IRELAND CAN QUALIFY for next summer’s Sevens Rugby World Cup if they can finish high enough in the final tournament of their season in Kazan this weekend.
Anthony Eddy’s side travel to Russia for the second stage of the Rugby Europe 7s Grand Prix hoping to book their place in San Francisco in 2018.
Spain, France and Russia have already secured qualification for the World Cup, with Ireland currently occupying one of the two other automatic qualification berths. England and Wales are also in contention.
Ten of the players who were involved in the opening Grand Prix tournament in France are retained in the squad for this weekend, with captain Lucy Mulhall coming back in after being rested.
Stacey Flood, Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe and Hannah Tyrrell are set to compete in their eighth tournament of the season while Louise Galvin also comes back into the reckoning.
“The squad had a good two weeks in France in June, finishing third in Malemort at the Grand Prix and then we had a top eight finish at the Clermont 7s, where we had three new caps,” Eddy said.
“It’s been a progressive season for the Women’s Sevens Programme, so we will be looking to end it on a positive note in Kazan, where we will be looking to gain qualification for next season’s Sevens Rugby World Cup in San Francisco.”
Ireland have been paired in Pool C alongside England, Sweden and Poland.
Ireland squad:
Claire Boles (Enniskillen RFC/Ulster)
Claire Keohane (UL Bohemian RFC / Munster)
Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC / Leinster)
Kim Flood (Railway Union RFC / Leinster)
Louise Galvin (UL Bohemian RFC / Munster)
Katie Heffernan (Mullingar RFC / Railway Union RFC (dual status) /Leinster)
Anna McGann (Buccaneers/UCD (dual status)/Leinster)
Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum RFC / Leinster) (captain)
Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe (Railway Union RFC / Munster)
Audrey O’Flynn (Ireland 7s Programme)
Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster)
Megan Williams (St. Mary’s College RFC)
Ireland fixtures:
Day 1, Saturday 8 July
- Ireland v Poland – 10:00am (local time) / 8.00am (Irish time)
- Ireland v Sweden 12:45pm (local time) / 10.45am (Irish time)
- Ireland v England 3.53pm (local time) / 1.53pm (Irish time)
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