Connacht Rugby and our partners Red Bull are bringing a brand new 7’s event to Galway City Sunday 28 August. The inaugural event will be limited to teams from Connacht clubs only.
Red Bull Sprint 7’s
Sunday 28.08.2022
10am-7pm
South Park, the Claddagh, Galway City
FREE ENTRY | €6000 in Prizes
Prizes to go directly to the club(s) which winning teams are affiliated to
20 Men’s Teams & 10 Women’s Teams (players must be over 18)
Squads size = 12 players
Team size = 7 players with rolling subs
Normal 7s rules apply | Games last 7 minutes | If any team receaches 4 tries they automatcially win the game
All entries will be accepted on a first come first served basis. Entries to the men’s competition will be capped at 20 teams. Entries for the women’s competition will be capped at 10 teams. If excess entries are received then a waiting list will be in place, again on a first come first sereved basis. Team captains/managers will be contacted with further information directly within 48 hours of their entry being recieved.
Team captains/managers will be asked to submit their full list of squad members one week in advance of the event.
To register CLICK HERE
Katie Fitzhenry’s class of 2022 equalled Ireland’s best ever finish at a Rugby Europe Under-18 Women’s Sevens Championship by winning bronze in Prague.
The Ireland U-18 Women’s Sevens team (sponsored by PwC) began day two with their fourth win of the tournament, beating hosts Czechia 26-5 to guarantee themselves a medal.
An Amy Larn hat-trick was the highlight of that game, but Spain (26-5) and eventual champions France (46-0) ultimately proved too strong as the high temperatures and rigours of their first international Sevens tournament took their toll.
Still, Ireland have a number of bright prospects emerging from a squad that matched the feats of the 2018 bronze medal-winning Irish side, which included future senior internationals Beibhinn Parsons, Megan Burns, Dorothy Wall, Meabh Deely, Anna Doyle and Lucinda Kinghan.
Athy’s Larn and Hannah Clarke from Tuam/Oughterard finished as Ireland’s joint-top try scorers with five each. Tullow’s Katie Corrigan had three tries, including a brace against Belgium yesterday.
Czechia edged ahead of Ireland in the second minute of their Pool F encounter, working Julie Durychova over from close range after Molly Boote was harshly sin-binned for what was adjudged to be a high tackle.
The girls in green regrouped quickly, though, and some nice interplay between Tara O’Neill and Larn saw the latter take a return pass to score under the posts. Caitriona Finn converted.
The impressive Larn then took a lovely line to add a second score, hurtling onto a pass from Corrigan. Strong tackles from Larn and winger Clarke prevented the Czechs from responding before half-time.
12-5 became 19-5 inside 90 seconds of the restart as Larn broke from a scrum on halfway and a subsequent penalty allowed Boote to put O’Neill charging in under the posts. The extras came from Éabha Nic Dhonnacha.
There was no denying Larn her hat-trick try in the 12th minute, as she weaved over from inside the Czech 22, rewarding Nic Dhonnacha’s initial turnover and a strong carry up the left wing from Robyn O’Connor.
The home side came with a late surge, with Ireland down to six players again following a second yellow for Boote. However, Nic Dhonnacha and Ellen Boylan led a determined defence that forced a final knock-on.
It was a stalemate in Ireland’s Pool G opener until Spain broke the deadlock in the sixth minute. Ariane Torrontegi converted a two-on-one opportunity, with Carolina Rodriguez adding the extras.
Fitzhenry’s charges were unable to profit from a Larn break off a scrum, and just before the interval, Boylan surged downfield to threaten a try but her offload was knocked on by the supporting Larn.
Two converted tries at the start of the second half knocked the stuffing out of Ireland’s challenge, with Spain making breaks out wide and using good support to push into a 21-0 lead.
Rodriguez and Isis Espuga both touched down, before O’Neill lifted her team with a terrific carry from the restart. It gave Ireland a foothold in Spanish territory and eventually led to a try.
