Irish host open training session

Ireland are hosting an open training session ahead of this weekend's big RLWC2013 clash with England.

The squad will be at UCLan Sports Arena on Thursday 31 October from 10.30 am - 12.00 noon. Ireland began their tournament on Monday with a gutsy performance against Fiji and Coach Mark Aston believes they will be competitive with England: "If they give 100 per cent commitment and be just a little bit smarter towards the end of the sets, I'm sure we can challenge England," said Aston.

"We've only been together for 10 days, so in a very short space of time we've had to mould a team together. We've got a short turnaround but we'll dust ourselves down, train hard and turn up on Saturday."

Ireland 14-32 Fiji

Ireland put up a spirited display in their opening RLWC2013 game against Fiji, eventually falling to a 32-14 defeat.

Damien Blanch, James Hasson and Tyrone McCarthy were the Irish try scorers, with Pat Richards adding one conversion.

Match highlights can be viewed here.

The Irish squad have returned to Preston and will continue to use UCLan Sports Arena in preparation for Saturday's big clash with England at Huddersfield.

Ireland begin RLWC2013 campaign

Following their successful training camp at UCLan Sports Arena, Ireland kick-off their RLWC2013 campaign against Fiji later today.

The Irish squad for the game is as follows: Dave Allen, Luke Ambler, Bob Beswick, Damien Blanch, Danny Bridge, Ben Currie, Liam Finn, Scott Grix, Kurt Haggerty, James Hasson, Rory Kostjasyn, Stuart Littler, James Mendeika, Tyrone McCarthy, Anthony Mullally, Eamon O'Carroll, Apirana Pewhairangi, Pat Richards, Brett White.

The game takes place at Spotland Stadium, Rochdale at 8.00 pm.

Coverage is avalaible on BBC Radio 5 live Sports Extra. For an in-depth preview please click here.

RLWC2013 starts tomorrow

The Rugby League World Cup 2013 kicks off in style on Saturday with Australia v England and Wales v Italy live on the BBC.

The Irish squad are continuing their preparations for their opener against Fiji on Monday with training sessions scheduled at UCLan Sports Arena over the weekend.

A full guide to the tournament can be found here.

Irish team support school tournament

Players from the Ireland Rugby League World Cup squad were at UCLan Sports Arena yesterday for a School Tag Tournament.

The four-team event saw the players sign autographs, pass on advice and hand out awards and mementoes of the occasion to pupils. Longridge High School Year 7 were the eventual winners.

Some squad members are expected to attend Preston College open evening later today. Pictures from the tournament and other events from the Irish stay at UCLan can be viewed here.

Coaching Masterclass is a big hit

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) teamed up with Rugby League Ireland to host a hugely successful Coaching Masterclass event.

Head Coach Mark Aston and his staff conducted a Q & A session before staging a practical coaching session with UCLan staff and players at UCLan Sports Arena.

The Irish squad are training at the Arena in preparation for the Rugby League World Cup 2013 which starts this weekend.

Pictures from their visit can be viewed here.

UCLan welcomes Irish rugby squad

Last night saw the Ireland Rugby League team enjoy a Civic Reception at the Harris Museum, Preston.

The squad are training at UCLan Sports Arena ahead of the Rugby League World Cup 2013 which starts this weekend.

Pictures from the event and this morning's open training session can be found here. Please follow @RLWCPreston2013 on Twitter for regular updates.

UCLan and Ireland team up for Masterclass

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Rugby League Ireland are teaming up later this month to host a Coaching Masterclass event.

Head Coach Mark Aston and his staff will take part in a Q & A session before staging a practical coaching session with UCLan staff and players at UCLan Sports Arena.

The event begins at Westleigh Conference Centre, Preston on Tuesday 22 October at 5.30pm.

Places are limited so please book early by calling 01772 761000 or emailing Sarena@uclan.ac.uk.

Ireland announce RWLC 2013 squad

Ireland Head Coach Mark Aston has announced his 24-man squad for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup.

The final squad includes a total of 10 Super League players and four players from Australia's NRL competition, with the remaining players coming from the Championship and the NSW Cup.

Wigan and Catalan Wingers Pat Richards and Damien Blanch have been included in the squad alongside the Grix brothers, Simon and Scott, who return to the squad for the first time since 2010.From the NRL Brett White (Canberra Raiders), Rory Kostjasyn (North Queensland Cowboys), James Hasson (Manly Sea Eagles) and Api Pewhairangi (Parramatta Eels) have all been included in the squad.

In total nine players who competed in the 2008 World Cup have been included and will be looking to form a rare club for players who have represented Ireland in two Rugby League World Cups. The squad will continue to be led by Featherstone Rovers scrum half Liam Finn who was confirmed as captain in 2012.

Aston is looking forward to the competition: "I'm really pleased with the squad we have named, which is a combination of experience and younger up and coming players from both hemispheres.

"I am confident we're fully equipped to be competitive in what is a really tough group and we're really looking forward to the challenge ahead against three of the best teams in the world."

The Irish squad arrives for their training camp at UCLan Sports Arena, Preston on October 19, with their World Cup campaign set to get underway nine days later against Fiji.

The full squad is: Dave Allen, Luke Ambler, Bob Beswick, Damien Blanch, Danny Bridge, Ben Currie, Liam Finn, Simon Finnigan, Scott Grix, Simon Grix, Kurt Haggerty, James Hasson, Rory Kostjasyn, Stuart Littler, Tyrone McCarthy, James Mendeika, Anthony Mullally, Eamon O’Carroll, Apirana Pewhairangi, Pat Richards, Colton Roche, Marc Sneyd, Joshua Toole, Brett White.