07 Sep Alex Connor Helps Irish Universities to 5th Place Finish in South Africa
What an incredible week it has been for Navan RFC’s Alex Connor! Representing her country on the international stage, Alex featured for the Irish Universities Women’s Sevens team as they secured a superb 5th place finish at the FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens over the weekend.
Hosted at the iconic Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch, South Africa, the three-day tournament (4th–6th September) brought together elite university student-athletes from across the globe for a thrilling showcase of Sevens rugby.
Tournament Breakdown
- Day 1 — Winning Start: The Irish Universities side got their tournament off to an explosive start on Friday defeating Australia, then going down in defeat to a strong Canada side. Read Day 1 Report on IrishRugby.ie
- Day 2 — Hard-Fought Battles: Facing stiff top-tier international opposition on Saturday, Ireland defeated Botswana in their final pool games but narrowly missed out on a semi-final spot losing to Japan. Read Day 2 Report on IrishRugby.ie
- Day 3 — Strong 5th Place Finish: Regrouping on Sunday for the placement brackets, Ireland delivered a clinical, high-tempo final day of rugby to claim 5th overall in the world standings by defeating the USA. Read Day 3 Report on IrishRugby.ie
A Remarkable 2026 Representative Journey
Alex’s performance in South Africa caps off an extraordinary year of representative rugby across four major competitions in 2026:
- Celtic Challenge Champion: Wolfhounds squad member and starting scrum-half in the final.
- National U21 Cap: Represented Ireland U21s in the inaugural Women’s Six Nations Series.
- Senior Leinster Debut: Started at scrum-half for Leinster in the Vodafone Interprovincial Championship.
- World University Championship: 5th place in Stellenbosch with the Irish Universities Sevens squad.
Everyone at Balreask Old is immensely proud of Alex’s continued dedication, work ethic, and achievements representing Navan RFC, Leinster, and Ireland on the world stage!