So much for Easter being a quiet time on the hockey front. Over the next few days Belfast, Antwerp, Rome, Milan and Lisburn play host to the senior, under-18 and under-16 Irish sides and two club teams, Old Alexandra and Pegasus, who are competing in the B divisions of the European Cup Winners' Cup and Club Championships respectively.
Belfast is the venue for the inaugural Under-18 European Youth Trophy, which gets under way today and finishes on Tuesday, while the Under-16 competition began yesterday in Antwerp and runs through to Monday.
The Under-18 event, featuring a girls and boys competition, is the largest hockey tournament ever to be staged in Ireland. Matches will take place at Queen's University's Malone grounds.
Having been drawn in pools with Germany, England and France (the second pool in both competitions is made up of the Netherlands, Spain, Scotland and Belgium) the under-18 and under16 girls, realistically, will do well to retain their A division status. Both events will, however, give the young players the invaluable experience of taking on Europe's finest, when, until now, they have been largely restricted to competing in Home Nations' tournaments. Meanwhile, in Lisburn the Irish senior squad will play Scotland in three practice matches over the weekend as part of their preparation for August's European Nations' Cup finals. Absent will be Sarah Kelleher (in action in Europe for Slough) and the Pegasus contingent of Claire Redpath, Arlene Thompson, Kim Mills, Claire McMahon and Pamela Magill, who are in Milan for the European Club Championships.
The Belfast side have been drawn in a pool with the champions of Spain (Real Sociedad), Lithuania (Siauliai) and Slovakia (Lokomotiva Raka). Their European inexperience may make Old Alexandra's quest for a medal in Rome a more difficult one but the club, competing in Europe for the first time since 1992, is at least boosted by the availability of captain Carol Metchette, who they feared had broken her hand in last week's league match against Hermes, and midfielder Marissa Ahern, who has recovered from a fractured cheekbone.
The Dublin side open their European Cup Winners' Cup (B division) campaign today against Austrian side Akademischer before taking on Cambrai of France and Wales' Newtown, last year's B division bronze medallists, on Sunday.
UNDER-18 EUROPEAN YOUTH TROPHY, A Division (at Belfast) - Pool A: Belgium, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain; Pool B: England France, Ireland and Germany. Today: Ireland v Germany, 2.0. Tomorrow: Ireland v France, 4.0. Sunday: Ireland v England, 2.0. Monday: Crossover matches. Tuesday: Final placings. UNDER-16 EUROPEAN YOUTH TROPHY, A Division (at Antwerp) - Pool A: Belgium, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain; Pool B: Germany, England, France, Ireland. Today: Ireland v France, 4.0. Tomorrow: Ireland v Germany, 2.0. Sunday: Crossover matches. Monday: Final placings.
EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS' CUP, B Div- ision (at Rome) - Pool A: Royal Leopold (Belgium), Libertas San Saba (Italy), MC Budejovice (Czech Rep), Grasshopper Club (Switzerland). Pool B: Old Alexandra, Newtown (Wales), Cambrai (France), Akademischer (Austria). Today (Irish times): Old Alexandra v Akademischer, 8.0am. Tomorrow: Old Alexandra v Cambrai, 9.0am. Sunday: Old Alexandra v Newtown, 9.0am. Monday: Crossover matches.
EUROPEAN CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP, B Division (at Milan) - Pool A: Martesana (Italy), Swansea, Stade Francais, Leuven (Belgium). Pool B: Real Sociedad (Spain), Pegasus, HC Siauliai (Lithuania), Lokomotiva Raka (Slovakia). Today (Irish times): Pegasus v Siauliai, 11.0. Tomorrow: Pegasus v Lokomotiva Raka, 11.0. Sunday: Pegasus v Real Sociedad, 11.0. Monday: Crossover matches.
FRIENDLY INTERNATIONALS (at Lisburn) - Ireland v Scotland (Tomorrow and Sunday, 4.0; Monday, 11.30).
