Key Irish goalkeeper sidelined as both men's and women's teams head to World Cup
Ireland’s women’s squad will compete in the upcoming World Cup without star goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran, who has been ruled out by injury.
Ireland’s women’s field hockey team will face the 2026 World Cup without veteran goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran, who has been declared unfit due to injury. Coach Gareth Grundie named Lizzy Murphy and Holly Micklem as the new goalkeeping options in a 20-player squad bound for Wavre, Belgium. The side, ranked 12th globally, will contest Pool C matches versus Spain, New Zealand and Belgium, hoping a top-two finish will advance them to the quarterfinal pool.
The men’s team, coached by Mark Tumilty, also travels to Wavre with an unchanged roster that secured qualification after a semi-final win over Wales and a comeback victory over France. Ranked 10th, the men will meet Australia, South Africa and Spain in their pool, with similar progression rules. Both squads aim to build on their recent bronze-medal shootout win in Santiago that secured qualification for this edition.
Why it matters
The injury removes a key player from Ireland’s World Cup campaign, affecting team strategy for both men’s and women’s squads.
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