Ireland’s women’s sevens side are back on the road this week, with sports ireland attention turning to Split for the second leg of the Rugby Europe Women’s Championship Series. After a sixth-place finish in Hamburg, James Topping’s squad now have an immediate chance to build momentum, sharpen combinations and push for a stronger return in one of the busiest spells in ireland rugby and ireland sports news.
The Irish panel for Croatia includes proven sevens quality and big-game experience. Olympians Stacey Flood, Emily Lane and Eve Higgins all feature, while Robyn O’Connor comes into the squad after impressing in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations. It is a selection that gives Ireland pace, composure and a better platform to challenge across a demanding pool schedule.
Sports Ireland Focus on Ireland Women’s Sevens in Split
Ireland begin their campaign on Friday against Czechia at 10.28am Irish time, before facing Turkey later that day at 5.28pm. Their final pool game comes on Saturday morning against France at 10.50am. For fans following ireland live sports, the France fixture looks especially significant, with pool placing likely to hinge on that contest.
Hamburg offered useful lessons. Ireland competed hard but could not turn enough key moments into winning scores, and Split now becomes an important test of how quickly this group can respond. In tournament rugby, margins are tight and recovery time is short, so squad depth and game management matter just as much as flair.
Squad named for the second leg
- Alana McInerney
- Alanna Fitzpatrick
- Amy Larn
- Clare Gorman
- Emily Lane
- Eve Higgins
- Faith Oviawe
- Kathy Baker
- Katie Corrigan
- Megan Burns
- Robyn O’Connor
- Stacey Flood
- Vicky Elmes Kinlan
This latest squad update is another strong marker for ireland women sports coverage, reflecting the growing profile of elite female athletes across irish sports, from camogie and ladies gaa to athletics ireland and ireland football.
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What Ireland Must Improve This Weekend
The key challenge in Split is converting pressure into points. Ireland have enough pace and athleticism to trouble sides in open space, but sevens tournaments are often decided by restarts, defensive reads and decision-making in transition. That is where the experienced heads in this group could prove vital.
There are a few clear areas to watch:
- Fast starts against Czechia and Turkey
- Cleaner possession at the breakdown
- Better control after scoring and receiving restarts
- Sharper execution in one-on-one defensive moments
For followers of rugby ireland and ireland sports analysis, Split is not just about results. It is also a useful measure of player development, squad balance and how Ireland’s sevens programme is tracking ahead of future international windows.
Why this matters beyond one weekend
The women’s sevens game continues to hold an important place in the wider ireland sports culture. Strong performances here can lift confidence across the programme, raise visibility for youth players and add to the wider conversation around ireland sports events, coaching pathways and women’s high-performance sport.
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What to watch next
The immediate goal is simple: a sharper, more clinical Ireland in Split. If Topping’s side can handle the early matches well and bring themselves into contention before facing France, the weekend could quickly take on a very different shape from Hamburg. For sports ireland followers, this is one to watch closely as Ireland chase a stronger finish and fresh momentum on the European sevens stage.
Article/Image Courtesy: Irish Rugby
