Irish women’s rugby needs to deal with Sevens issue

IT SHOULDN’T be left to Eve

Higgins (left) to try and explain what happens next to the Sevens players on the Ireland team. She dealt as best she could with an awkward topic when asked about it ahead of this evening’s game against Italy.

But when there is no clarity in the week of a crucial Test match, in the midst of the Six Nations, about where a number of the players will be playing their rugby the following week, that is a significant problem.

This has been an issue flagged well before the start of the championship and Greg McWilliams, the Ireland head coach, anticipated it.

He has suggested that Higgins, along with the other contracted Sevens players in his squad, will probably miss the remaining two matches after this weekend: a visit to Twickenham, and a home game against Scotland.

There is a chronic shortage of Testquality players available, but the problem is exacerbated by the desire within the IRFU to push the Sevens game. It is an Olympic sport and so attracts funding support from the State.

But there is no feasible way that women’s rugby can both improve its standards at Test level, and run a parallel Sevens programme. There aren’t enough good players to go around. A decision reflecting that reality needs to be taken now.