Latest news with #EllenaPerry
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘My mom is really proud. And obviously it's a shame that my granddad's not here to witness it, but she's really proud'
Ellena Perry pulls out her phone from inside her pocket to check the exact date she got the WhatsApp message that changed not just the course of her summer but her international career.
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Hannah O'Connor: Bolters won't disrupt Ireland's Rugby World Cup plans
Hannah O'Connor doesn't believe that the inclusion of three relatively unknown players in Ireland's squad will be disruptive to the team's Rugby World Cup hopes. Former England prop Ellena Perry and Exeter centre Nancy McGillivray both made their Ireland debuts in the recent warm-up games against Canada and Scotland, respectively, while Connacht back row Ivana Kiripati played in both Tests. Kiripati, 22, played most of her adult rugby in college in the USA but dovetailed her time there with stints in Ireland, impressing for the Clovers in the Celtic Challenge, and Connacht. Gloucester's Perry, 28, is a replacement for injured front row Christy Haney, while 22-year-old McGillivray's PWR experience has earned her a place in Scott Bemand's 32-player squad. Neither was named in the 37-player preparation panel back in May. Back row Deirbhile Nic a Bháird and back Vicky Elmes Kinlan are among those who didn't make the cut for the trip to England, where Ireland will face Japan, Spain and New Zealand in Pool C. Asked what sort of effect parachuting players in at a late stage has on a squad, former Ireland forward Hannah O'Connor told the RTÉ Rugby podcast: "You can kind of get the gist from the girls and from what you hear in the media and anybody doing interviews, it's a very tight-knit group. "Everybody gets along very well and they spend a lot of time in each other's company. "We've heard it in the past from Irish teams under Andy Farrell as well of how cohesive they are as a group in terms of how they get along and that makes a huge difference. "So from that point of view of the new girls coming in, I wouldn't be overly worried about cohesion in terms of knitting in with the group and I heard Scott mention about everybody who has been in the group has brought something to the group. On the overall squad selection, O'Connor, who retired last year after leading Leinster to the Women's Interprovincial crown, added: "I suppose no massive surprises in the backs. Former international @HannahOConnor22 believes the three new Ireland call-ups won't disrupt squad cohesion so close to #RWC2025 - full #RTERugby podcast here — RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 13, 2025 "I think they kind of picked themselves, there hasn't been a lot of surprises. "I suppose Nancy McGillivray being the only kind of new face in there compared to what we had seen over the last little while [it's] Vicky Elmes Kinlan who'd be disappointed to miss out there. "In the forwards, obviously Christy Haney is a big blow in terms of the scrum. "We're not flush on props in Ireland in terms of the grassroots, Ellena Perry comes in [because of her] experience. "It's such a key position and [I'm] gutted for Christy. "Scrummaging is her baby and as said she brings a lot of stability there when she's either started or come off the bench. "Ivana Kiripati is probably the bolter there. "She's obviously been in the extended squad the last number of years and been in and around the group and training. "She has played a rugby overseas with college in America and come home for the Celtic Challenge and has played a few interpro games with Connacht. "I suppose someone like Deirbhile Nic a Bháird is a big name that misses out, which I was surprised at myself, to be honest. "Her versatility and what she's done both in a Munster jersey and in a club jersey for Belvedere, anytime she's gotten a chance to shine for Ireland, she is that kind of all-action back row player."
