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change of scenery

Ireland flanker Molloy jumps at chance to join Premiership side Wasps

The 30-year-old joins Ireland team-mate Cliodhna Moloney at the English club.

CLAIRE MOLLOY WILL look to bring her outstanding international form to the Women’s Premiership after the Ireland flanker joined Wasps ahead of the 2018/19 season.

Claire Molloy Molloy will ply her trade in the Premiership this season. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

The 30-year-old becomes the third Irish international to move to an English club this summer, after hooker Cliodhna Moloney signed terms with Wasps and prop Leah Lyons agreed a switch to Harlequins. 

Molloy, who captained Ireland at the 2017 World Cup on home soil, previously played for Bristol Ladies as well as Connacht and brings a wealth of experience to Wasps as they look to improve on last year’s third-place finish.

Capped 63 times by Ireland, the addition of Molloy five days before the start of the new campaign is a real coup for Wasps director of rugby Giselle Mather given her international pedigree.

Molloy was the standout performer for Ireland during last year’s Six Nations championship as she won two player of the match awards for her tireless work on both sides of the ball. 

The Galway native, who is a qualified doctor, is a demon at the breakdown and has consistently showed her dynamism around the field with a combination of big carries and important tackles during a nine-year international career to date.  

Speaking about her move to Wasps for the second season of the Women’s Premiership, Molloy said the opportunity was too good to turn down. 

“It offered a fresh change of scenery and a new challenge at a time in my job I had a natural career break,” she said.

Claire Molloy Molloy has won 63 Ireland caps. Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO

“Having gone to university with some retired Waspies, their advice and experiences with the club were a great advertisement for the club and I felt it would be a good fit.

“Working with Giselle was a major draw factor, the Irish girls who were lucky enough to put on the Barbarians jersey sang her praises and I couldn’t turn up that opportunity.”

The news that Molloy, Moloney and Lyons will be plying their trade in the Premiership this term is an encouraging development for Ireland head coach Adam Griggs as he prepares his side for November internationals against USA and England.

Molloy could make her Wasps debut against her former club, Bristol, when the sides meet in Saturday’s seasonal opener at Shaftesbury Park.  

Lyons’ Harlequins, meanwhile, open their campaign against Gloucester-Hartpury. 

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