Ireland Women’s Sevens Squad Announced For Sydney

The squad sees the 12 players who competed in the opening round of Women’s World Series in Dubai included, along with two additional players in Jeamie Deacon and Katie Heffernan, who lined out for the Ireland Women’s Development side that finished second in the Dubai Invitational tournament.

The Ireland squad will train at the Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation in Narrabeen this week, and will then relocate to Coogee ahead of the tournament kicking off. They will play Canada, Fiji and Russia in Pool C of the tournament, and will open day 1 against Russia.

On confirmation of the squad, IRFU Director of Women’s and Sevens Rugby, Anthony Eddy, said: “While we finished with a win in the Trophy competition in Dubai, we wanted to be in the quarter-finals on day 2, so that is the aim for Sydney. It’s going to be another tough pool with Canada, Fiji and Russia who were three of the top five teams on the series last season.

“We will have a week-long training camp in Narrabeen where the players will have the chance to recover from the long flights and get acclimatised to the warm weather, while preparing for the three important games on day 1. We’ll then continue our preparations as we move to the tournament hotel in the lead into the tournament kicking off.”

The Sydney 7s sees both the Women’s and Men’s World Rugby Sevens Series tournaments takes place over three days at the Allianz Stadium in Moore Park, with the pool stages taking place on Australia Day – Friday, January 26, the quarter-finals and Trophy games taking place on Saturday, January 27, and the finals day pencilled in for Sunday, January 28.

For more information on the Sydney 7s tournament, or to buy tickets, please visit http://www.sydney7s.com.au/.

IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (2017/18 HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series – Sydney 7s, Allianz Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney, Friday, January 26-Sunday, January 28):

Ashleigh Baxter (Cooke/Ulster)
Claire Boles (Railway Union/Ulster)
Jeamie Deacon (Blackrock/Leinster) *
Aoife Doyle (Shannon/Railway Union/Munster)
Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/Leinster)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)
Katie Heffernan (Railway Union/Leinster)
Louise Galvin (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster)
Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum) (capt)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster)
Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Audrey O’Flynn (Ireland Sevens)
Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
 
* Denotes uncapped player at this level
 
IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS FIXTURES – SYDNEY 7s:

Friday, January 26 –

Pool C:

Russia v Ireland, 10am local time/ 11pm Irish time (Thursday)
Canada v Ireland, 1.06pm local time/ 2.06am (Friday) Irish time
Ireland v Fiji, 3.50pm local time/ 4.50am (Friday) Irish time
 
Saturday, January 27 –

Play-Offs
 
Sunday, January 28 –

Finals Day
 
For more information on the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series, visit www.worldrugby.org/sevens-series.