World Championship Final Roster Confirmed

Softball Ireland are delighted to confirm roster for the 2016 World Championships in Surrey, BC, Canada.

The World Championships commences on July 15 with the Irish team travelling to Vancouver on July 9 to prepare for the tournament

The Girls in Green will be up against a record 30 nations as they take part in the opening stages of the competition from July 15th – 17th. All teams will be aiming to unseat two-time defending champions Japan.

Ireland’s first game against Uganda will be an historic one as an Irish team steps onto a World Championship diamond for the first time.

“This young team is ready to show the rest of the world what Ireland can do,” says head coach Melanie Lavery. “The program was initially formed in 2014, and Ireland’s first foray into International play was at the 2015 European Championships, where we placed a respectable 19th.”

Ireland will also face off against hosts Canada and longtime sporting rivals Great Britain in what is a tough group for the side.

“Canada’s preparations included a training camp in California in June followed by a Japan tour and the upcoming World Cup in Oklahoma. Compare that to Ireland which is Castleknock College, Corkagh Park and a weekend in Limerick“ says Softball Ireland president Colum Lavery.

The amateur team is completely self-funded. The current squad is composed of nine Irish-based players and four heritage players – two from the USA and two from Canada.

A week after the conclusion of the championships in Canada, the International Olympic Committee will vote on reinstating softball and baseball for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Softball has had a twelve year hiatus from the Olympics.

TEAM ROSTER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2016

*Denotes new caps.