Clontarf cricketer John McNally has been selected to participate in the International Cricket Programme and will play for Sydney's Randwick Petersham Cricket Club during the 2024-25 season in Australia. This opportunity comes as part of Cricket Ireland’s ongoing partnership with the Sydney-based club.
McNally, who has represented Ireland at the Under-19 level, most recently appeared in the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup earlier this year. He also played for Leinster Lightning and Munster Reds in both List A and T20 formats during the 2024 inter-provincial season.
The International Cricket Programme is designed to help players improve their skills by spending a season in Australia, where they receive access to top-tier training, competitive matches, and strength and conditioning support. It functions much like an 'Academy' for both emerging and professional cricketers.
The connection between Cricket Ireland’s Overseas Scholarship Programme and Randwick Petersham CC began when the club hosted the Ireland Men’s team in preparation for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia. The scholarship was first awarded in 2016 to Barry McCarthy, who is now part of the Ireland Men’s international squad, and has been awarded annually, except in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Notable alumni of the Scholarship Programme include Barry McCarthy, Andrew Balbirnie, Jack Tector, Harry Tector, Stephen Doheny, Tim Tector, Scott Macbeth, and Jake Egan.