Ireland Women’s Sevens found the correction they needed in Hamburg, turning an awkward opening defeat into a 34-0 statement win over Great Britain.
James Topping’s side had started the Rugby Europe Women’s Sevens Championship Series with a 26-10 loss to Belgium, but the response carried far more authority. Irish Rugby confirmed six unanswered Ireland tries, with Alana McInerney, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Katie Corrigan, captain Megan Burns, Kathy Baker and Chisom Ugwueru all crossing.
McInerney Gives Ireland The Spark
McInerney’s opener mattered because it changed the temperature of Ireland’s day. Her pace and power through contact pushed Ireland out of the hesitant rhythm that had followed the Belgium defeat and gave Burns’ side a clean platform.
By half-time, Ireland were 17-0 up. Corrigan’s try under the posts, created after Amy Larn’s kick chase and Burns’ quick distribution, gave the scoreline the control Ireland had lacked earlier in Pool A.
The official Rugby Europe results page places Ireland second in Pool A after two rounds, behind unbeaten Belgium and level on points with Great Britain.
That leaves Saturday morning’s Denmark fixture carrying clear quarter-final weight. Ireland do not need theatre; they need another controlled performance, with the same defensive bite and a cleaner start than they produced against Belgium.
It also sharpens the value of Thursday’s Megan Burns squad announcement. The blend of senior sevens experience and Under-21 energy looked theoretical then. Against Great Britain, it became the shape of Ireland’s tournament recovery.
