Róisín Upton: ‘Since the Tokyo Olympics we have lost over 1,200 caps – you can’t buy that kind of experience’

A top six finish secures automatic qualification to the Olympic qualifying tournaments, scheduled for Spain and China next spring.

Having reached the 2018 World Cup final in London, the Irish women competed in their first Olympics in Tokyo in 2021. Now a relatively new-look squad have their sights set on securing a slot at the Paris Games next summer.

Vice-captain Róisín Upton is now one of the squad’s most experienced players, having picked up a silver medal at the 2018 World Cup and played in the delayed Olympics.

“Since the Tokyo Olympics we have lost over 1,200 caps – you can’t buy that kind of experience,” said Upton.

But the influx of new faces has resulted in the team changing their style of play.

“We went to the World Cup last year with five uncapped players which is a bit unheard of considering it was only our second World Cup. We have had 12 months in the lead up to the Europeans and we have a lot of pace and a lot of skill in the squad now.

“It is probably the most talented Irish team that I have been part of. It has allowed us to possess the ball a lot more. We are creating a lot more offensively whereas previously we were a very defensive team. So it is exciting in that sense.”

Ireland travelled to Argentina for a series of test games in the spring before meeting Holland, Australia, and Japan in a tournament in Holland. Last week they had a couple of matches against Chile in Dublin.

Since their historic run to the World Cup final in 2018, the squad have been able to devote more time to collective training sessions at the Sport Ireland campus in Abbotstown.

Financial backing from sponsors plus support from Sport Ireland means squad members don’t have to work full-time any longer.

In Upton’s case it meant moving from her native Limerick to live in Dublin – she now shares accommodation with team-mate Sarah Hawkshaw – and putting her career as a primary school teacher on hold.

“When I lived in Limerick I was doing a heck of a lot of travelling and I couldn’t get a full-time teaching job. So I knew if I was going to continue playing (for Ireland) things would have to change.”

Upton now works two days a week with a corporate coaching business in Dublin while training full time with the squad at least three days a week. Prior to 2018, the squad crammed as much as they could into a collective session on a Sunday. Now they have the luxury of a rest day on Sundays.

Ireland are in the same group as Scotland, England and hosts Germany at the European championships with the campaign beginning on Friday week against England. It is Ireland v Scotland on August 20 with the final group game against Germany two days later.

The top two countries advance to the semi-finals (Ireland have never reached the last four in the European Championships) with the third and fourth placed teams playing cross over matches with the third and fourth placed from the other group.

This will determine the finishing order from fifth to eighth. Only the tournament winners are guaranteed a place at the Paris Games.

The Tokyo Games were a bitter-sweet experience for the Irish squad. The absence of family and friends due to the Covid 19 restrictions remains a source of regret.

“We felt their absence for sure and I think it is probably extra motivation as to why we want to get to Paris because we want them to be with us.”

On the other hand, because they were involved in a round robin tournament event, the squad got to stay longer in Tokyo than individual competitors who had to leave immediately after competing.

“We got to see Kellie (Harrington) boxing which was incredible. We also got to some of the athletic events and saw Tom Barr in action and the famous high jump final in which the two athletes (Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Essa Barshim) shared the gold medal. So it was a good Olympic experience for us.

“In terms of performance, reaching the quarter final would have been a realistic target. So we were disappointed not to get more out of our games against India and England,” said Upton. Ireland finished fifth in their group in Tokyo.

Like all Limerick natives, Upton has enjoyed the unprecedented success of their county’s hurling team in recent years and there is a significant cross over in the squad with the GAA.

Team coach Sean Dancer, who is a native of Australia and coached New Zealand before his arrival in Ireland, sported a Limerick jersey at the All-Ireland final having gone to the game in the company of team selector and former Irish International Eimear Cregan, who is a niece of former Limerick hurler Eamonn Cregan.

Team psychologist Mags McCarthy is a former Kilkenny camogie player while Cliodhna O’Connor, a member of the team’s coaching staff, is a two-time GAA All Star and former Dublin ladies GAA All-Ireland winning goalkeeper.

“We are always chatting about it and slagging each other,” said Upton.