Oct 17,2024
Two Ireland international players have joined Indian club Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers ahead of the inaugural women's Hockey India League.
Ireland captain Katie Mullan and Róisín Upton will all be part of the squad for the franchise team representing Kolkata after being bought via auction.
Fellow internationals Elena Neill and Sarah Hawkshaw had also been named in the draft but will not be involved in the competition.
The four-team women's league will begin in December and culminate in February, while the men's version which initially ran for five seasons betwen 2013 and 2017 has now been revived for 2024-25.
Ireland goalkeeper and two-time Olympian David Harte will be part of this season's men's league after being sold to Tamil Nadu Dragons from the southern city of Chennai by auction for 32 lakh.
Each of the Irish women's international players joined Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers for fees of 10 lakh.
Coleraine, Co Derry native Mullan captained Ireland at the 2018 FIH World Cup, when they famously won the silver medal after reaching the final. She also skippered the team at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics which marked the women's national team's debut at a Games.
Upton was also a key member of both the Olympics and the 2018 World Cup squads.
Men's international Harte was recently part of Ireland's team at the Paris 2024 Games, with the Corkman having also featured at Rio 2016.
He previously played in the original Hockey India League during its initial run between 2014 and 2017.
