Ireland have named their squad for the 2026 European Co-ed Slowpitch Championship, with the national team set to compete at Farnham Park, London, from 14–18 July.

The Irish squad includes a strong mix of experienced internationals and players coming into the tournament with recent high-level competition behind them. After finishing fourth in 2024, Ireland will travel with realistic hopes of returning to the European podium for the first time since 2019.

Several members of the squad have also recently competed at the Men’s European Slowpitch Championship, which should leave Ireland sharper than many of their rivals when the tournament gets underway.

Ireland’s Proud European Record

Ireland have traditionally been one of the strongest nations in European co-ed slowpitch softball.

Since the competition began in 1998, Ireland have won 10 European medals, made up of three silver and seven bronze.

• Silver: 2002, 2004 and 2008
• Bronze: 1998, 2000, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2019

Ireland finished fifth in 2022 before moving back into medal contention with a fourth-place finish in 2024. That recent record suggests another podium challenge is well within reach.

Ireland Management Team

The team will be managed by Aideen Teo, with Peter Mullen serving as Head Coach.

Jonathan Barry and Dermot McManus are part of the coaching team, while Eoin O’Connor and Serena Costelloe complete the backroom staff.

Norma McIntyre will captain Ireland, while pitching duties are expected to be shared by Simon Lewis, Wayne Cullen and Brian Hehir.

Ireland Squad

Clubs from Across Ireland Represented

The squad reflects the strength and spread of Ireland’s domestic slowpitch scene, with players selected from clubs across Dublin, Galway and further afield.

Dublin Donkeys have the largest representation with five players: Katie Doyle, Merilin Neiland, Pearse Newman, Simon Lewis and Wayne Cullen.

BatPak contribute captain Norma McIntyre and Jenny Ó Buachalla, while Dodder Dynamoes are represented by Kerry Keegan and Niall Lavery.

Galway Softball Club provide Mary Carroll-Smith and Cathal Creaven, giving the west of Ireland a strong presence in the squad.

Elsewhere, Hazel Kilduff represents Castleknock, Katie Flynn comes from Kegs, Brian Hehir from Chromies, Brodie Alexander from Tigers, Chris Barr from Cubs and James Calow from BSC.

Ruth Concannon is the squad’s overseas-based player, currently representing Linz Softball Club in Austria.

The number of clubs represented is a positive sign for Irish softball, showing that the national team is drawing from a broad and competitive player base rather than relying on one or two dominant clubs.

Ireland’s Fixtures

Tuesday 14 July

• 08:45 – Ireland v Norway
• 15:00 – Ireland v Czechia

Wednesday 15 July

• 10:45 – Ireland v Guernsey
• 14:45 – Ireland v Germany

Thursday 16 July

• 09:00 – Ireland v Lithuania
• 15:00 – Ireland v Austria

Friday 17 July

• 09:00 – Ireland v Belgium
• 15:00 – Ireland v Poland
• 18:45 – Ireland v Great Britain

Friday Could Decide Ireland’s Championship

Friday looks set to be the most important day of Ireland’s tournament from a progression point of view.

Ireland begin the day against Belgium before facing Poland later in the afternoon. Those are two games they will expect to win if they are to remain firmly in the medal race.

The final round-robin game against defending champions Great Britain at 6:45pm could then become hugely significant.

By that stage, Ireland should know exactly what is required. Depending on results earlier in the week, they could be playing for a place in the European final, a spot in the bronze medal game or vital seeding ahead of the tournament’s final day.

That makes the two earlier Friday fixtures absolutely essential. Ireland cannot afford to slip up against Belgium or Poland if they want to arrive at the Great Britain game with their medal hopes intact.

Germany and Czechia Also Crucial

While Friday will attract much of the attention, Ireland’s matches against Czechia and Germany could have a major bearing on the standings.

Germany defeated Ireland in the bronze medal game in 2024, making Wednesday afternoon’s meeting one of the most important fixtures of the week.

A win there would not only boost Ireland’s medal chances, but would also provide a major psychological lift against one of their closest rivals.

The opening-day meeting with Czechia will offer another early test and should provide a clear indication of where Ireland stand among the leading contenders.

Battle-Hardened Players

One of Ireland’s biggest advantages could be the amount of recent international softball already played by members of the squad.

