Grace and Ava set for World Games in Paris

TWELVE players have been included in the Ireland Under 18 Women’s Sevens squad to compete at the Paris World Games this weekend.

They include two players from Mayo - Grace Browne Moran (Westport/Connacht) and Ava Ryder (Westport/Connacht).

The tournament takes place at the Centre National de Rugby in Marcoussis – the venue for last weekend’s opening leg of the Rugby Europe Women’s Sevens Grand Prix Series – and the Ireland Under 18s will come up against sides from Canada and France.

The Ireland selection is made up of three players from Connacht, including Ballinasloe starlet Beibhinn Parsons who made her senior debut for both the Ireland Women’s Sevens and 15s teams this season. There are six Leinster players, two Ulster players and one from Munster.

The Paris World Games feature over 700 teams who will compete across sports such as badminton, basketball, football, handball and Sevens rugby. Last year saw 71 different countries represented, with 7,000 athletes taking part.

The Paris Games is the first tournament for the Ireland Under 18 Women’s Sevens squad this season and forms part of the Women’s Sevens development pathway for this group.

The team will also compete at the Under 18 Sevens Home Nations tournament in Wales on August 17-18 and will then come up against the best sides in Europe at the Rugby Europe Under 18 Women’s Sevens Championship in Jarcoin, Poland, on August 31 and September 1.

Squad:

Mya Alcorn (Letterkenny/Ulster)

Grace Browne Moran (Westport/Connacht)

Kate Farrell (Gorey/Leinster)

Méabh McElligott (Listowel/Munster)

Caoimhe O’Callaghan (Dundalk/Leinster)

Katie Ann O’Neill (Naas/Leinster)

Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinsloe/Connacht)

Leah Reilly (Navan/Leinster)

Ava Ryder (Westport/Connacht)

Lucy Turkington (Dungannon/Ulster)

Aoife Wafer (Enniscorthy/Leinster)

Katie Whelan (Enniscorthy/Leinster)