Showing her sharpness again off a scrum, Larn attacked the blindside and had the pace to get over in the right corner with just over two minutes remaining.
A stolen lineout allowed Spain to have the final say, some crisp handling on the left setting up Victoria Rosell to jink through and make it a four tries-to-one triumph (26-5).
France had been in dominant form across the first five rounds, a class apart really, and Ireland also found it tough going against them. An early turnover paved the way for Lilou Graciet to touch down to the right of the posts.
Strong running by Boylan and O’Connor gave Ireland hard-earned territory, but a breakaway score from Hawa Tounkara – while Ireland had two players needing treatment – saw France take a 12-0 lead.
Les Bleues used their advantages in terms of pace and power, another turnover seeing them attack both wings and Tounkara bagged her brace to the left of the posts.
Ireland’s frustration grew, O’Connor making a superb break from deep but she lacked support. From the resulting penalty, the French broke downfield and clinically claimed their fourth try through Enoe Neri, leaving it 24-0.
Good angles of running and passing released Lina Tuy to score the opening try of the second half. The scrum half soon completed her brace, being the beneficiary of an offload popped off the ground.
Worse followed for Ireland as Pauline Barrat crossed out wide on the right, with Corrigan yellow carded for her high tackle on the try scorer.
The French defence was tested late on, but Larn knocked on in an attacking situation and from the resulting scrum, Tuy broke free from a scrum to complete a classy hat-trick past the final hooter.
While disappointed to finish on a losing note, the Ireland U-18s can hold their heads high as they added to the IRFU Sevens Programme’s excellent medal haul and list of achievements for 2022.
IRELAND UNDER-18 WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (2022 Rugby Europe U-18 Women’s Sevens Championship, Prague, Czech Republic, July 23-24, 2022):
Molly Boote (Connemara RFC/Connacht) WNTS
Ellen Boylan (Carrick-on-Suir RFC/Munster)
Hannah Clarke (Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Connacht) WNTS
Katie Corrigan (Tullow RFC/Leinster)
Caitriona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) WNTS
Kate Flannery (Fethard RFC/Munster) WNTS
Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht) WNTS
Amy Larn (Athy RFC/Leinster)
Robyn O’Connor (Wexford Wanderers RFC/Leinster)
Amy O’Mahony (Greystones RFC/Leinster)
Tara O’Neill (Cooke RFC/Ulster)
Eva Sterritt (Greystones RFC/Leinster) (capt) WNTS
WNTS = member of Women’s National Talent Squad
This Saturday at the HPC in Dublin, Connacht U16s and U18s squads are in action in the 7s Inter Pro tournament. The tournaments gets underway at 10:30am
CONNACHT U18s TEAM 1
NAME/CLUB
Karly Tierney (C) – Tuam/Oughterard
Sarah McCormick – Ballina
Beibhinn Gleeson – Tuam/Oughterard
Hannah Clarke (VC) – Tuam/Oughterard
Eabha Nic Dhonncha – Corinthians
Clara Barrett – Ballina
Giselle Gallagher – Sligo
Evanna Finn – Corinthians
Eabha Dowd – Creggs
Mila Sotoparra – Ballina
Cria Flannagan – Sligo
Emma Mitchell – Ballinasloe
CONNACHT U18s TEAM 2
NAME/CLUB
Eloise Clarke – Buccaneers
Ella Greene – Ballinasloe
Kayla Conway – Westport
Niamh Corless – Claremorris Colts
Jade Herry – Corinthians
Abbie Murray – Buccaneers
Laura Hastings – Tuam/Oughterard
Rachel Forkan – Tuam/Oughterard
Ellen O’Toole – Westport
Saoirse Quinn – Claremorris Colts
Natasha Deacy – Tuam/Oughterard
Katie Dwyer – Buccaneers
Aoife Gormley and Clionadh O’Sullivan (both Sligo), out of the tournament due to injury.
