U16 & U18 Female 7s Interpro Action From IRFU HPC
The first ever U16 and U18 Female 7s Interpro Series took place at the IRFU High Performance Centre on the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin on Saturday.
Two teams from each province at both age grades competed on Day 1 with the second day of play set for Saturday 30th April again at the IRFU High Performance Centre.
192 players took part in the Interpro Series which is being used to develop the core rugby skills of identified female pathway players and to identify players for national programmes.
A number of players who recently played for the Ireland U18 XVs in the Six Nations Festival in Edinburgh lined out for their provinces.
Katie Fitzhenry, IRFU Women’s Performance Pathway Coach, said,
“The opening day of the underage Interpro 7s Series was fantastic. This format really tests the players’ core skills – passing, tackling, evasion, decision-making, rucking and finishing.  We saw tremendous skill and pace from these young players which just shows how much great work is being done in the clubs and provinces in developing these young players.”
“On Day 2 the players will play the knock-out format which mirrors what would happen on a the Sevens World Series so it will be another good test for them. We are using this tournament to identify players for national programmes as we have both 7s and XVs U18 Ireland teams that will be playing in international tournaments.”
In the U16 competition Leinster 1 lead the way in Pool A having recorded three wins from three while Connacht 2 lie in second place with two wins. In Pool B Munster 1 also recorded three wins and Connacht 1 recorded two wins.
In the U18 competition Leinster 1 top Pool A with three wins while Ulster 1 lie in second place with two victories. In Pool B Connacht 1 top the table with three wins and Munster 1 hold second spot following two wins.
On Day 2 on Saturday 30th April the tournament format mimics a Sevens World Series event with seeded quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals for all teams.
U16 Female 7s Interpro Day 1 ResultsÂ
Pool A
Ulster 1 12 Leinster 1 24
Munster 2 5 Connacht 2 25
Leinster 1 27 Connacht 2 0
Ulster 1 41 Munster 2 5
Connacht 2 20 Ulster 1 17
Leinster 1 W/O Munster 2
Pool B
Connacht 1 24 Leinster 2 22
Munster 1 41 Ulster 2 0
Connacht 1 48 Ulster 2 5
Munster 1 31 Leinster 2 5
Leinster 2 46 Ulster 2 5
Munster 1 12 Connacht 1 7
U18 Female 7s Interpro Day 1  Results
Pool A
Ulster 1 17 Leinster 1 26
Munster 2 19 Connacht 2 12
Leinster 1 29 Connacht 2 10
Ulster 1 17 Munster 2 10
Connacht 2 10 Ulster 1 19
Leinster 1 34 Munster 2 5
Pool B
Connacht 1 31 Leinster 2 12
Munster 1 43 Ulster 2 5
Connacht 1 53 Ulster 2 0
Munster 1 38 Leinster 2 15
Leinster 2 47 Ulster 2 12
Munster 1 17 Connacht 1 19