Huijsdens ready for Euro action
Basketball Ireland has released a promo video to mark just one month to go until the FIBA Under-18 Women’s European Championship Division B, which tips off in Dublin this August and will feature Dunshaughlin's Rachel Huijsdens.
Huijsdens is a very talented player and her involvment in the European Championships will deprive the Meath Ladies minor team of her services for the All-Ireland MFC B semi-final next month.
The championships will run from August 4th to 13th at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght and the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown, and will see 23 countries competing for glory.
The video features all 12 of the Ireland Under-18 Women's team (listed in full below) and looks at what it means to this group of players to not only be representing themselves, friends and family on a European stage, but to also be wearing the Ireland jersey on home turf, in front of home support.
Speaking ahead of the championships, Ireland Under 18 Women’s Head Coach Tommy O’Mahony stated: 'We are all really looking forward to what will be an experience of a lifetime for the squad. They are hard at work making sure that they will be in peak condition come August, and there’s no doubt that this will be a great occasion for the basketball community in Ireland. European Championships don’t come to your country every year so while it’s here, we should all take advantage of it and take pride in the fact that it’s here. Hopefully everyone will get behind the girls this year.”
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
Ireland U18 Women's Fixtures:
August 4th, 2017
Ireland v Macedonia, National Indoor Arena Court 1, 18.15
August 5th, 2017
Slovak Republic v Ireland, National Basketball Arena, 18.15
August 6th, 2017
Ireland v Moldova, National Indoor Arena Court 1, 18.15
August 8th, 2017
Great Britain v Ireland, National Basketball Arena, 18.15
August 9th, 2017
Ukraine v Ireland, National Basketball Arena, 18.15
August 11-13th
Classification games
Ireland U18 Women's team 2017:
Amy Murphy, Blarney, Co Cork (Singleton SuperValu Brunell)
Annaliese Murphy, Glanmire, Co Cork (Ambassador UCC Glanmire)
Bronagh Power Cassidy, Coolock, Co Dublin (DCU Mercy)
Claire Melia, Monasterevin (Portlaoise Panthers)
Dayna Finn, Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo (Maree)
Ella McCloskey, Marino, Co. Dublin (KUBS)
Louise Scannell, Cork City, Co. Cork (Ambassador UCC Glanmire)
Maeve O’Seaghdha, Clontarf, Co. Dublin (DCU Mercy)
Maeve Phelan, Portlaoise, Co. Laois (Portlaoise Panthers)
Maggie Byrne, Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo (Maree)
Rachel Huijsdens, Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath (DCU Mercy)
Sorcha Tiernan, Leixlip, Co. Kildare (Courtyard Liffey Celtics)
The Ireland Under 18 Women’s Backroom team is:
Head Coach: Tommy O’Mahony
Asst. Coach: Niall Berry
2nd Ass Coach: Ricardo Morales
Team Manager: Paula Ryan Kavanagh
Video analysis: Ciaran Toner