Several players, including Cathal Creaven, featured at the recent Men’s European Slowpitch Championship.

That experience should leave them match sharp and comfortable with the intensity of tournament softball, particularly during a demanding schedule that includes nine games in four days.

Hazel Kilduff Chasing Another Medal

This will be Hazel Kilduff’s fourth European Co-ed Slowpitch Championship.

• 2019: Bronze medal
• 2022: Fifth place
• 2024: Fourth place

Having already experienced the podium in 2019 and narrowly missed out two years ago, Kilduff will be hoping Ireland can take the final step back into the medals in London.

Can Ireland Return to the Podium?

Great Britain remain the team to beat, but the battle behind them is much more open.

Ireland have the experience, pitching depth and recent international preparation to challenge strongly. If they can take care of the games they are expected to win and claim one major result against Germany, Czechia or Great Britain, a return to the podium is a realistic target.

The squad has been selected. The fixtures are set. Now Ireland have the opportunity to turn another competitive European campaign into a medal-winning one.

Rapparees Connection

Galway City Rapparees GAA Rounders Club have a unique connection to the tournament, with three of their rounders players involved across two countries.

Cathal Creaven and Hazel Kilduff have been selected for Ireland, while Katie Jessop will represent Great Britain.

With Great Britain entering as defending champions and tournament favourites, Jessop has a strong chance of returning home with a European gold medal, while Creaven and Kilduff will be hoping to help Ireland back onto the podium.

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Erling Haaland and Norway have ripped through the World Cup scoring for fun and toppling global powers in their path, but facing England in the quarterfinals, how far can this team go? Norway have already made history defeating Brazil and will be securing their best-ever finish at a World Cup, but they’ll be looking for more as they face Thomas Tuchel’s England on Saturday. But, with how Norway play, can it be done?

Of course, having Haaland means that there are limitless possibilities to what Norway can do, but they’ll have the slight issue of trying to stop Harry Kane on their hands. Norway like to cede possession to their opposition, and they’ve allowed the third most shots of any team at the World Cup, which signifies that England will have plenty of chances in the match. Norway play with fire, but having Haaland score eight goals means that they can get away with that.

Facing Brazil, Norway needed a penalty save as their defense allowed 10 shots and an xG of 2.61, their highest against in the World Cup so far. Brazil’s lack of a true striker and the absence of Raphinha allowed Norway to get away with that, but it’s not something that will be able to be replicated against England.

Harry Kane is in the running for the Ballon d’Or for a reason, as he has been lethal as a finisher for Bayern Munich and England, and he’s the most well-rounded number nine in the world. Against Mexico, he took his chance well to score a penalty but also created a chance for Jude Bellingham due to being just as comfortable dropping deep into midfield and creating for others.

Brazil were missing a player who could be the focal point to create for others in Raphinha, and depending on whether Bukayo Saka starts, England may have four as they can overwhelm Norway in possession. The defense may struggle with Haaland, but one doesn’t have to stop Haaland to win; they just have to outscore him, and the Three Lions can do just that. They’ve played a few high-scoring games against Croatia and Mexico during this World Cup and have dug deep to secure wins despite the questions about mentality that surrounded them. 

Now, England will enter as favorites yet again against a team that has been rowing their way through the tournament. Born in Leeds, Haaland also could have represented England, and with Marc Guehi and Rico Lewis in the England defensive corps, there are also players involved who are used to defending against him in the Premier League. On the attacking end, with Kane and Bellingham, the Three Lions will have plenty of chances, and they can come from all over the pitch.

If Norway are going to make noise, the wings will be critical because if they aren’t going to hold possession, they need to hit England over the top. The Brazil game shifted when Alexander Sorloth was taken off for Andreas Schjelderup, and proper wingers were in the lineup, and that’s something that Norway manager Stale Solbakken will need to consider when setting up his lineup for the match. England will allow space for attacks, but if Norway are going to exploit it, they’ll need their natural wingers to shine and not a striker masquerading as one, which has been a struggle so far during the World Cup.

Even so, Norway will go as far as Haaland and Martin Odegaard can take them, and while it’s been an impressive task getting to this point, England have so many ways that they can get out of a game. Tuchel is an obsessive who will have a plan for attacking this game, even with England’s flawed squad coming into the World Cup. Defensively, they aren’t up to their expected strength, but flexibility-wise, this is a side with plenty of ways to make a team pay.