Irish Examiner
08-08-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Use of 'granny rule' a delicate balancing act as Ireland approach World Cup
All sorts of sensibilities get trampled underfoot when it comes to team selections. Players' ambitions rest on the views and the whims of head coaches. Clubs and provinces, and supporters, see them through glasses tinted in their own colours. Grumbles are guaranteed. When some of the names chosen belong to players who had owed allegiances to other countries – and this on the eve of a World Cup – then it can give rise to a debate that goes beyond the meritocracies of form and ability. Ellena Perry has played 11 games of Test rugby for her native England, the last of them in 2020. Though part of the Red Roses' extended squad as recently as last year, she is now eligible to play for Ireland as three years have passed since her last Test involvement. The loosehead prop, who qualifies through a grandparent, will do just that this Saturday when she makes her inaugural appearance in green off the bench against Canada at Belfast's Affidea Stadium in the last of the team's warm-up fixtures. Nancy McGillivray, whose transition contract with the English union ended without an appearance in June, made her debut for Ireland last week in Cork. Brought up in Hong Kong, the Exeter Chiefs centre also qualifies through her family background. World Rugby's rule whereby players can switch nationality after 36 months of inactivity on the Test stage has its critics, but it can work both ways. Witness Jean Kleyn playing for his native South Africa having already earned five caps for Ireland in 2019. Kleyn's case is an apposite one here. The Munster forward became eligible for his adopted homeland in early August of that year. Less than a month had passed before he was chosen ahead of the hugely experienced Devin Toner in the men's squad for the World Cup in Japan. Remember the furore that caused? Timing in these things can be everything. When the Republic of Ireland women's team sealed their place at the 2023 World Cup in Australia, then coach Vera Pauw revealed how she had been inundated with correspondence from players eager to share their Irish lineage and availability. The Dutchwoman had already used the 'granny rule' to bring the likes of Kyra Carusa, Lily Agg and Lucy Quinn into the fold. Sinead Farrelly and Marissa Sheva, two US-born players, would ultimately follow and be key players Down Under. The use of the diaspora was hotly-debated at the time. Not so much the practice in itself, but for the fact that the late introduction of such players would inevitably shunt out others who had played a part in getting the squad to the finals. Scott Bemand was asked about this after naming his matchday squad to take on the Canadians. Was there a risk, basically, in undermining players already in the dressing-room, and maybe even in unsettling the squad itself? 'If handled incorrectly,' he said. Read More Gareth Steenson has eyes only for World Cup role with Ireland Perry, an experienced front row who started the recent PWR final for Gloucester-Hartpury, owes her chance to an ongoing injury for Christy Haney. And Bemand put it that a summer pre-season was actually the perfect time to be feeding new players in. 'It gives people time to acclimatise,' he explained. 'It gives people time to understand what the culture is of the group. It's not just an on-pitch piece. There's an off-piece culture where people like to be themselves, and add to our wave.' Bemand stressed that the squad needs 'the finest talent available both on-pitch and off-pitch'. A former assistant with England, he worked with both Perry and McGillivray in his former role and this no doubt helped bring both into the fold. 'As we grow our squad depth, as we grow our playing pathway, we also have to be cognisant of people that are Irish and identify as being Irish, that play over in the UK, for example.' Perry, he said, is absolutely a live contender for a place in the World Cup squad. Balance is important here. The FAI has been criticised in the past for leaning too far on the UK for international players, but Bemand is confident that the IRFU is putting together a domestic pathway that will improve its own existing conveyor belt going forward. Ireland's depth now, he says, is 'night and day' to how it looked when he started with the team two years ago. Debuts given to Ivana Kiripati of Creggs RFC and Ailish Quinn of Ballina RFC against Scotland last week were highlighted as evidence. 'Ellena gets the opportunity on the weekend to stake her claim. To be honest, it all leads to a healthy level of competition, which lets your training identity become a higher level, which hopefully improves your performance within the Test match arena.' Bemand names his World Cup squad on Monday.
Irish Times
08-08-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ireland women's rugby coach defends capping two ex-England players in World Cup prep
Ireland head coach Scott Bemand has defended the inclusion of two new players in Ireland's World Cup preparation. It comes after former England international Ellena Perry was named to make her debut off the bench in Saturday's warm-up match against Canada in Belfast. Perry, who earned the last of her 11 England caps in 2020 and therefore satisfies World Rugby 's stand down rules for switching nations, qualifies through an Irish grandparent. She was brought into the set-up a few weeks ago but, with tighthead prop Christy Haney struggling to make the World Cup squad due to a hamstring injury, Bemand has decided to play Perry as loosehead cover on the bench. READ MORE Perry is the second new player from outside the Irish system given a debut in as many weeks. Last weekend, Exeter centre Nancy McGillivray, who has been named in England squads without ever being capped, debuted after qualifying through her Irish-born father. She has been on Ireland's radar for some time, but only became available after her England contract expired in June. Both Perry and McGillivray are expected to be named in the final World Cup squad, to be announced on Monday. Perry is likely to come in for the injured Haney, while McGillivray is not expected to oust any of Eve Higgins, Aoife Dalton or Enya Breen, Ireland's centres from the Six Nations. Instead, an outside back is likely to make way. Ahead of Saturday's game in Belfast, Bemand was asked if introducing players from outside the system so close to the competition risked upsetting the squad dynamic. 