Student Sport Ireland would like to send all our best wishes to the Republic of Ireland Women’s Football team as they get ready for the opening round of the FIFA World Cup in Australia on Thursday July 20th, 2023.

Six members of the squad of 23 players have participated in the FISU World University Games as far back as 2007 in Bangkok, right up to the last inclusion of Women’s Football in Napoli in 2019, when a Chloe Mustaki captained Ireland, were defeated on penalties, in the bronze medal game.

Niamh Fahy (NUI Galway) represented team Ireland in 2007 in Bangkok, and two years later in 2009, Louise Quinn (University College Dublin) captained Ireland at the Belgrade games. Ciara Grant, representing University College Dublin, was twice a representative, first in Kazan in 2013, and she joined Claire O’Riordan (South East Technological University Carlow) two years later at the 2015 games in Gwangju, a games where O’Riordan scored four goals.

Amber Barrett (Maynooth University) and Chloe Mustaki (University College Dublin) travelled with the squad in 2017 to Taipei, where Claire O’Riordan also played in her second student games. Chloe Mustaki competed in her second games in Italy in 2019 when Napoli hosted the competition.

Referee and official Michelle O’Neill was also a member of the travelling party for the 2013 games in Kazan.

Everyone in Student Sport Ireland would like to acknowledge the international pathway provided to the players over the years, by the FISU World University Games with the very significant support of SSI affiliated colleges and universities and the Football Association of Ireland and its student committees.

Student Sport Ireland wishes manager Vera Pauw and her squad the best of luck down under, and we will be cheering on the girls in green for the duration of the competition. #COYGIG