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Murphy Crowe To Captain Ireland Women’s Sevens Team In Langford

Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe came back against the grain and cut past two defenders to score Ireland's opening try against the USA during the recent Kitakyushu 7s tournament in Japan

Ireland Women’s Sevens coach Stan McDowell has confirmed his squad for the penultimate round of the 2018/19 HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series in Langford, Canada next Saturday and Sunday.

There is one enforced change to the squad that finished seventh in the previous round in Kitakyushu last month, with captain Lucy Mulhall unavailable having picked up an injury during the Japan tournament. She is replaced by Blackrock’s Kathy Baker, who makes her seasonal debut in the series.

Taking over the captaincy this week is Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe who played her 100th World Series game in Japan. The flying 24-year-old winger is currently the second top try scorer on this year’s series with 23 tries – just one behind Canada’s Bianca Farella.

The selected Ireland side includes two 19-year-olds in play-maker Eve Higgins and recent series newcomer Megan Burns. Higgins has scored 62 points in 12 games so far this season, while Tullamore native Burns made her series debut last time out in Kitakyushu.

Murphy Crowe, Louise Galvin, Aoife Doyle, Hannah Tyrrell and Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird bring experience to a particularly youthful Irish squad, which features six 20-year-olds in Baker, Claire Boles, Katie Heffernan, Brittany Hogan, Emily Lane and Anna McGann.

Speaking after confirming the squad line-up, McDowell said:

It’s been a quick turnaround for the team after Kitakyushu, so the last two weeks have been used to review the performances from Japan, let the bodies recover and get prepared for two big days in Canada.

“We have a relatively young side for the tournament, and this provides a great opportunity for this group to step up and demonstrate what they are capable of. The Canada Sevens is one of the team’s favourite stops on the series and I know the players are looking forward to running out there at the weekend.”

It will be the fourth year that the Women’s World Series visits Westhills Stadium in Langford, British Colombia, and Ireland are drawn in Pool A with hosts Canada, who won the Kitakyushu title, Australia and invitational team Brazil, who recently qualified for next season’s series via the Hong Kong qualifiers.

This year’s series will conclude in the French city of Biarritz on June 15-16, before the Ireland Women compete at the Rugby Europe Olympic qualifying tournament on July 13-14 in Kazan, Russia, where the winners will secure a place at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

More information on the Canada Sevens and the Women’s World Series, including where to watch, is available here. The matches will be streamed live on World Rugby’s online channels, including YouTube, Facebook and via www.world.rugby.

The Ireland Sevens jerseys are available to buy online here from Elverys Intersport, official sports retailer of the IRFU.

IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (2018/19 HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series – Canada Sevens, Westhills Stadium, Langford, British Colombia, Canada, Saturday, May 11-Sunday, May 12):

Kathy Baker (Blackrock/Leinster)
Claire Boles (Railway Union/Ulster)
Megan Burns (Tullamore/Leinster)
Aoife Doyle (Shannon/Railway Union/Munster)
Louise Galvin (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Katie Heffernan (Mullingar/Railway Union/Leinster)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster)
Brittany Hogan (Railway Union/Ulster)
Emily Lane (Mallow/Munster)
Anna McGann (UCD/Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster) (capt)
Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (Old Belvedere/Munster)
Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster)

IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS FIXTURES – CANADA SEVENS:

Saturday, May 11 –

Pool A:

Australia v Ireland, Westhills Stadium, 11.06am local time/7.06pm Irish time
Canada v Ireland, Westhills Stadium, 2.12pm local time/10.12pm Irish time
Ireland v Brazil, Westhills Stadium, 4.34pm local time/12.34am Irish time

Sunday, May 12 –

Play-Offs & Finals

2018/19 HSBC WORLD RUGBY WOMEN’S SEVENS SERIES:

USA (Denver), Infinity Park, Glendale, October 20-21 – 6th Place/10 Points
DUBAI, Sevens Stadium, Dubai, November 29-30 – 8th Place/6 Points
AUSTRALIA (Sydney), Spotless Stadium, Sydney, February 1-3 – 4th Place/14 Points
JAPAN (Kitakyushu), Mikuni World Stadium, Kitakyushu, April 20-21 – 7th Place/8 Points
CANADA (Langford), Westhills Stadium, Vancouver Island, May 11-12
FRANCE (Biarritz), Stade Aguiléra, Biarritz, June 15-16