The Ireland Women’s national sevens team won the Elche 7s pre-season tournament at the weekend to put the final touches on a strong weekend for Irish rugby.
The side, which included 15 stars that had been involved in the failed World Cup qualification campaign, went unbeaten to finish first, dispatching of Poland 26-0 in the final.
The men’s national sevens team, which involved several Olympians were also finalists in the Spanish city but lost by five points to the hosts.
Their 2021/22 seasons are set to get underway in Dubai next month in the first leg of the upcoming HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Director of Women’s rugby and Sevens Anthony Eddy took charge of the women’s team for the weekend.
Rugby union stars Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe and Beibhinn Parsons all scored in the final, with superstar winger Parsons crossing the line twice to give the team a four-try victory over their opponents.
They had finished top of their group with four wins from four earlier in the tournament and beat hosts Spain in the semi-finals to earn a date with Poland.
The men’s side, coached once again by James Topping who had taken charge for the two World Rugby Sevens Series events in the 2021 season, also finished top of their group.
The men’s team, which included three Olympians – Terry Kennedy, Jordan Conroy and Hugo Lennox, won four times in the group stage and drew once to earn the top spot.
A 26-point win over Viator Barbarians saw them within one game of pre-season silverware but it as not to be as Spain ended the tournament as champions.
Elche 7s Results
Saturday, October 16:
- Ireland Women 26-5 Belgium
- Ireland Men 19-19 Zastava
- Ireland Women 33-7 Poland
- Ireland Men 36-7 Germany
- Ireland Women 31-0 Viator Costa Blanca
- Ireland Men 15-12 France
- Ireland Women 49-5 Spain
Sunday, October 17:
- Ireland Men 21-19 Spain
- Ireland Men 31-5 Viator Barbarians
- Ireland Women 19-10 Spain (Tournament Semi-Final)
- Ireland Men 19-24 Spain (Tournament Final)
- Ireland Women 26-0 Poland (Tournament Final).
Men’s Sevens Squad
Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers RFC)
Niall Comerford (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Chris Cosgrave (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Sean Cribbin (Suttonians RFC)
Fergus Jemphrey (Blackheath RFC/IQ Rugby)
Sean Kearns (Ireland Sevens)
Terry Kennedy (St Mary’s College RFC)
Hugo Lennox (Skerries RFC)
Matthew McDonald (IQ Rugby)
Aaron O’Sullivan (Blackrock College RFC)
Jude Postlethwaite (Banbridge RFC/Ulster)
Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC)
Women’s Sevens Squad
Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC)
Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC)
Katie Heffernan (Mullingar RFC/Railway Union RFC)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)
Brittany Hogan (DCU RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)
Maeve Liston (Blackrock College RFC)
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC)
Grace Moore (Railway Union RFC/IQ Rugby)
Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum RFC) (capt)
Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC)
Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC)
Katie Whelan (Enniscorthy RFC).
