Kathy Baker, a 26-year-old member of the Blackrock College Club, is competing in the Olympics for the first time. Despite her initial love for hockey during her studies at The King’s Hospital school in Dublin, Baker shifted her focus to rugby. The school launched a girls’ Sevens squad during her fifth year, and it wasn’t long before she chose to dedicate herself entirely to rugby. She was recognised for her skills at an age-grade level and worked her way up through the Ireland Sevens system, before making her senior debut in Japan’s Kitakyushu 7s in 2018. At that time, Kathy recounted her father’s surprise at her choice of sport and her own astonishment at her journey.
Megan Burns, aged 24 and also from Blackrock College Club, is experiencing her debut Olympics. Born and raised in Tullamore, Co Offaly, Burns engaged in numerous sports during her formative years. Her athletic journey started with hockey, transitioned into rugby, moved onto ballet, and finally circled back to rugby. Megan took an interest in the sport at Under-15 level with Tullamore RFC, before leading Sacred Heart Tullamore in the IRFU Sevens tournament. As part of Ireland’s Under-18 team, she took home the Home Nations Trophy in 2018 and secured a bronze medal at the Rugby Europe Vichy Sevens the same year. Burns’ senior Sevens debut took place at the Rugby Europe Grand Prix in Kazan, Russia, in 2018.
Finally, at 29 years old, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe of the Railway Union Club is marking her first Olympics.
Hailing from Tipperary, Ireland, the international sportswoman has made quite a name for herself on the world stage. With a tally of 197 tries in 228 matches, she holds the record for the highest try-scorer in the history of Sevens in Ireland. She displays an impressive sports background in athletics, specifically the 100m race and the long jump. At a tender age of 15, she kicked off her rugby journey at the Clanwilliam club in her home town. Her big break in rugby was when she got selected for the Munster Senior 15s squad, just at the age of 18, and she was recognized as a potential player and invited to be a part of the Ireland Women’s Sevens. The highlight of her career was being the leading scorer in the 2021-2022 World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series (36 tries), resulting in her nomination for World Rugby women’s Sevens player of the year 2022. She also had the opportunity to play 15s for Ireland during the hiatus of the Sevens due to the pandemic.
Meet Alanna Fitzpatrick, a sportswoman who’s just 19, and hails from Portarlington. She is associated with the Blackrock College club now, but she was with the PortDara rugby club when she played her first game for the Ireland Sevens team in the July 2023 Rugby Europe Championship Series held in Hamburg, Germany. This was merely a month after she had completed her Leaving Certificate. The distinction of being one of the youngest players to ever play international rugby for Ireland belongs to Fitzpatrick. Her name shares fame with fellow Olympians from Laois, like Anne Keenan Buckley (3,000m) and Frank Moore (rowing).
Introducing Stacy Flood, the 27-year-old dual international in Sevens and 15s. Belonging to the Railway Union Club, her early sports history involves playing Gaelic football for Clanna Gael Fontenoy and Dublin underage, and soccer for Cambridge girls, before she started following her sister Kim’s footsteps – a senior footballer for Dublin and a rugby player for Ireland, to Railway Union. In 2014, Stacy debuted for the Ireland Sevens team as a teenager. With team captain Lucy Rock and Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, the trio is fondly known as the “Crusty Dustys”.
Another noteworthy sportswoman is Eve Higgins, 25 years of age and also affiliated to the Railway Union Club. She is all set to appear in her first Olympics.
At just 16 years old, a criminology student was integrated into Ireland’s Sevens rugby team, and by 18 she had signed her first professional contract. Throughout these times, she continued to play for Railway Union in the 15-game code, guided by the significant influence of her club coach, John Cronin. At 16 she was already training with the Irish Sevens, competed in the Kinsale Sevens shortly afterwards, and by 18 she had her first full-time contract. She’s been consistent in progressing through achievements in both Sevens and 15s, making her a standout player in the squad due to her talent and aggression in the game.
Erin King, aged 20, plays for the Old Belvedere Club. Despite being born in Sydney and living in Dubai and Doha, she returned to Ireland for school. Earlier in her life, she was a Gaelic footballer, representing Wicklow on a minor level, but her devotion to rugby dates back to her days in the Doha RFC minis at just four years old. King has participated in 104 games for Ireland’s rugby team, with her career starting while she was still in school, and was recognised for her extraordinary talent when she played with Leinster’s under-18s team at the age of 15.
Vicky Elmes Kinlan, 21, who belongs to the Wicklow Club and has already experienced her first Olympics, previously represented her country at junior-level games in both Sevens and XVs. It was just over two years aged when she had her first experience on the World Sevens stage in Langford, Canada – her earlier impressive performance in a French training camp had earned her the spot. She exhibited her fondness for BC Place’s artificial turf by scoring five tries earlier this year, bringing her total to nine in 12 tournaments. Notably, her superb defensive skills helped lead her team to their first ever World Series victory in Perth, where they triumphed over the Australian hosts.
Emily Lane, 25, is a member of Blackrock College club and this is her first Olympics.
Four players possess more Sevens caps than her within the team. Starting her rugby journey at Mallow RFC, she transferred to Blackrock upon moving to Dublin for her biochemistry studies at Trinity College. She successfully turned into a Sevens international in August 2018, marking her first appearance for Ireland in a Rugby Europe contest in Kazan, Russia. She participated in the Six Nations Championship representing Ireland in 2021, after which she reverted back to the Sevens. In the previous year, she was nominated for the Woman’s Sevens team player of the year in Ireland, emphasizing her significance to, and influence on the team.
Ashleigh Orchard
Age: 32
Club: Cooke
Olympics: Debut
Ashleigh Orchard, a two-time international participant in the Rugby World Cups of 2014 and 2017, resumed her Sevens journey at the World Series tournament in Singapore in May. This 32-year-old first wore the green jersey in 2012 and last appeared in a Sevens contest in Dubai in 2018 after participating in 18 tournaments. She later transitioned to coaching at Cooke RFC following recurrent injuries. Upon giving birth to her daughter Arabella last August and taking her to events with her, Ashleigh returned to Sevens. She has now fought her way in to the Irish team for Singapore and the ongoing Olympics.
Béibhinn Parsons
Age: 22
Club: Blackrock College
Olympics: Debut
The remarkably talented dual international Béibhinn Parsons, began her rugby career at Ballinasloe rugby club when she was 13 after previously being a Gaelic football player. At 16, she became the youngest ever player to join the Ireland 15s team at a senior level. She also led the Ireland under-18 Sevens team, despite having been part of the senior squad already. She initially pursued biomedical health and life science studies at UCD but then moved to communication course at DCU enabling her to devote more time to rugby. Being a cousin of former Mayo footballer Tom Parsons, she is one of Ireland’s most versatile players recognised for her skills in both rugby codes.
Lucy Rock (captain)
Age: 30
Club: Wicklow
Olympics: Debut
Lucy Rock (formerly Mulhall) is a well-known figure in Irish Women’s Sevens rugby, serving as the national team’s captain. Over the course of her career, she has immensely influenced the team’s rise to its present position, as demonstrated by their remarkable World Series victory in Perth earlier this year. Apart from her formidable presence in rugby, she has a background in football, camogie, and soccer from her Wicklow and Tinahely upbringing, including athletics while being raised on her family’s farm. Outside of her rugby commitments, Lucy works in business development at TritonLake, an investment management firm that also sponsors the men’s and women’s national Sevens teams.