Women’s Sevens Attracts Athletes With Olympic Lure

The lure of the Olympics is attracting a wide range of female athletes from different sports to try out for the Ireland Women’s Sevens squad.

Aspiring young athlete Claire McGlynn is making the transition from the track to the rugby pitch as she hopes to one day represent Ireland at the Olympics as part of the Women’s Sevens team.

McGlynn is from the DSD Athletics club. She has competed in athletics since she was 11-years-old and was national Junior and Under-23 champion in the 400 metres as well as gaining many other titles in the sprint events.

An injury in 2008 forced her to refocus on different distances and even take up Olympic weighlifting.

Spurred on by the success of the Women’s team in winning their first Grand Slam in the Women’s RBS 6 Nations, she decided to try out for the Women’s Sevens programme and has come through a number of screening camps.

Her lack of rugby experience has not hampered her progression as she works on her skills and she admits that the lure of possible Olympic qualification in 2016 is a huge attraction for young women involved in sport.

Watch the video on our YouTube channel: Irish Rugby TV: Claire McGlynn on Women’s Sevens and the Olympics.

If you are interested in trying out for the Elite Women’s Sevens, why not sign up for the next screening camp on Saturday. May 11?

Have you got what it takes to be an Olympian? Click here to start your journey.