The 30 strong, Irish senior touring squad will include Ulster players; Tommy Bowe, Isaac Boss, Rory Best, Bryan Young and Paddy Wallace, on the tour of New Zealand and Australia.  Remarking on the tour Coach Michael Bradley said:

“New Zealand is a undoubtedly one of the most challenging places to tour and to win test matches and that is quickly followed up with a game against an Australian side that will have the fresh input of a new coach and are always among the top sides in the world”.

“We are travelling on the tour with a strong squad conscious of the fact that IRB world ranking points are available and that is what we are playing for.” Michael continued.

The touring squad will warm-up with a game against Barbarians in May and due to the unavailability of the Munster players for this game, Ulster’s Tom Court, Ryan Caldwell, Stephen Ferris and Neil Best, have been named on the 37 player squad sheet for this match only.  These players will then move out of the touring squad and pick-up with the Ireland A squad for the Churchill Cup.  Ulster’s Andrew Trimble, unfortunately could not be considered for the senior touring squad due to a leg injury, for which he has been prescribed a period of rehabilitation over the summer.

Alongside Tom Court, Ryan Caldwell, Stephen Ferris and Neil Best, Ulster’s David Pollock, Roger Wilson, Darren Cave, and Mark McCrea, have all be named for Churchill Cup squad, which will be coached by the IRFU High Performance Manager Allen Clarke and Managed by John McKibbin.

Allen Clarke, Ireland A Coach commented: “This tournament continues to be an important competitive environment to expose younger talent as well as those players in the broader international squad.  The combination of this international experience with the youth in the squad promises to create competitiveness when it comes to selection.”

The Churchill Cup team will play three games during the tournament, the first of which kicks off against the USA on June 11th and will give the Ulster men a challenging experience against some of the best in world rugby. Ulster’s participation in the Churchill Cup, the Ireland senior summer tour and Barbarians warm up game, will provide top class opponents for the Ulster boys to hone their skills on, in preparation for a new season at Ravenhill.

Ireland senior touring squad:
Forwards (22): Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)*; Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) ;Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster); Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)*; Bob Casey (London Irish)*; Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster)*; Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)*; Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster); John Hayes (Bruff/Munster); Jamie Heaslip (Clontarf/Leinster); Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster); Bernard Jackman (Clontarf/Leinster); Shane Jennings (St.Mary’s College/Leinster); Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster); Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster); Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster); Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster); Malcolm O’Kelly (St.Mary’s College/Leinster) ; Alan Quinlan (Shannon/Munster); Mike Ross (Harlequins)*; David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster); Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster)
 Backs (15): Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster); Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster); Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster); Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster); Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht); Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster); Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster); Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Geordan Murphy (Leicester); Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain; Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster); Eoin Reddan (Wasps); Jonathon Sexton (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)*; Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster); Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
*Players for Barbarians match squad but will not be travelling to New Zealand & Australia
Not considered due to injury: Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster); Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster); Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)

Ireland A Churchill Cup Squad:
Forwards (15): *Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster); Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster); *Robert Casey (London Irish); Tom Court (Malone/Ulster); Sean Cronin (Shannon/Munster); *Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster); Denis Fogarty (Cork Constitution/Connacht); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster); *Trevor Hogan (Shannon/Leinster); Daragh Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster); *Johnny O’Connor (Corinthians/Connacht); David Pollock (Queens University/Ulster); Michael Ross (Harlequins); Donncha Ryan (Shannon/Munster); *Roger Wilson (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Backs (13): Gary Brown (Blackrock College/Leinster); Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster); Keith Earls (Garryowen/Munster); Ian Humphreys (Leicester); Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster); *Kieran Lewis (Garryowen/Munster); Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht); Mark McCrea (Malone/Ulster); Frank Murphy (Leicester); John Murphy (Leicester); Fergus McFadden (UCD/Leinster); *Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster); Johnny Sexton (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)