Two teams from Ireland’s first LGBTQ+ rugby club, the Emerald Warriors, have placed in the top five of the International Gay Rugby (IGR) world ranking. The women’s+ team, the Azures, moved up to third place, while the men’s+ Greens now rank fourth.
Formed in August 2003, the Emerald Warriors have a long history of providing an open, inclusive and safe environment to play and enjoy rugby in Ireland. Together with other Irish clubs, the Emerald Warriors participated in this year’s Bingham Cup, a bi-annual competition hosted by IGR.
Taking place in Rome in 2024, the tournament saw one of the Emerald Warriors teams, the Azures, make history as Ireland’s first-ever women’s+ squad to participate. The team advanced to the semi-finals and secured an impressive third-place finish, making the club “immeasurably proud”.
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The Emerald Warriors teams’ IGR world rankings come following their impressive performances at the Bingham Cup.
Speaking about the achievement, Emerald Warriors President Richie Fagan said: “Our club proudly represented with four teams at the Bingham Cup, including our incredible womens+ team for the first time.
“All our teams performed admirably, achieving higher rankings compared to the previous tournament,” Fagan continued. “Making us stand out not only in Europe, but on a wider international stage.
“I’d like to congratulate everyone who played and contributed to this success from coaches to volunteers,” he concluded.
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Azure captain Marion Peltret also commented, saying that she is “immeasurably proud” of the womens+ team. “This was the first year that our Azures competed in the International Gay Rugby (IGR) Amanda Mark Cup at the Bingham tournament,” Peltret said.
“Wins against the Flying Nuns and reigning champions the Ottawa Wolves saw us advance to the semi-finals where we faced the Amsterdam Lowlanders who won 38-7,” the captain continued. “This did not dampen our spirits as we made a comeback to win our final for 3rd place 22-5 against Nashville Womens Rugby.”
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