THREE Gloucester-Hartpury players have been named in Ireland’s training squad ahead of next month’s WXV Global Series.

Sam Monaghan, Neve Jones and Niamh O’Dowd have all been selected by head coach Scott Bemand as Ireland prepare to return to international action.

The call-ups continue the strong Gloucester-Hartpury presence in the Irish set-up, with all three forwards having represented their country at Test level and at last year’s Rugby World Cup in England.

Monaghan has been a key figure at Gloucester-Hartpury since joining from Wasps ahead of the 2022/23 season.

The lock had originally taken up rugby while living near Brighton, joining Lewes RFC after struggling to find a Gaelic football club in the area.

Her performances eventually earned her a trial with Wasps and she went on to establish herself in the English top flight before moving to Gloucester-Hartpury.

Monaghan made her Ireland debut against Spain in a World Cup qualifier in September 2021 and was co-captain when Ireland lifted the inaugural WXV 3 title in 2023.

She helped Gloucester-Hartpury win the league title in two seasons at the club, although a serious knee injury suffered in the 2024 final subsequently ruled her out of that year's WXV campaign.

There will also be a personal connection to Ireland’s opening WXV fixture against the USA for Monaghan, who was born in New York City to Irish parents before moving to Ireland at the age of eight.

Jones has been with Gloucester-Hartpury since January 2022, having previously played for Ballymena and Malone.

The hooker began playing rugby at the age of six and later captained Ulster Under-18s to their first Irish provincial title in 2016.

She made her Ireland debut against Italy in the 2020 Six Nations and has since become a regular international.

O’Dowd, meanwhile, is the most recent of the trio to arrive at Gloucester-Hartpury.

The Wexford-born prop made her Ireland debut against Wales in the opening round of the 2023 Six Nations and went on to feature at WXV 1 in Canada in 2024.

She previously represented Old Belvedere and Leinster and helped the Wolfhounds win the Celtic Challenge before joining Gloucester-Hartpury in 2025.

All three were selected for Ireland’s squad for the 2025 Rugby World Cup and will now hope to feature in the WXV Global Series.

Bemand has named a 36-player training squad, with seven uncapped players rewarded following their performances in the recent Women’s Interprovincial Championship.

Munster are particularly well represented, with Beth Buttimer, Caitríona Finn, Lucia Linn and Alana McInerney among those seeking their first Ireland caps.

The squad will assemble in Dublin ahead of an autumn programme which will give Bemand the opportunity to build depth and competition across his group.

Ireland open against the USA at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin on Sunday, September 20, before facing Japan at Dexcom Stadium in Galway a week later.

Ireland will then travel to South Africa in October for two Tests in Cape Town, completing a run of autumn internationals for Bemand’s side.