Ireland player Ashleigh Baxter has embraced life on the international sevens circuit and is hoping this weekend will provide another boost for the sport. 12 teams from across the globe will descend on UCD Bowl to take part in the Women's Sevens Dublin event, which will see the top two finishers qualify for the 2015/16 World Rugby Sevens Series. That will then act as a springboard for Olympic qualification for Rio 2016. "We've never hosted a sevens tournament like this in Ireland so it will be great exposure for the game and it will be another opportunity to grow participation levels," explains Baxter. "This tournament is really important for us as a team too. We need to be competing against the best teams in the world if we are to have a chance of qualifying for the Olympics and the World Series would give us the platform to do that." Coming up against South Africa, Hong Kong and Mexico in the pool stages will ensure that their task of qualifying is a difficult one. "The last time we played South Africa was in the Sevens World Cup and we beat them by a try," says Ashleigh. "They are a tough team and we're expecting the same from the other two sides. It will be a big challenge for us but we have progressed well over the past 12 months or so and I think we're more than capable of qualifying." While Baxter has been starring on the sevens scene, she has not turned her back on the 15-a-side game and is hopeful of playing a central role for the national team in a home World Cup in 2017. "I'm really enjoying the sevens but I still have the desire to go back into 15s. Having experienced a World Cup before, I would love to play in one again, particularly with the final being played at Kingspan Stadium." For now though, Baxter is entirely focused on this weekend's event. Tickets for the tournament start at EUR 5, with children free, and are available from ticketmaster.ie . IRELAND WOMEN'S SEVENS SQUAD (Women's Sevens Dublin - UCD Bowl, Dublin, Sat 22 - Sun 23rd August): Audrey O'Flynn (TID) Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere) Stacey Flood (Railway Union) Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere) Amee-Leigh Crowe (Clanwilliam) Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins) Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock) Claire Keohane (UL Bohemians) Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum) (capt) Claire Molloy (Bristol) Louise Galvin (UL Bohemians) Alison Miller (Portlaoise) IRELAND WOMEN'S FIXTURES: Saturday 22nd August: 12.50pm - Ireland v Mexico 3.22pm - Ireland v Hong Kong 6.28pm - South Africa v Ireland Sunday 23rd August 23: Play-Offs
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Baxter enjoying Sevens life
20th August 2015
Ireland player Ashleigh Baxter has embraced life on the international sevens circuit and is hoping this weekend will provide another boost for the sport. 12 teams from across the globe will descend on UCD Bowl to take part in the Women's Sevens Dublin event, which will see the top two finishers qualify for the 2015/16 World Rugby Sevens Series. That will then act as a springboard for Olympic qualification for Rio 2016. "We've never hosted a sevens tournament like this in Ireland so it will be great exposure for the game and it will be another opportunity to grow participation levels," explains Baxter. "This tournament is really important for us as a team too. We need to be competing against the best teams in the world if we are to have a chance of qualifying for the Olympics and the World Series would give us the platform to do that." Coming up against South Africa, Hong Kong and Mexico in the pool stages will ensure that their task of qualifying is a difficult one. "The last time we played South Africa was in the Sevens World Cup and we beat them by a try," says Ashleigh. "They are a tough team and we're expecting the same from the other two sides. It will be a big challenge for us but we have progressed well over the past 12 months or so and I think we're more than capable of qualifying." While Baxter has been starring on the sevens scene, she has not turned her back on the 15-a-side game and is hopeful of playing a central role for the national team in a home World Cup in 2017. "I'm really enjoying the sevens but I still have the desire to go back into 15s. Having experienced a World Cup before, I would love to play in one again, particularly with the final being played at Kingspan Stadium." For now though, Baxter is entirely focused on this weekend's event. Tickets for the tournament start at EUR 5, with children free, and are available from ticketmaster.ie . IRELAND WOMEN'S SEVENS SQUAD (Women's Sevens Dublin - UCD Bowl, Dublin, Sat 22 - Sun 23rd August): Audrey O'Flynn (TID) Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere) Stacey Flood (Railway Union) Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere) Amee-Leigh Crowe (Clanwilliam) Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins) Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock) Claire Keohane (UL Bohemians) Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum) (capt) Claire Molloy (Bristol) Louise Galvin (UL Bohemians) Alison Miller (Portlaoise) IRELAND WOMEN'S FIXTURES: Saturday 22nd August: 12.50pm - Ireland v Mexico 3.22pm - Ireland v Hong Kong 6.28pm - South Africa v Ireland Sunday 23rd August 23: Play-Offs