Ireland will compete at the 2013 Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens finals in Moscow after gaining qualification over the weekend.  The team, which only came together for the first time 11 weeks ago, beat a highly regarded Ukraine team 17-0 in the Plate semi-finals at the main qualifying tournament for the event.  That result was enough to ensure a return trip to the Russian capital next June.
Ireland will now be one of 16 teams competing at the event taking place between June 28 and June 30 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
The team is led by manager Gemma Crowley who spoke at last month’s Sport for Business Round Table on Women’s sport and who highlighted the ability of this team to become medal prospects when the sport is introduced to the Olympic Games for Rio 2016
The qualification for Moscow 2013 is a huge achievement for squad who, buoyed by a recent tournament win in Belgium, headed to Moscow knowing that a top five finish at the qualifying tournament would be enough to book their World Cup Sevens berth.
Pool wins over Italy and Switzerland and a total of 12 tries at that stage were enough to get to a quarter final where Russia proved too strong but the victory afterwards over Ukraine, by 17-0, meant a successful return home and the start of preparations for the World Cup finals.
There are presently no sponsors associated with the Women’s Sevens team but it is likely that will change quickly now that such a milestone has been achieved so quickly
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