Ireland Women Call Up Naoupu As Injury Replacement
Due to an injury to Audrey O’Flynn, the Ireland Women’s Sevens management have called up Sene Naoupu to the squad to compete at the Rugby Europe Women’s Sevens Grand Prix Series tournament in Malemort, France this weekend.
Sene Naoupu was a regular on the World Series circuit last season and also featured at centre for the Ireland Women’s XV during the 2016 Six Nations.
Audrey O’Flynn suffered an ankle injury during a training session in Malemort, as part of the build-up to this weekend’s competition.
Ireland have been drawn in Pool C with GB Lions, whom they lost out to in the 3rd-4th place play-off of the first leg in Kazan in June, as well as Italy and Belgium. They will face Italy in their first game of the day, followed by Belgium, and will end day 1 against GB Lions.
The Grand Prix tournament will be Ireland’s last competitive tournament before taking part in the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series, which starts in Dubai on December 1.
IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (Rugby Europe Women’s Sevens Grand Prix Series – Second Leg, Malemort, France, September 24-25):
Ashleigh Baxter (Cooke/Ulster)
Chloe Blackmore (St. Mary’s/Munster) *
Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/Leinster)
Kim Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)
Katie Heffernan (Mullingar/Leinster) *
Claire Keohane (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum/Leinster) (capt)
Amee-Leigh Crowe (Railway Union/Munster)
Sene Naoupu (Unaffiliated)
Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Megan Williams (St. Mary’s)
* Denotes new caps
IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS FIXTURES –
Day 1 – Saturday, September 24
Ireland v Italy, 11.22am local time/10.22am Irish time
Ireland v Belgium, 2.07pm local time/1.07pm Irish time
Ireland v GB Lions, 4.52pm local time/3.52pm Irish time
Day 2 – Sunday, September 25
Play-Offs
Games will be broadcast live via www.rugbyeurope.tv.