Anna aims to help Women’s Sevens achieve Olympic dream

A local woman has been named in the Ireland Women's Sevens squad which be aiming to secure a first ever qualification for the Olympic Games at the weekend.

Moydrum native Anna McGann, who plays her club rugby with Railway Union is named in the 13-woman squad for the weekend along with Ballinasloe native Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC).

With just one round of the 2023 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series remaining, Ireland Women currently occupy the fourth and final automatic qualification berth for Paris 2024, as the race for qualification goes down to the wire at Stade Ernest Wallon this weekend.

After six rounds of action, New Zealand, Australia and USA have secured their place at next summer's Olympics, with Ireland, Fiji and Great Britain vying for that final golden ticket to the Games ahead of this weekend's France Sevens.

Ireland Women are sitting in fifth place in the overall World Series standings (64), two points ahead of sixth place Fiji (62) and four ahead of Great Britain (60). As France, the Olympic hosts, are set to finish fourth, fifth place would be enough for Ireland Women to achieve qualification.

Ireland open their campaign against the host nation on Friday (10.28am Irish time), before going head-to-head with Australia in Toulouse (7.05pm Irish time). They conclude their pool games against Brazil on Saturday morning (9.43am Irish time).