The Ireland Women will compete at the 2013 Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow after gaining qualification today. They beat a highly regarded Ukraine team 17-0 in the Plate semi-finals at the FIRA-AER qualifying tournament, with the result ensuring a return trip to the Russian capital next June.
Their qualification is a huge achievement for this talented squad, led by captain Claire Molloy, and the management team headed by coach Jon Skurr and manager Gemma Crowley.
Ireland will be one of 16 teams competing at the 2013 Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens, with the event taking place between June 28 and June 30 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
Considering that they only started their Sevens journey just 11 short week ago, the girls in green’s rapid progress and improvements made during that time show they have the potential to mix it with the top Sevens sides in Europe and beyond.
Boosted by their recent tournament win in Ghent, Belgium, they headed to Moscow knowing that a top five finish at the qualifying tournament would be enough to book their World Cup Sevens berth.
They put in the groundwork on day one with pool wins over Italy (17-5) and Switzerland (43-0), coupled with a narrow 14-12 defeat to a high ranking Dutch side.
Ireland scored 12 tries in their three pool games with Alison Miller and Ashling Hutchings scoring two apiece, while Molloy, Joy Neville, Lynne Cantwell, Jennifer Murphy, Sophie Spence, Jeannette Feighery, Niamh Kavanagh and Amy Davis also crossed the whitewash.
Those results saw the girls in green claim second spot in their pool and set up a quarter-final clash with Russia. The tournament hosts proved too strong earlier today however, as Skurr’s charges went down 27-0.
Their qualification fate hung in the balance, but they put in a superb display to defeat Ukraine 17-0 and reach the Plate final, thus making it through to Moscow 2013.
The in-form Miller helped herself to two tries in the qualification-clinching victory with skipper Molloy also touching down. Ireland did well to maintain their lead despite having Murphy and Neville sin-binned, before Miller sealed the result with a 12th minute try.
But there was no revenge for Ireland against the Netherlands in the Plate decider, with the Dutch running in five tries for a 31-7 success.
Click on the links below to view footage of Ireland’s pool matches in Moscow and day one reaction from Jon Skurr, Claire Molloy and Joy Neville.
IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (FIRA-AER Women’s World Cup Sevens Qualifying Tournament, Moscow, Russia, June 30-July 1):
Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Connacht)
Amy Davis (Blackrock/Leinster)
Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Ashling Hutchings (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Claire Keohane (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht) (capt)
Jeannette Feighery (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Jennifer Murphy (Richmond/Exiles)
Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Lynne Cantwell (Richmond/Exiles)
Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Sophie Spence (Sharks/Exiles)
POOL RESULTS:
Saturday, June 30
Italy 5 Ireland 17 – Match Video
Ireland Line-Up: Joy Neville, Claire Keohane, Claire Molloy, Lynne Cantwell, Jennifer Murphy, Alison Miller, Jeannette Feighery.
Subs: Ashleigh Baxter, Sophie Spence, Amy Davis, Ashling Hutchings, Niamh Kavanagh.
Scoring: 3 minutes – Ireland try: Alison Miller – 0-5; 6 mins – Ireland try: Claire Molloy – 0-10; conversion: Claire Keohane – 0-12; 8 mins – Ireland try: Alison Miller – 0-17; 11 mins – Italy try: Cristina Molic – 5-17
Netherlands 14 Ireland 12 – Match Video
Ireland Line-Up: Joy Neville, Claire Keohane, Amy Davis, Lynne Cantwell, Jennifer Murphy, Alison Miller, Ashling Hutchings.
Subs: Ashleigh Baxter, Sophie Spence, Claire Molloy, Jeannette Feighery, Niamh Kavanagh.
Scoring: 5 minutes – Netherlands try: Kelly van Harskamp – 5-0; conversion: Lorraine Laros – 7-0; 7 mins – Ireland try: Joy Neville – 7-5; conversion: Claire Keohane – 7-7; 10 mins – Netherlands yellow card: Kelly van Harskamp; 11 mins – Ireland try: Lynne Cantwell – 7-12; 14 mins – Netherlands try: Kelly van Harskamp – 12-12; conversion: Lorraine Laros – 14-12
Switzerland 0 Ireland 43 – Match Video
Ireland Line-Up: Ashleigh Baxter, Sophie Spence, Amy Davis, Claire Molloy, Lynne Cantwell, Jennifer Murphy, Ashling Hutchings.
Subs: Joy Neville, Claire Keohane, Alison Miller, Jeannette Feighery, Niamh Kavanagh.
Scoring: 1 minute – Ireland try: Jennifer Murphy – 0-5; conversion: Jennifer Murphy – 0-7; 4 mins – Ireland try: Ashling Hutchings – 0-12; conversion: Jennifer Murphy – 0-14; 6 mins – Ireland try: Ashling Hutchings – 0-19; 8 mins – Ireland try: Sophie Spence – 0-24; 10 mins – Ireland try: Jeannette Feighery – 0-29; 13 mins – Ireland try: Niamh Kavanagh – 0-34; conversion: Claire Keohane – 0-36; 14 mins – Ireland try: Amy Davis – 0-41; conversion: Claire Keohane – 0-43
Day One Reaction: Interview with Jon Skurr; Interview with Claire Molloy; Interview with Joy Neville
KNOCKOUT RESULTS:
Sunday, July 1
Cup/Plate Quarter-Final
Russia 27 Ireland 0
Ireland Line-Up: Joy Neville, Claire Keohane, Claire Molloy, Lynne Cantwell, Jennifer Murphy, Alison Miller, Ashling Hutchings.
Subs: Ashleigh Baxter, Sophie Spence, Amy Davis, Jeannette Feighery, Niamh Kavanagh.
Scoring: 2 minutes – Russia try: Marina Petrova – 5-0; 7 mins – Russia try: Yulia Guzeva – 10-0; 9 mins – Russia try: Nadezda Yarmotskaya – 15-0; 11 mins – Russia try: Marina Petrova – 20-0; conversion: Anastasiia Mukhariamova – 22-0; 12 mins – Russia try: Nadezda Yarmotskaya – 27-0
Plate Semi-Final
Ukraine 0 Ireland 17
Ireland Line-Up: Joy Neville, Claire Keohane, Claire Molloy, Lynne Cantwell, Jennifer Murphy, Alison Miller, Jeannette Feighery.
Subs: Ashleigh Baxter, Sophie Spence, Amy Davis, Ashling Hutchings, Niamh Kavanagh.
Scoring: 2 minutes – Ireland try: Alison Miller – 0-5; conversion: Claire Keohane – 0-7; 6 mins – Ireland try: Claire Molloy – 0-12; 7 mins – Ireland yellow card: Jennifer Murphy; 9 mins – Ireland yellow card: Joy Neville; 12 mins – Ireland try: Alison Miller – 0-17
Plate Final
Ireland 7 Netherlands 31
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