Ireland Women will head to South Africa in December for a six-match white-ball series, taking with them a squad that blends youthful progression with expanding experience. Central to the announcement is the return of 19-year-old left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire, who re-enters the senior environment for the first time since the ICC cleared her remodeled bowling action.
Maguire already has 25 wickets from 20 matches across formats, including a career-best 5-19 against England, and her comeback strengthens Ireland’s spin resources as they move towards a heavily competitive period.
There is further positive news with the return of seam bowling all-rounder Georgina Dempsey. She last represented Ireland in January but missed the majority of the home domestic calendar due to injury. Her availability restores depth to Ireland’s pace options and adds balance to the squad’s all-round capabilities.
Despite an average age only slightly above 24, the squad travelling to South Africa carries considerable experience. Four players—Laura Delany, Gaby Lewis, Orla Prendergast and Leah Paul—have already crossed the 100-cap mark across formats, and both Cara Murray and Amy Hunter are positioned to join the three-figure club during the tour. The series will be the first meeting between Ireland and South Africa since the latter toured Ireland in 2022. The Irish side will be coached by Lloyd Tennant.
Ireland came into the tour after competing in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Division 1 Qualifier in August 2025, a tournament in which they played six matches, meeting the Netherlands, Italy and Germany twice each. Their historical record against South Africa highlights the magnitude of the challenge ahead. In T20Is, South Africa dominates the rivalry with 11 wins from 13, while Ireland have taken 2. In ODIs, South Africa lead 18–1 across 20 matches, with one game ending in no result.
As preparations intensify, Director of High-Performance Graeme West emphasised the significance of the year and the importance of the upcoming tour. He said, “2025 has been a fantastic year for the squad, newly appointed Head Coach Lloyd Tennant oversaw a successful summer with series‘ wins against Zimbabwe and Pakistan, followed up with progress from the regional T20 World Cup Qualifier winning all six games in the process.”
West pointed towards Ireland’s long-term objectives, with the South Africa tour forming the final stretch before the global qualifying stage. He continued, “The South Africa tour represents a further test of the team’s development and provides great preparation for the all-important T20 World Cup Global Qualifier in January.”
West also reflected on the familiarity many players carry with South African conditions, giving them a foundation to build upon despite the demanding nature of the tour. He added, “While the tour will be challenging, 11 of the players in this squad were at the T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023, so they have some familiarity with many of the grounds they will be playing at.”
T20I squad:
Gaby Lewis (C), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Laura Delany, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Aimee Maguire, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell
ODI squad:
Gaby Lewis (C), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Laura Delany, Georgina Dempsey, Sarah Forbes, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Aimee Maguire, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell
(Quotes sourced from Cricket Ireland press release)
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