Ireland's women's Sevens team recorded a seventh place in the penultimate round of the Women's Sevens Series in Canada on Sunday night.
The seventh-placed finish is Ireland's best ever performance in a single event, and all but guarantees Ireland's spot as a Core Team in next season's World Sevens Series.
After a second-placed finish in Pool C on Saturday, Ireland entered the knockout phase of the Langford Sevens in Canada with a hope of reaching the latter stages of the Cup competition.
Anthony Eddy's side lost 19-5 to France in the quarter-finals with Stacey Flood scoring Ireland's only try. The teams were tied 5-5 at half-time, before France pulled away in the second half.
The Ireland Women's 7s defeat England for the first time on the Series to claim 7th place at the #Canada7s #IreW7shttps://t.co/8q8NDvWLyj pic.twitter.com/ZKeJxBCRhv
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) May 29, 2017
In the fifth-place play-offs, Ireland lost 19-0 to Russia, before a match against England to finish in seventh place. Ireland had previously played in two seventh-place play-offs this season in Sydney and Las Vegas, but lost both.
Against England, Ireland trailed 5-0 at half-time, before two converted tries in the second half guaranteed victory. Louise Galvin and captain Lucy Mulhall both scored, with Mulhall converting both tries, to give the side a 14-5 lead, before England scored a late consolation try.
Ireland's win means the team look all but certain to finish in ninth place in the World Series with one Round to go. Next month, Clermont-Ferrand hosts the final round of the 2016-17 World Series with Ireland hoping to end the historic season on a high.
Here's how the #HSBC7s standings look with one round left to go in Clermont on 24/25 June
Can anyone stop the @BlackFerns 7s? pic.twitter.com/VXbueYKw6c
— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) May 29, 2017
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