Guest will lead Munster team for a third season

LAURA Guest will guide the fortunes of the Munster Rugby women’s team for a third successive season.

The Clonakilty native has been confirmed as head coach for the forthcoming season, and she will be supported by an all-female management team.

In fact, and for the first time, both the Munster Women and U18 Girls’ squads will be coached and managed by all female staff as summer preparations get underway ahead of respective Interprovincial campaigns in August and September.

Former international Guest, who won 36 caps, is a veteran of three World Cups and a member of Ireland’s 2013 Grand Slam winning side. She captained Munster to interpro success in 2014 and then coached Munster Women to the prestigious title in 2017 during her first season at the helm.

Guest is joined by former Highfield, Munster and Ireland teammate Helen Brosnan, from Kerry, who takes up the position of assistant coach.

Former Munster and UL Bohemian forward and current Sunday’s Well Rebels Coach Maeve D’Arcy will once again manage the squad having come into the position of team manager in 2017. Lorna Barry continues to work with the senior squad as a strength and conditioning coach. Physio Kathyrn Fahy completes the senior management group and is in her second season with the senior squad.

‘It is brilliant to have a strong cohort of female coaches and management in place ahead of our summer training programme,’ head coach Guest said.

‘The level of knowledge and expertise across both groups will make for some brilliant sessions and I’m looking forward to working with all of the coaches.

‘We came agonisingly close to retaining our Interprovincial Series title last season and we hope to be right up there again contesting the trophy with yet another exciting group of players.

‘The development of the U18 girls and the TIP group are crucial to bringing players through into our senior ranks and with Fiona, Mairead and Niamh in those key roles we will be in a very good position.’

Both Urhan’s Laura Sheehan and Skibbereen’s Enya Breen were 

The Munster Women and U18 Girls’ squads get their Interprovincial preparations underway on Tuesday, July 2nd at the University of Limerick and Cork Institute of Technology respectively.