CONNACHT U16s TEAM 1
NAME/CLUB
Ailbhe Gannon – Oughterard
Ailish Quinn – Ballina
Aoibhinn Tynan – Buccaneers
Aoife Heaney – Claremorris
Catherine Fleming – Ballinasloe
Ceoladh Lydon – Tuam
Emer Collins – Ballina
Emily Foley – Ballina
Eva White – Sligo
Lea Walsh – Westport
Mollie Ronan – Sligo
Siofra Hession – Creggs
CONNACHT U16s TEAM 2
Ciara Power – Ballinasloe
Eabha Ni Choisdealbha – Corinthians
Emma Poland – Ballinasloe
Grainne Moran – Ballina
Isobel Phillips – Claremorris
Jemma Lees – Galwegians
Magdalen Ebalu – Corinthians
Meabh Golding – Claremorris
Merisa Kiripati – Buccaneers
Rebecca Hastings – Galwegians
Sara Kenneally – Galwegians
Siomha McNulty – Claremorris
Fixture List:
U18s Fixtures – All games on pitch 2
QF1 – Leinster 1 v Ulster 2 – 11am
QF2 – Connacht 1 v Connacht 2 – 11:22am
QF3 – Ulster 1 v Leinster 2 – 11:44am
QF4 – Munster 1 v Munster 2 – 12:06pm
Lunch and Break – 12:28pm
5th place SF – L QF1 v L QF3 – 1:43pm
5th place SF – L QF2 v L QF4 – 2:05pm
Cup SF – W QF1v W QF3 – 2:27pm
Cup SF – W QF2 v W QF4 – 2:49pm
Break – 3:11pm
7th place play-off – 4:11pm
5th place play-off – 4:33pm
3rd place play-off – 4:55pm
Cup Final – 5:17pm
U16s Fixtures – All games on pitch 1
QF1 – Leinster 1 v Ulster 2 – 10:30am
QF2 – Munster 1 v Munster 2 – 10:52am
QF3 – Connacht 2 v Leinster 2 – 11:14am
QF4 – Connacht 1 v Ulster 1 – 11:36am
Lunch and Break – 11:58am
5th place SF – L QF1 v L QF3 – 1:13am
5th place SF – L QF2 v L QF4 – 1:35am
Cup SF – W QF1 v W QF3 – 1:57pm
Cup SF – W QF2 v W QF4 – 2:19pm
Break – 2:41pm
7th place play-off – 3:41pm
5th place play-off – 4:03pm
3rd place play-off – 4:25pm
Cup Final – 4:47pm
Loughrea RFC hosted the latest end of season blitz at their headquarters last Sunday. 11 teams from 6 clubs met for an afternoon of U16, 7-aside action where the emphasis was on sportsmanship and enjoyment rather than challenging for honours.
One of the organisers, Connacht Rugby’s Galway Development Officer Craig Hansberry, said:
“It’s a fantastic day out for these young athletes, these participation blitzes are a great way for players to get one last run out before the end of the season. Most of these players aren’t involved in playoffs, or have already been knocked out of cups so to be still playing rugby at the end of April is a bonus.”
Teams from Westport RFC, Claremorris Colts RFC, Galwegians RFC, Sligo RFC, Ballinasloe RFC and hosts Loughrea RFC played 10-minute matches over two pitches in glorious sunshine at the Ballygasty venue and fine weather, coupled with the lack of pressure of silverware meant for some scintillating action.
Hansberry added:
“From a developmental perspective is brilliant to see these players trying new things, chip kicks, off-loads, skip passes, these are the slightly riskier plays that may not be encouraged during the competitive season, so to see these players enjoying themselves, taking chances, developing new skills, that’s what these blitzes are all about.”
Games started with a round of rock-paper-scissors to determine who kicked off, an event that drew some of the biggest cheers of the day, and that the tone for an afternoon of silky skills, good humour and plenty of comradery as the Youths rugby season draws to a close.