Friday, October 10: Hockey Ireland are delighted to announce The Shona Project as the impact partner for the Ireland International Under 21 Women’s Hockey team as they compete in the Junior World Cup later this year in Chile. The partnership, facilitated by the Manverton Foundation, who support both Shona and the Ireland U21 team, seeks to bring together those who succeed and those who overcome, helping to raise the profile of the charity as well as bringing to life the challenges faced by young women in Ireland today. The Shona Project logo will feature on the Ireland U21 team’s playing kit and players will participate directly in the Project’s initiatives.
“We are delighted to announce our association with The Shona Project. It brings innovation and issue related impact to our partnership programme and supports the development of our young internationals as they head off to the Junior World Cup in December. This is the start of what we plan to be a deeper integration and sharing of supports”, commented Christine O’Shea, High Performance Manager at Hockey Ireland.
“We are proud to be announced as the impact partner for this amazing team of young women. They’re not only representing our country, but also inspiring the next generation of athletes and leaders. They display the values that the Shona Community promote and we can’t wait to cheer them on.” Said Tammy Darcy, Founder of The Shona Project.
The Ireland U21 Women are set to take on the world’s best at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup, taking place from 1–13 December 2025 in Santiago, Chile. Competing in Pool C, Ireland will face Germany (1 Dec), Namibia (3 Dec) and India (5 Dec) as they begin their journey on the global stage. This year’s edition marks a historic milestone, with 24 nations participating for the first time. The Irish squad, to be announced in early November, earned their World Cup spot in dramatic fashion at the 2024 EuroHockey U21 Championship, sealing qualification with a thrilling 3–2 victory over France, capped by a decisive late goal from Lauren Moore. With momentum and belief behind them, the team will look to make a strong statement in Santiago and continue their upward trajectory on the international stage.