'If done incorrectly [yes],' he said. 'But with Christy [Haney] picking up the hamstring niggle we needed to bring in and supplement front row. So actually, everything has been done well, in my opinion. [ Former England prop Ellena Perry in line to make Ireland debut against Canada Opens in new window ] Nancy McGillivray only became available after her England contract expired in June. Photograph: INPHO/ Ben Brady 'Elle [Perry] is a good player, and she's a really good person, having worked with her before. She's known to a good few of the girls [Perry is teammates of Neve Jones and Sam Monaghan at Gloucester] and they would endorse that.' While the new caps can be explained by injury and waiting for contracts to expire, that Ireland looked externally may send a message that the current development pathways don't have World Cup-ready players. Uncapped Ulster and Railway prop Sophie Barrett was one name overlooked by the inclusion of Perry. Yet, other inclusions, such as the potential World Cup place for Under-20 forward Beth Buttimer, would push back against that narrative, one which Bemand is keen to dispel. 'If you look at the number of players now coming through from the women's national talent squad, in girls that are getting touch points through Sevens, through Celtic Challenge, through the Under-20s, our depth is night and day to how it looked two years ago. 'Sophie's [Barrett] nearly ready and if we had to call Sophie up, we'd be confident in what Sophie's capabilities are. She also hasn't played Test match rugby yet. 'Ivana Kiripati, Ailish Quinn, Jemima Adams Verde ... we've got three players that have had touch points with the 20s in the near recent past. Ailish came on and got a first cap last week against Scotland. 'So girls coming through the pathway, through the Under-20s is significant. It's brilliant. I'm excited for the future.' IRELAND (v Canada, World cup-warm-up, Affidea Stadium, Belfast, Saturday, 12pm): Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Enya Breen (Blackrock College/Munster), Anna McGann (Railway Union); Dannah O'Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College/Connacht); Niamh O'Dowd (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Neve Jones (Gloucester Hartpury), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster); Grace Moore (Trailfinders/IQ Rugby), Ivana Kiripati (Creggs/Connacht), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere/Ulster). Replacements: Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Ellena Perry (Gloucester Hartpury/IQ Rugby)*, Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke/Ulster), Eimear Corri Fallon (Blackrock College/Leinster), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Claire Boles (Railway Union/Ulster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Ulster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster). *Denotes uncapped player
BBC News
07-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ex-England prop Perry has 'earned' Ireland chance
Women's Rugby World Cup warm-up: Ireland v CanadaVenue: Affidea Stadium, Belfast Date: Saturday 9 August Kick-off: 12:00 BSTCoverage: Watch on BBC iPlayer, BBC Two NI and BBC Sport website; text updates and reaction on BBC Sport website Ireland head coach Scott Bemand says former England prop Ellena Perry has "more than earned" her place in his matchday squad for the team's final World Cup warm-up who qualifies for Ireland through her maternal grandfather and was eligible to switch nations after last having played for England in November 2020, is set to make her debut off the bench against World Rugby's regulations, players are allowed too represent a second nation after a three-year stand-down period if they, a parent or a grandparent were born in that second 28-year-old Gloucester-Hartpury player's inclusion for Saturday's game follows a try-scoring debut from centre Nancy McGillivray - who was formerly on a transition contract with England - against Scotland last week. "She's hit the ground running," Bemand said of Perry, who plays alongside Ireland internationals Neve Jones and Sam Monaghan for the Premiership Women's Rugby champions. "So she's more than earned her place in and around the area, in and around the group. "She's known to some of the players anyway, so in terms of the fit, there's been quite a seamless transition." When asked if handing debuts to Perry and McGillivray undermines some of Ireland's longer-serving players, Bemand said: "If done incorrectly."But with Christy [Haney] picking up the hamstring niggle we needed to bring in and supplement the front row. "So actually, everything has been done well, in my opinion. In terms of the playing group, she's known to a good few of our group. So actually transitioning in, in terms of the block that we've gone through, it's been a pre-season block. "So people coming in and getting touch points within pre-season blocks is actually a really healthy point to enter. And it gives people time to acclimatise. "It gives people time to understand what the culture is of the group. It's not just an on-pitch piece. There's an off-piece culture where people like to be themselves, and add to our wave. She's been able to do that."Bemand added that Exeter's McGillivray, who grew up in Hong Kong and has an Irish father, has added an "enormous amount" since coming into the squad. "She's played with a good few of the players, other players have got to know her, and it's brought just a little bit of energy when you sort of get through your pre-season bits," he said.
