The Irish Women’s Rugby Team arrived home yesterday as only the third group in history to secure a Grand Slam in Rugby at any age level or any gender.
The hard fought triumph in Milan on Sunday was broadcast live on RTE Television, a first for the women’s sport and amid the delight, the IRFU also announced a major investment in Women’s Sevens with a view to that team qualifying for the Rio Olympics in 2016.
The programme has been put together with support from the Irish Sports Council, though no commercial backer has yet been named. It will entail an investment of over €1.1 million per annum to create a high performance squad with the of qualifying and successfully competing in Rio 2016.
A Talent Identification Programme began in January and over 100 players have so far attended screening camps intended to identify players from within rugby and from other sports who have the potential to play elite women’s rugby.
The Women’s ‘Road to Rio’ journey begins this week when an elite Irish Sevens squad travels to take part in the Hong Kong Sevens Women’s Invitational (March 22-24) and the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series in Guangzhou, China’s third largest city, (March 30-31).
Both these tournaments will deliver valuable experience ahead of the Seven’s World Cup taking place in Moscow this summer.
“The success of the Women’s team is a mark of their commitment to the game and the culmination of many years hard work by the players and management,” said Scott Walker, IRFU director of rugby development and the club game.
“The IRFU will be working to ensure that this success acts as a springboard for recruitment to Women’s rugby and we see Women’s Sevens and the Olympics as a key component to that development.”
“The announcement in 2009 that Rugby Sevens was to be included within the Olympic programme from 2016 onwards provides Ireland with another opportunity, in addition to the national 15-a-side team, both to achieve success on the international stage, and to deliver a boost to the growth of Women’s rugby at grassroots levels through the provision of an aspirational career path and role models within the sport.”
Women’s Rugby will feature as an important part of a major Sport for Business conference on how we can build stronger commercial sport for Women’s Sport. Find out more about the event being hosted by UCD Smurfit Business School on Thursday, May 23rd and register an interest in securing one of the 150 places available to leaders in sport and business.
The Women’s ‘Road to Rio’ journey begins this week when an elite Irish Sevens squad travels to take part in the Hong Kong Sevens Women’s Invitational (March 22-24) and the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series in Guangzhou, China’s third largest city, (March 30-31).
Both these tournaments will deliver valuable experience ahead of the Seven’s World Cup taking place in Moscow this summer.
“The success of the Women’s team is a mark of their commitment to the game and the culmination of many years hard work by the players and management,” said Scott Walker, IRFU director of rugby development and the club game.
“The IRFU will be working to ensure that this success acts as a springboard for recruitment to Women’s rugby and we see Women’s Sevens and the Olympics as a key component to that development.”
“The announcement in 2009 that Rugby Sevens was to be included within the Olympic programme from 2016 onwards provides Ireland with another opportunity, in addition to the national 15-a-side team, both to achieve success on the international stage, and to deliver a boost to the growth of Women’s rugby at grassroots levels through the provision of an aspirational career path and role models within the sport.”
Women’s Rugby will feature as an important part of a major Sport for Business conference on how we can build stronger commercial sport for Women’s Sport. Find out more about the event being hosted by UCD Smurfit Business School on Thursday, May 23rd and register an interest in securing one of the 150 places available to leaders in sport and business.
