined Provinces squad

Ella Durkan is one of ten Ulster players set to feature in the Celtic Challenge Cup

Ireland head coach Greg McWilliams has included ten Ulster women's players in his Combined Provinces XV squad for the inaugural Celtic Challenge Cup, despite their struggles at club level.

Back rows India Daley, Sophie Barrett and Stacey Sloan along with Ella Durkan, Brittany Hogan, Maeve Nuala Liston, Kelly McCormill, Sadhbh McGrath, Rachel McIlroy and Fiona Tuite are all in the 43 player panel.

Ulster have failed to win an inter-provincial game since 2012 following another miserable campaign this year.

The Combined Provinces XV's first fixture takes place this weekend as they face the WRU Development XV at the Cardiff Arms Park.

They will then play two home games at Belfast's Kingspan Stadium, facing the Scottish Thistles on 4 February and their Welsh counterparts again on 18 February before a final game against the Thistles on 25 February.

The competition will act as a warm-up for the 2023 Women's Six Nations, concluding four weeks prior to the start of the tournament.

"This is an exciting new competition that provides a really excellent opportunity for our extended squad of players to prepare for the Women's Six Nations and gain valuable competitive experience and exposure to high level competition," said McWilliams.

"The Celtic Challenge provides us as a national coaching group with a window to work closely with players we've been tracking throughout the Women's All-Ireland League and the recent Women's Interprovincial Championship.

"It is an exciting group of players, combining youth and experience, and it will be invaluable for us to come together as a group for an extended period to build cohesion and connections ahead of the Six Nations campaign. We're looking forward to the challenge over the coming weeks."

Combined Provinces squad - 2023 Celtic Challenge

Clara Barrett (Connacht/UL Bohemians RFC)

Sophie Barrett (Ulster/Enniskillen RFC)

Claire Bennett (Munster/UL Bohemians RFC)

Chloe Blackmore (Leinster/Railway Union RFC)

Molly Boyne (Leinster/Railway Union RFC/Dublin University FC)

Natasja Behan (Leinster/Blackrock College RFC)

Enya Breen (Munster/Blackrock College RFC) (Co-Captain)

Megan Louise Collis (Leinster/Railway Union RFC)

Eimear Corri (Leinster/Blackrock College RFC)

Nicole Cronin (Munster/UL Bohemians RFC)

India Daley (Ulster/Cooke RFC/Enniskillen RFC)

Aoife Dalton (Leinster/Old Belvedere RFC)

Meabh Deely (Connacht/Blackrock College RFC)

Orla Dixon (Connacht/Galwegians RFC)

Linda Djougang (Leinster/Old Belvedere RFC)

Anna Doyle (Leinster/Blackrock College RFC)

Aoife Doyle (Munster/Railway Union RFC)

Ella Durkan (Ulster/Blackrock College RFC)

Christy Haney (Leinster/Blackrock College RFC)

Mary Healy (Leinster/Naas RFC/Suttonians RFC)

Emma Hooban (Leinster/Blackrock College RFC)

Ailsa Hughes (Leinster/Railway Union RFC)

Brittany Hogan (Ulster/Old Belvedere RFC)

Jess Keating (Leinster/Old Belvedere RFC)

Maeve Nuala Liston (Ulster/Blackrock College RFC)

Molly Scuffil McCabe (Leinster/Railway Union)

Kelly McCormill (Ulster/Cooke RFC)

Sadhbh McGrath (Ulster/Cooke RFC)

Rachel McIlroy (Ulster/QUB RFC)

Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (Munster/Old Belvedere RFC)

Dannah O'Brien (Leinster/Old Belvedere RFC)

Hannah O'Connor (Leinster/Blackrock College RFC) (Co-Captain)

Niamh O'Dowd (Leinster/Old Belvedere RFC)

Clodagh O'Halloran (Munster/UL Bohemians RFC)

Maeve Og O'Leary (Munster/Blackrock College RFC)

Ella Roberts (Leinster/Wicklow RFC)

Stacey Sloan (Ulster/Cooke RFC)

Leah Tarpey (Leinster/Railway Union RFC)

Fiona Tuite (Ulster/Old Belvedere RFC)

Aoife Wafer (Leinster/Blackrock College RFC)

Kayla Waldron (Connacht/Galwegians RFC)

Dorothy Wall (Munster/Blackrock College RFC)

Katie Whelan (Leinster/Old Belvedere RFC)