4 Munster players in Ireland Women’s Sevens Squad

The Ireland Women’s Sevens squad to compete in the opening leg of the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series in Dubai next week has been named by Anthony Eddy.

Four Munster players have been selected with the uncapped Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (UL Bohemians) named alongside Louise Galvin (UL Bohemians), Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union) and Aoife Doyle (Shannon/Railway Union/Munster).

The selected Ireland side will be captained by Wicklow woman Lucy Mulhall and features two uncapped players in teenager Eve Higgins and Nic a Bhaird, who played for Munster against the Barbarians earlier this month.

Higgins has come through the Ireland Sevens pathway, representing Ireland at Schools and Under-18 levels, while Munster winger Nic a Bhaird has also been a part of the wider Ireland XVs squad over the past number of seasons.

Doyle returns to the squad having missed out on a number of tournaments last season through injury.

Murphy Crowe was Ireland’s top try scorer in the World Series last season with 21 tries and Galvin was part of the Ireland squad for the World Cup.

Ireland are drawn in Pool C with Canada, Fiji and Spain in Pool C, with Fiji first up on Thursday week (November 30).

Ahead of the squad’s departure for Dubai, Anthony Eddy, the IRFU Director of Women’s and Sevens Rugby, said: “I think the squad are really excited about the World Series this year and having shown some good improvement the last couple of seasons, we will be looking to build on that throughout the series.”

Ireland: Ashleigh Baxter (Cooke/Ulster), Claire Boles (Railway Union/Ulster), Aoife Doyle (Shannon/Railway Union/Munster), Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/Leinster), Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster), Louise Galvin (UL Bohemians/Munster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster), Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum) (capt), Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster), Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (UL Bohemians/Munster), Audrey O’Flynn (Ireland Sevens), Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster).