Women’s Squad Named For European Olympic Sevens Qualifier
The Ireland Women’s Sevens squad to play in the first leg of the Rugby Europe Women’s Sevens Grand Prix Series, which takes place in Kazan, Russia this weekend, has been named.
The selected 12-strong squad includes four players who are uncapped at senior international Sevens level – Ireland captain Lucy Mulhall, Stacey Flood of Railway Union, Clare Ladies footballer and Camogie star Eimear Considine and Kerry Ladies footballer Louise Galvin.
Ireland have been drawn in Pool B for the Kazan tournament alongside 2014 European runners-up France, old rivals Spain and Ukraine, who won promotion from Division A last summer. The second leg of the Grand Prix Series takes place in Brive, France on June 20-21.
Speaking ahead of the first leg in Russia, Anthony Eddy, IRFU Director of Rugby Sevens, said: “We have the first test of two this weekend and we have no doubt we will face some tough competition. This is what we have trained for all year and we look forward to getting out there and playing.”
Keep up to date with all the latest Ireland Sevens news on www.irishrugby.ie/sevens.
IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (2015 Rugby Europe Women’s Sevens Grand Prix Series – Leg 1, Kazan, Russia, June 13-14):
Claire Keohane (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Lucy Mulhall (TID)* (capt)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)*
Shannon Houston (Blackrock/Leinster)
Megan Williams (St. Mary’s/Leinster)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (St. Mary’s/Munster)
Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/Leinster)
Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht)
Eimear Considine (TID)*
Louise Galvin (UL Bohemians/Munster)*
Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Connacht)
RUGBY EUROPE SEVENS GRAND PRIX SERIES – LEG 1 POOLS:
POOL A: Russia, Portugal, Italy, Scotland
POOL B: France, Spain, Ireland, Ukraine
POOL C: England, Netherlands, Wales, Germany
IRELAND WOMEN’S FIXTURES –
Pool B – Saturday, June 13
Spain v Ireland, 11.28am local time/9.28am Irish time
France v Ireland, 1.22pm local time/11.22am Irish time
Ireland v Ukraine, 4.22pm local time/2.22pm Irish time
IRELAND’S OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION PROCESS FOR RIO 2016:
1. As the Ireland Women’s Sevens team are not in the World Series, the route to the Olympics is through the regional qualifiers for Europe. This European Championship (2015) will be held over two consecutive weekends (Russia, June 13-14, and France, June 20-21). The winning team qualifies for the Olympics.
2. If Ireland does not win the European Championship (2015), qualification is possible in 2016 through the 2016 World Repechage.
To qualify for the World Repechage, Ireland must:
a. Finish as runners-up of the 2015 European Championship or
b. Finish in the top three of the European Repechage (Lisbon, July 2015)
The winners of the 2016 World Repechage will qualify for the Olympics.