Hawkshaw succeeds Mullan as Ireland captain

Sarah Hawkshaw has been named as Ireland's new captain following Katie Mullan's decision to step down from the role last month.

Railway Union player Hawkshaw, 29, made her Ireland debut against Chile in 2019 and helped the team qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

She had a distinguished collegiate career at the University of Massachusetts from 2014 to 2017 which included All-America recognition in her final two years.

Hawkshaw described her appointment to the position by Ireland coach Gareth Grundie as a "huge honour".

"Gareth believed in me and made that known. So it gave me a lot of comfort in accepting the role," said Hawkshaw.

The new skipper paid tribute to previous captain Mullan.

"You could always see that she was doing the right thing for the entire group.

"The whole team feels reflected through her and I will be able to ask her advice and have her example of what went before."

Coach Grundie said Hawkshaw "understands the importance of fostering unity and inclusivity".

"She has a real way of communicating with the entire squad, both the older players and the younger ones alike," added Grundie.