Dublin University Football Club’s (DUFC) Linda Djougang has been named on the squad for Ireland’s match against England in Energia Park this Friday.
Djougang will be looking to pick up her first cap as Ireland kicks off its Six Nations campaign this Friday against England. She is one of seven new players that have been included in this year’s Six Nations squad by head coach Adam Griggs.
This will be Djougang’s first time playing for Ireland in rugby union, though she has previously competed internationally as a member of the Ireland Sevens squad. She has also trained with the national squad on a number of occasions prior to this call up, though a minor injury prevented her from being selected earlier.
In an email statement to The University Times, Djougang said: “I’m super excited for Friday and this is only the beginning of my journey in the green jersey.”
Speaking to The University Times last year, Djougang said that being selected for the Irish team for this competition as her key goal for the coming season. “Getting into the Irish women’s team is just the start of everything”, she stated. “Everything before was just preparing you for it.”
She will be looking to build on her time with the senior Leinster squad and compete to start throughout the tournament. Ireland will take on Scotland in Netherdale the following week.
The women’s team have started off 2019 with two consecutive victories, confidently dispatching Wanderers with a 33-5 win in Santry, followed by a narrow 15-10 win against Arklow last weekend.
This announcement comes alongside a number of significant selections for DUFC players this past month, with Jack Dunne being named to the Leinster senior team for their clash against Scarlets in the RDS as well as five Trinity players – Rob Russell, Liam Turner, Ryan Baird, Thomas Clarkson and Giuseppe Coyne – being called up to the under-20 Irish Six Nations squad. Friday’s clash against England will take place at 5pm in Energia Park.
