The opening leg of the 2026 Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Championship Series is taking place in Hamburg this weekend, with 12 teams spread across three pools.
Coached by James Topping, the Ireland Women returned to competitive action with the experienced Megan Burns captaining a squad that contained four of this year's successful Ireland Under-21 group.
Footballer Kyah Coady, who was scouted through the IRFU's Talent Identification Combine hosted in University of Limerick, also made her debut during this morning's 26-10 loss to Belgium.
Ireland bounced back to finish the day in impressive fashion, scoring six unanswered tries against Great Britain to leave themselves in second place in Pool A.
Topping's side complete the pool phase against Denmark tomorrow at 10.06am local time/9.06am Irish time, with live coverage on www.rugbyeurope.tv and Rugby Europe's YouTube channel.
Speaking in the aftermath of the 34-0 victory over Britain, Niamh Murphy said: "I think we just played a lot more cohesively than our first game. We made it easier for ourselves and we just got into our flow better.
"Against Belgium, I just think we were finding our feet, I don't think it was good or bad. We were just settling into it.
"That win is definitely a big lift for us. Coming into Denmark tomorrow, it's good to have a win under our belts. We'll rest and recover now."
2024 Olympian Alanna Fitzpatrick made the first incision in the Great Britain defence, taking play up past halfway before Alana McInerney's pace and three power-packed hand-offs took her over for a fine individual score.
Following Clare Gorman's conversion, Ireland built from a subsequent scrum. Kathy Baker breached the opposition 22, and then Fitzpatrick cut inside two defenders to touch down after four minutes.
12-0 became 17-0 just before half-time, as Amy Larn retrieved her own kick downfield, and Burns used the quick ball to send Katie Corrigan cruising in under the posts.
Gorman brilliantly sliced open the British defence to allow Burns to open the second half's scoring. The skipper used a sidestep and good strength to make it over.
The lead was extended to 27 points when Baker shrugged off an attempted tackle to cross in the 11th minute, after good work from the newly-introduced Murphy and Lucia Linn.
Britain's Amelia Amstead gobbled up a kick out wide to briefly threaten, but the Irish defence scrambled well. They were soon back on the front foot thanks to a Maggie Boylan turnover penalty.
Chisom Ugwueru ran in an opportunist try to complete the scoring. She made an initial break and was then perfectly placed to intercept a pass scooped backwards by Jenny Hesketh.
Meanwhile, Belgium had been fast starters in Ireland's pool opener in the morning session. Geertrui Vercaemer showed her pace on the edge to score from their opening attack.
In their attempts to build something from inside their own half, Ireland coughed up possession in the second minute, the ball going loose from Boylan, and Tshiala Abigaël Bokonda was the beneficiary for the second Belgian try.
Scrum half Larn boosted the girls in green with a terrific solo effort, approaching half-time. She took off from the back of a scrum, some 70 metres out, and sped over from the right wing.
Trailing 14-5 at the break, Fitzpatrick drew Ireland closer with a well-taken try early on the resumption. She got away from Bokonda on the outside, with the ever-industrious Baker supplying the assist.
Crucially for Belgium, Cécile Blondiau used a strong fend and burst of acceleration to break clear from the left wing and open up a 19-10 advantage.
Ireland still had just over three minutes to find two scores, but a promising Fitzpatrick run ended with a knock-on. Instead it was Lisa Goossens who was released by Aicha Chiua's offload to settle the issue at four tries to two.
IRELAND WOMEN'S SEVENS SQUAD (2026 Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Championship Series - Hamburg 7s, Sportanlage Sportwiesenweg, Hamburg, Germany, Friday, July 3-Sunday, July 5):
Alana McInerney (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)
Alanna Fitzpatrick (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Amy Larn (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)
Clare Gorman (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
Faith Oviawe (Railway Union RFC/Connacht)
Kathy Baker (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
Kyah Coady (N/A)
Lucia Linn (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)
Maggie Boylan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) (capt)
Niamh Murphy (Galwegians RFC/Leinster)
IRELAND WOMEN'S SEVENS SCHEDULE - Hamburg 7s Tournament:
Friday, July 3 -
POOL A:
BELGIUM 26 IRELAND 10, Sportanlage Sportwiesenweg, Hamburg
Belgium: Tries: Geertrui Vercaemer, Tshiala Abigaël Bokonda, Cécile Blondiau, Lisa Goossens; Cons: Margaux Stevins 3
Ireland: Tries: Amy Larn, Alanna Fitzpatrick
HT: Belgium 14 Ireland 5
Team: Faith Oviawe, Kathy Baker, Maggie Boylan, Amy Larn, Megan Burns (capt), Niamh Murphy, Chisom Ugwueru.
Replacements used: Alana McInerney, Lucia Linn, Kyah Coady, Katie Corrigan. Not used: Niamh Murphy.
GREAT BRITAIN 0 IRELAND 34, Sportanlage Sportwiesenweg, Hamburg
Great Britain: -
Ireland: Tries: Alana McInerney, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Katie Corrigan, Megan Burns, Kathy Baker, Chisom Ugwueru; Cons: Clare Gorman 2
HT: Great Britain 0 Ireland 17
Team: Katie Corrigan, Kathy Baker, Alana McInerney, Amy Larn, Clare Gorman, Megan Burns (capt), Alanna Fitzpatrick.
Replacements used: Lucia Linn, Niamh Murphy, Faith Oviawe, Maggie Boylan, Chisom Ugwueru.
Click here for the Hamburg 7s results, fixtures & pool tables.
Saturday, July 4 -
IRELAND v DENMARK, Sportanlage Sportwiesenweg, Hamburg, 10.06am local time/9.06am Irish time
(Photos by Neil Kennedy and Travis Proctor via Rugby Europe)