England’s worst enemy is themselves, so a fast start will be critical, but after surviving the Azteca, they’ll feel much better coming into a match in Miami, as their travels during the World Cup have taken them all over the United States and Mexico. Norway will provide a challenge, but as long as England can survive Haaland, they’ll book a trip back to Atlanta to face the winner of Argentina and Switzerland and keep their World Cup dream alive and well.

Sachin Tendulkar shares heartfelt message for Roger Federer (X)

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar shared an emotional message for tennis great Roger Federer after the two sporting icons reunited during the Wimbledon Championships.

Sachin Tendulkar post

Taking to X after their meeting at the All England Club, Tendulkar reflected on their long-standing friendship. “Some rallies never end. Our friendship is one of them. Always a pleasure spending time with you, Roger. Until we meet again,” Tendulkar wrote. The reunion came during another memorable visit to Wimbledon for the former India batter, who was among the distinguished guests invited to watch Friday’s semi-final from the prestigious Royal Box. Also present was India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, who experienced Wimbledon from the Royal Box for the first time. Gill, currently in England with the Indian team, will return to cricket action later this month for the ODI series against England. One of the highlights of the day was Tendulkar’s interaction with West Indies batting great Brian Lara, bringing back memories of one of cricket’s most celebrated rivalries. Although the two once battled fiercely on the international stage, they have since featured together in exhibition and charity matches. Gill also appeared to enjoy the occasion, taking a break from international commitments to soak up the atmosphere on Centre Court. The star-studded guest list also included Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe, with several prominent names from the sporting world attending the Championships. On the court, Alexander Zverev booked his place in the Wimbledon final for the first time with a convincing 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-4 victory over British wildcard Arthur Fery. The second seed overcame a competitive opening set before taking complete control of the contest on Centre Court. Fresh from winning his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros last month, Zverev has now reached his fifth major final and extended his winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments to 13 matches. He will now be one victory away from securing a second successive major title.

Twitch streamers Ludwig Ahgren and Blaire “QTCinderella” have officially announced their engagement. On July 10, 2026, Ludwig took to X to reveal that QTCinderella had accepted his marriage proposal. He shared a photo of an open pizza box with the words “Will you marry me?” and QTCinderella wearing a wedding ring.

The Streamer Awards host took to the Elon Musk-owned social media platform later that day and wrote:

“We will be having the wedding at Maddison Square Garden everyone can come”

Thousands of fans on X have shared their thoughts on the streamers‘ announcement, with many leaving heartfelt comments.

Popular internet personalities, such as Jimmy “MrBeast,” Connor “ConnorEatsPants,” and Maya Higa, have also commented on the Mogul Money Live host’s post.

“:D” MrBeast wrote.

“engagement bait” ConnorEatsPants commented.

“did u do it like this bc u think she’s fat” Maya Higa stated.

“If you need me to pop off at your wedding or throw a chair at a heckler lmk (congrats btw)” Super Smash Bros Melee world champion Hungrybox posted.

“Congrats brah Make sure your love for her never dims or go down Keep the fire burning forever.. all the best” X user @2021wonderkid posted.

“Finally, the mission has been approved 😂 congratulations , protect that happiness” X user @kuria254k wrote.

“She was surprised at the proposal” – Ludwig addresses the community after announcing his engagement with QTCinderella

During a livestream on July 10, 2026, Ludwig discussed his engagement with QTCinderella, and at the 13-minute mark, he stated that his significant other was surprised by his marriage proposal.

Explaining how he proposed to QTCinderella, Ludwig said:

“‘How did you propose? Was she surprised?’ She was surprised. She was surprised at the proposal. She just basically went to do Wine About It (podcast), and I had asked Rae. Rae helped me out. She was my accomplice. So, like, changed the time and get her out at a certain time, and when she was gone, I decorated the house. I printed out a bunch of pictures throughout our entire relationship and hung them up. I played a Taylor Swift song about you killing yourself with your loved ones.”

Timestamp – 00:13:05

The content creator then joked that the “best part” about his engagement with QTCinderella was that people would now “stop yelling at him” for not starting a family.