The Ireland women's national rugby sevens team participates in international competitions such as the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens, the Rugby Europe Women's Sevens and Rugby sevens at the Summer Olympics. Unlike the Ireland women's national rugby union team, the sevens team is a professional team with players contracted to the Irish Rugby Football Union.
World Rugby Women's Sevens Series Ireland first competed in the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series as an invited team in 2012–13. They entered the 2013 China Women's Sevens and won the Plate competition. After finishing as quarter-finalists in the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens, Ireland qualified to be a core team for 2013–14. Ireland did not participate in 2014–15 but returned as a core team in 2015–16 after finishing as runners up to Japan in a qualifying tournament hosted at UCD Bowl in August 2015. Ireland remained as a core team for 2016–17 and 2017–18. Ireland have never won a Cup at any of the Series tournaments but they have won Challenge Trophies, Plates and Bowls. Ireland's best performance in the Series came in 2016–17 when they finished ninth overall and gained their first ever wins against Fiji, England and France. In April 2017 Sene Naoupu scored three tries as Ireland won the Challenge Trophy at the 2017 Japan Women's Sevens, defeating Spain 26–7 in the final. In 2016 and 2017 they also won two successive Challenge Trophies at the Dubai Women's Sevens.
Season by season + Ireland at the World Series Season Rank Points Events Best event Most tries Most points 2012–13 11th 12 1/4 5th (China) Alison Miller (6) Alison Miller (30) 2013–14 13th 11 5/5 9th (China]) Martina McCarthy (7) Martina McCarthy (35) 2014–15Did not participate 2015–16 12th 11 5/5 9th (USA]) Murphy Crowe/Mulhall (9) Lucy Mulhall (89) 2016–17 9th 34 6/6 7th (Canada) A.L. Murphy Crowe (21) A.L. Murphy Crowe (105) 2017–18 10th 29 5/5 6th (Canada) A.L. Murphy Crowe (18) A.L. Murphy Crowe (90) 2018–19 8th 41 6/6 4th (Sydney) A.L. Murphy Crowe (35) A.L. Murphy Crowe (175) 2019–20 10th 15 5/5 7th (USA) A.L. Murphy Crowe (14) A.L. Murphy Crowe (70) 2021–22 4th 74 6/6 2nd (Seville) A.L. Murphy Crowe (36) A.L. Murphy Crowe (180) 2022–23 5th 74 7/7 4th (Three events) A.L. Murphy Crowe (30) Lucy Mulhall (164) 2023–24 (League) 7th 66 7/7 1st (Perth) A.L. Murphy Crowe (33) A.L. Murphy Crowe (165) 2023–24 (Grand Final) 6th 1/1 A.L. Murphy Crowe (7) A.L. Murphy Crowe (35)Total 367 54/63 1st (Perth) A.L. Murphy Crowe (197) A.L. Murphy Crowe (985)
Tournaments
Rugby World Cup Sevens Ireland made their Rugby World Cup Sevens debut at the 2013 tournament. They qualified after finishing sixth in the 2012 Sevens Women Grand Prix Series. The team was captained by Claire Molloy and they reached the quarter-finals, finishing seventh overall.
The Ireland women's sevens team and the Ireland women's national rugby union team has often used the same set of players. For example, the 2018 Women's Six Nations Championship squad included nine rugby sevens internationals. This has occasionally led to conflicts of interest. In February 2017 Sene Naoupu, Alison Miller and Hannah Tyrrell were controversially withdrawn from Ireland's 2017 Women's Six Nations Championship squad in order to represent the Ireland Sevens in the 2017 USA Women's Sevens. The reasoning behind this decision was that the Ireland Sevens were chasing a top eight finish in the 2016–17 World Rugby Women's Sevens Series in order to qualify for the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens. Ireland eventually finished ninth in the Series but subsequently qualified for the World Cup after finishing third in the 2017 Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Grand Prix Series.
Rugby World Cup SevensYearRoundPosition 2009Did not qualify 2013Plate Semifinalists7th5230 20185th Place Final 6th 4 2 2 0 2022 7th Place Final 7th4220Total0 Titles3/413670
Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Ireland first competed in the Rugby Europe Women's Sevens in 2006. Their best performances in the tournament were in 2016, 2017 and 2026 when they finished third on all three occasions.
Olympics In their attempt to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Ireland competed in a series of qualifying tournaments including the 2015 Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Championships, the 2015 Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Olympic Repechage Tournament and the 2016 Rugby World Women's Sevens Olympic Repechage Tournament. However they were unsuccessful in their bid to qualify.
The team automatically qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics on May 24, 2023, in a 10–5 win over Fiji.IRFU: Ireland Women's Sevens Make History with Maiden Olympic Qualification Olympic Games recordYearRoundPosition 2016Did Not Qualify 2020 20245th–8th place playoff 8th6150Total0 Titles1/36150
Players Current squad All players who represented Ireland during the 2026 Rugby Europe Sevens Championship Series beginning July 2026.
PlayerAge Club/ProvinceLegsAlana McInerney25 UL Bohemian RFC/Munster & Alanna Fitzpatrick21 Blackrock College RFC/Leinster & Amy Larn21 Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster & Clare Gorman24 Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster & Chisom Ugwueru23 UL Bohemian RFC/Munster & *Kathy Baker28 Blackrock College RFC/Leinster & Megan Burns26 Blackrock College RFC/Leinster & Faith Oviawe23 Railway Union RFC/Connacht & Katie Corrigan20 Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster & Emily Lane27 Blackrock College RFC/MunsterEve Higgins27 Railway Union RFC/LeinsterRobyn O'Connor21 Old Belvedere RFC/LeinsterVicky Elmes Kinlan23 Wicklow RFC/LeinsterStacey Flood29 Railway Union RFC/Leinster*Kyah Coady23 Treaty United (Football) / ConnachtMaggie Boylan25 Blackrock College RFC/LeinsterNiamh Murphy Galwegians RFC/LeinsterLucia Linn21 UL Bohemian RFC/Munster*Stacey Flood withdrew before the start of Leg 2 in Croatia and was replaced by Chisom Uguweru Coach: James Topping FISU World University Championship in Stellenbosch, South Africa, from 4-6 September. +NameProvinceLyndsay Clarke ConnachtAlex Connor LeinsterClare Gorman ConnachtCaitríona O'Hagan IRFU CombineLeah Irwin UlsterAmy Larn LeinsterHeidi Lyons LeinsterCaoimhe McCormack LeinsterNiamh Murphy LeinsterRola Olusola IRFU CombineFaith Oviawe ConnachtChisom Ugwueru Munster
Honours Cups Australia Sevens
Winners: 2024 Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Winners Split Leg 2026
Challenge Trophies Japan Women's Sevens Challenge Trophy Winners: 2017 Dubai Women's Sevens Challenge Trophy Winners: 2016, 2017 Plates Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Championships Plate Winners: 2013 , 2015 China Women's Sevens Plate Winners: 2013 London Women's Sevens Plate Winners: 2013 Amsterdam Women's Sevens Plate Winners: 2012 Bowls China Women's Sevens Bowl Winners: 2014 USA Women's Sevens Bowl Winners: 2016 Hong Kong Women's Sevens Bowl Winners: 2013
Notes
See also Ireland national rugby sevens team (men)
References