Ireland’s Emerald Warriors azure team have moved up to third place in the International Gay Rugby (IGR) world rankings.
Meanwhile, the green team are now ranked fourth in the world by the IGR.
Various teams from the Irish club participated in the Bingham Cup earlier this year, with the festivities getting underway in Rome.
Reflecting on the club’s success, 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.
‘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.’
Azure captain Marion Peltret commented she was “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. This did not dampen our spirits as we made a comeback to win our final for 3rd place 22-5 against Nashville Womens Rugby.’