Ireland Women’s Sevens claim 3rd in Kazan and qualify for World Cup

The Irish Women’s Sevens side hammered France 40-0 on Sunday in their final game of the Kazan 7s tournament to claim third spot and finish second overall in the Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix Series.

The victory means Anthony Eddy’s squad have qualified for the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens courtesy of back to back 3rd place finished in the Grand Prix Series.

England who finished runners in Kazan, claimed the second qualifying spot for next year’s World Cup tournament in San Francisco.

It is Ireland’s best ever finish in the series and caps a fantastic 2016/2017 campaign which included a ninth place finish in the World Series as well as first ever wins over Fiji, England and France.

It is a testament to the work and effort put in by the team as well as the backing they have received from the IRFU. It has been a steady rise for the women’s 7s program who just three years ago were ranked 8th in Europe.

A seven try rout saw Ireland cruise past Portugal 49-7 in their quarter final this morning with a brace from Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe. However hopes of a final spot were ended by hosts Russia in a 27-5 semi final defeat.

Ireland regrouped and responded with a clinical 40-0 demolition of the French with Murphy Crowe again to the fore scoring four tries to take her weekend total to nine equalling her Malemort total last month.

2018 will mark the second time that the Ireland Women have competed in a Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament. They reached the quarter-finals in 2013 on the way to finishing seventh overall.

IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (Rugby Europe Women’s Sevens Grand Prix Series – Leg 2, Central Stadium, Kazan, Russia, Saturday, July 8-Sunday, July 9):

Claire Boles (Enniskillen/Ulster)
Claire Keohane (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/Leinster)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)
Kim Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)
Louise Galvin (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Katie Heffernan (Mullingar/Railway Union (dual status))/Leinster)
Anna McGann (Buccaneers/UCD (dual status))/Leinster)
Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum/Leinster) (capt)

 Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster)
Audrey O’Flynn (Ireland Sevens Programme)
Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Megan Williams (St. Mary’s)

RUGBY EUROPE WOMEN’S SEVENS GRAND PRIX SERIES – KAZAN 7s RESULTS:

Saturday, July 8 – Pool C:

Ireland 17 Poland 7, Central Stadium
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Louise Galvin, Megan Williams, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe; Con: Kim Flood

Team: Katie Heffernan, Megan Williams, Katie Fitzhenry, Kim Flood, Stacey Flood (capt), Louise Galvin, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs: Audrey O’Flynn, Lucy Mulhall, Claire Keohane, Hannah Tyrrell, Claire Boles.

Ireland 48 Sweden 0, Central Stadium
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Hannah Tyrrell 2, Stacey Flood 2, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Lucy Mulhall, Kim Flood, Claire Boles; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 3, Kim Flood

Team: Audrey O’Flynn, Megan Williams, Kim Flood, Stacey Flood, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Hannah Tyrrell, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs: Katie Heffernan, Claire Keohane, Katie Fitzhenry, Louise Galvin, Claire Boles.

Ireland 17 England 21, Central Stadium
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Lucy Mulhall, Hannah Tyrrell, Megan Williams; Con: Lucy Mulhall

Team: Megan Williams, Kim Flood, Katie Fitzhenry, Stacey Flood, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Hannah Tyrrell, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs: Katie Heffernan, Claire Keohane, Louise Galvin, Claire Boles.

Sunday, July 9:

Cup Quarter-Final: Portugal 7 Ireland 49, Central Stadium
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Katie Fitzhenry, Megan Williams, Lucy Mulhall, Stacey Flood, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe 2; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 6, Kim Flood

Team: Megan Williams, Kim Flood, Katie Fitzhenry, Stacey Flood, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Louise Galvin, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs: Hannah Tyrrell, Katie Heffernan, Claire Keohane, Claire Boles.

Cup Semi-Final: Russia 27 Ireland 5, Central Stadium
Scorers: Ireland: Try: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe

Team: Megan Williams, Kim Flood, Katie Fitzhenry, Stacey Flood, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Louise Galvin, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs: Katie Heffernan, Claire Keohane, Claire Boles.

3rd-4th Place Play-Off: Ireland 40 France 0, Central Stadium
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe 4, Stacey Flood, Lucy Mulhall; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 5

Team: Megan Williams, Katie Fitzhenry, Louise Galvin, Stacey Flood, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Hannah Tyrrell, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs: Katie Heffernan, Kim Flood, Claire Keohane, Claire Boles.

For the full Rugby Europe Women’s Sevens Grand Prix Series results, pool tables and final tournament and series standings, please visit the tournament website.

Social Sharing

Posted in

Grand Slam winners included as Munster name squad for Champions Cup clash with the Sharks in South Africa

Players and management will fly out tonight and arrive in Durban on Wednesday evening ahead of the game ...
Read More

Young Munster move closer to securing top-four finish in 1A but Shannon remain in relegation places | AIL Round Up

With just two round of games left in the All Ireland Men’s League, it is still all to ...
Read More

HIGHLIGHTS | Munster suffer costly loss to Glasgow in Thomond Park

Domingo Miotti added a drop-goal on 44 minutes for a 31-0 advantage before the Munster comeback began on ...
Read More

Crowley, Kilcoyne and Haley return as Munster name side for final home game of the season

Antoine Frisch was unavailable due to a low-grade leg injury, but is expected to return to training next ...
Read More

Craig Casey “looking forward” to Munster return after Grand Slam success | Press Pass

With the majority of their internationals returning this weekend, Andy Kyriacou is delighted with how the team have ...
Read More

Five Munster Players Named in Irish XV For Women’s Six Nations Opener

Five Munster players are in the starting XV with one more among the replacements for Saturday's opener. Head ...
Read More

Top Four within sight for Munster ahead of Glasgow clash | URC State of Play

Glasgow are fourth in the table, two points ahead of Munster and have only been beaten once in ...
Read More

Six Internationals back for Munster ahead of final home URC game while three return from injury

Jack Crowley is one of six players returning from international duty with Mike Haley one of three players ...
Read More