There was brilliant news for basketball fans across the country this afternoon as Basketball Ireland confirmed that the Ireland's Senior Women's Basketball Programme will return. The organisation has accepted an invitation to compete in the Women’s European Championships of Small Countries in 2016. “It’s clear there was a massive demand to give our best senior players the opportunity to represent their country again,” said Women’s National League Commissioner Matthew Hall. “The invitation to compete in Division C in Europe is an ideal pathway back to where we want to be. This time, we’ll have to use the self-funded model to get there but with the right support, our players can dream again of playing basketball for Ireland," he said.

Big news today: Senior Women International competition resumes. Small Nations Championships in 2016. See the ol' website @Bballirl

— Bernard O'Byrne (@BernardOByrne) October 22, 2015

The championships will take place in July of next year. Ireland’s last activity in Senior International basketball was in 2009 and of the last squad to compete in Division B of the EuroBasket qualifiers, five players are currently still playing in the National League. Jackie Dunne, Chairperson of Basketball Ireland’s Board of Directors, said: “I am delighted we are taking this important step in getting the Irish Senior Women back in the international setting where they belong.”