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O’Flynn Returns For Ireland Women’s European Opener In Marcoussis

O’Flynn Returns For Ireland Women’s European Opener In Marcoussis

O’Flynn Returns For Ireland Women’s European Opener In Marcoussis

The Ireland Women’s Sevens squad for the first round of the Rugby Europe Women’s Sevens Grand Prix Series, which takes place in Marcoussis on Friday and Saturday, has been confirmed.

The tournament in France, which will be live streamed on www.rugbyeurope.tv, is the first of two competitions that make up the Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix Series, with the second leg taking place in Kazan, Russia on September 1-2.
 
Ireland are drawn in Pool B with Poland, Scotland and Wales for the Marcoussis event. Lucy Mulhall captains a squad that shows only one change from the side that lined out recently at the final leg of the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series in Paris.
 
Audrey O’Flynn returns to the squad having missed out on Paris, while the panel features youngsters Kathy Baker and Eve Higgins, who both won their first caps this season and celebrated birthdays this week. Baker turned 20 and Higgins, who was one of the nominees for the Rookie of the Year honours at the World Rugby Sevens Awards, turned 19.
 
Both players, along with fellow squad members Aoife Doyle, Stacey Flood, Katie Heffernan and Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, have progressed through the IRFU Women’s Sevens pathway, having played at Under-18 level before reaching the senior ranks. Completing this weekend’s squad are Ashleigh Baxter, Katie Fitzhenry, Louise Galvin and Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird.

Ahead of the tournament getting underway, IRFU Director of Women’s and Sevens Rugby, Anthony Eddy, said: “This weekend is another important tournament in our season, and with the standard of rugby continuing to improve across all competitions, the players will have some tough games ahead over the next two days.
 
“With two legs on the Grand Prix Series, we’ll be looking to get things off to a good start tomorrow and finish with some valuable points on the board ahead of the second leg in Kazan in September. The Sevens Rugby World Cup is also now only a few weeks away so we will be looking to build momentum ahead of our departure to San Francisco.”

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The Ireland Men’s and Women’s Sevens teams will both compete at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco over the weekend of July 20-22 at AT&T Park. RWC Sevens tickets are available here.

Follow the Ireland Women’s and Men’s Sevens sides this season in our exclusive behind-the-scenes series – On The Road with the Ireland 7s.

The Ireland Sevens jerseys are available to buy online here from Elverys Intersport, official sports retailer of the IRFU.

IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (2018 Rugby Europe Women’s Sevens Grand Prix Series – Round 1, Centre National de Rugby, Marcoussis, France, Friday, June 29-Saturday, June 30):

Kathy Baker (Blackrock/Leinster)
Ashleigh Baxter (Cooke/Ulster)
Aoife Doyle (Shannon/Railway Union/Munster)
Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/Leinster)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)
Louise Galvin (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Katie Heffernan (Mullingar/Railway Union/Leinster)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster)
Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum) (capt)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster)
Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Audrey O’Flynn (Ireland Sevens Programme)

IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS FIXTURES – RUGBY EUROPE SEVENS GRAND PRIX SERIES: ROUND 1:

Friday, June 29 –

Pool B:

Ireland v Scotland, Centre National de Rugby, Marcoussis, 12.44pm local time/11.44am Irish time
Ireland v Poland, Centre National de Rugby, Marcoussis, 3.39pm local time/2.29pm Irish time
Ireland v Wales, Centre National de Rugby, Marcoussis, 6.14pm local time/5.14pm Irish time

Saturday, June 30 –

Play-Offs

The full fixtures and pools are available on the Rugby Europe tournament page