IRFU Director of Sevens and Women’s Rugby, Anthony Eddy, has selected a 12-player Ireland Men’s squad for the trip to Spain. Fifteen players have been named in the Ireland Women’s panel as focus intensifies on the back-to-back World Series tournaments in Dubai in late November/early December.

Ireland Men, coming off the back of encouraging performances in World Series events in Vancouver and Edmonton last month, will face France, Spain, Germany, and invitational sides Zastava and Viator Barbarians at the Elche 7s, while Ireland Women will return to action against Belgium, Poland, Spain, and Viator Costa Blanca on Saturday and Sunday.

Eddy has selected an exciting mix of youth and experience in both panels, with Olympians Terry Kennedy, Jordan Conroy and Hugo Lennox included in the Men’s squad alongside Leinster Academy backs Niall Comerford and Chris Cosgrave, who impressed in Canada last month. Ireland U20 international Jude Postlethwaite is also named in the traveling party.

Lucy Mulhall will lead Ireland Women, who have plenty of World Series experience within their ranks, while Erin King and Katie Whelan will be among those hoping to showcase their talents on the international stage having stood out for Leinster during the recent U18 Women’s Inter-Provincial Series.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Eddy said the Elche 7s tournament will provide both squads with a valuable opportunity to build towards the campaign ahead:

“The Elche Tournament is always a good event, and the players are looking forward to it. This tournament provides us with a good opportunity to see some new faces as we prepare for the new HSBC World Sevens Series season.

“There is good depth in both the Men’s and Women’s squads and competition for places in World Series Tournaments will be a real contest so it is important that we go to Elche with an attitude of performing well.”

A Youtube live stream of the Elche 7s is available here.

Ireland 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 (Irish 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).

Ireland Women’s Sevens Squad:

Claire Boles (Railway Union)

Megan Burns (Blackrock College)

Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union)

Katie Heffernan (Mullingar/Railway Union)

Eve Higgins (Railway Union)

Brittany Hogan (DCU/Old Belvedere)

Erin King (Old Belvedere)

Emily Lane (Blackrock College)

Maeve Liston (Blackrock College)

Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians)

Grace Moore (Railway Union/IQ Rugby)

Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum)

Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College)

Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College)

Katie Whelan (Enniscorthy).

Elche 7s Schedule:

Saturday, 16th October:

Women’s team v Belgium, 10:20 Irish time

Men’s team v Zastava, 11:00 Irish time

Women’s team v Poland, 12:00 Irish time

Men’s team v Germany, 13:20 Irish time

Women’s team v Viator Costa Blanca, 13:40 Irish time

Men’s team v France, 15:00 Irish time

Women’s team v Spain, 16:00 Irish time.

Sunday, 17th October:

Men’s team v Spain, 10:40 Irish time

Men’s team v Viator Barbarians, 12:00 Irish time

Play-Off Matches, TBC.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Irish and international rugby news, click here.

The post Ireland Sevens Squads Set for Pre-Season Tournament In Elche appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Squads

Ireland Men’s and Women’s Sevens squads for this weekend’s International Rugby 7s tournament at St George’s Park.

The three-day tournament is being hosted by GB Sevens and will take place between 15-17 May at the Football Association’s National Training Centre at St George’s Park.

A return to competition rugby is a welcome boost for the Ireland squads and an important building block as they gear up towards a busy summer schedule, with Ireland Men preparing for June’s World Rugby Sevens Repechage, the final qualification event for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Billy Dardis will once again captain the Ireland Men, with Eddy selecting a 16-player squad for this weekend’s tournament.

Munster Academy Players Alex Kendellen, Conor Phillips and Jack Crowley, who starred for Ireland U20s last season and this year made his senior debut for the Province, are all included for the first time having trained with the squad at the IRFU High Performance Centre in recent months.

Ulster’s Aaron Sexton, Ben Moxham and Jude Postlethwaite, and former Leinster centre Gavin Mullin, are also named in the panel alongside the likes of Dardis, Jordan Conroy, Terry Kennedy, Aaron O’Sullivan and Hugo Lennox, who have all featured for Ireland on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Ireland Men will face hosts Great Britain and USA, with each team playing two games per day and points to be gained towards the final standings throughout the three days.

Lucy Mulhall, meanwhile, will lead an exciting 16-player Ireland Women’s squad into their first competitive action of the season, as they go head-to-head with hosts Great Britain and France.

Having recently featured in the Women’s Six Nations for Adam Griggs’ Ireland, Stacey Flood, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Eve Higgins, Grace Moore, Brittany Hogan and Emily Lane are all included, while Méabh Deely, Aoibheann Reilly and Kate Farrell McCabe, who have all come through the IRFU Women’s Development Pathway, will hope to impress further on the international stage.

Commenting ahead of the tournament, Eddy said: “We are really looking forward to getting back to international competition and actually play some matches.

“This tournament provides a great opportunity to build towards the summer ahead and it is great preparation for the Men’s team leading into Monaco and the Olympic Repechage Tournament in June. Both our Men’s and Women’s teams will be exposed to some quality opposition throughout the tournament and the competition should be intense.

“We are very grateful for the opportunity and thankful for all the work that has taken place behind the scenes to allow us to participate in the tournament.”

Ireland Men’s Sevens Squad For International Rugby 7s:

Alex Kendellen (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Aaron O’Sullivan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Gavin Mullin (UCD)
Ian Fitzpatrick (Lansdowne)
Jude Postlethwaite (Banbridge/Ulster)
Conor Phillips (Young Munster/Munster)
Billy Dardis (Terenure College)(Captain)
Sean Cribbin (Suttonians)
Hugo Lennox (Skerries)
Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Ben Moxham (Ballymena/Ulster)
Terry Kennedy (St Mary’s College)
Rory Scholes (Irish Sevens)
Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers)
Duran Krummeck (Irish Sevens)
Aaron Sexton (Malone/Ulster).

Ireland Women’s Sevens Squad For International Rugby 7s:

Claire Boles (Railway Union/Ulster)
Megan Burns (Tullamore/Leinster)
Amee Leigh Murphy-Crowe (Railway Union/Munster)
Méabh Deely (Blackrock/Connacht)
Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/Leinster)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)
Katie Heffernan (Mullingar/Railway Union/Leinster)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster)
Brittany Hogan (DCU/Ulster)
Emily Lane (Blackrock/Munster)
Maeve Liston (Blackrock/Ulster)
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians/Leinster)
Grace Moore (Railway Union/IQ Rugby)
Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum/Leinster)(Captain)
Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (Old Belvedere/Munster)
Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock/Connacht).

International Rugby 7s Schedule:

Saturday 15th May:

Men:

• Ireland v Great Britain, 10am
• Ireland v USA, 1pm
• Great Britain v USA, 4pm

Women:

• Ireland v France, 10.22am
• Great Britain v France, 1.22pm
• Great Britain v Ireland, 4.22pm

Sunday 16th May:

Men:

• Ireland v USA, 10am
• Great Britain v USA, 1pm
• Great Britain v Ireland, 4pm

Women:

• Great Britain v France, 10.22am
• Ireland v France, 1.22pm
• Great Britain v Ireland, 4.22pm

Monday 17th May:

Men:

• Ireland v USA, 10am
• Great Britain v Ireland, 1pm
• Great Britain v USA, 4pm

Women:

• Ireland v France, 10.22am
• Great Britain v Ireland, 1.22pm
• Great Britain v France, 4.22pm.

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