Eve Higgins: We'll do what's best for 'programmes'

Eve Higgins says decisions around whether or not Sunday's game against Italy will be the last TikTok Six Nations match for her and her sevens colleagues is above her pay grade.

The Kildare winger is one of several contracted players who, as indicated by head coach Greg McWilliams, are likely to miss out on the final two matches of the championship, against England and Scotland, as the short-form squad head for Canada for the Langford leg of the World Series, which starts on 30 April.

Asked if she knew her itinerary after Sunday’s game against Italy, who like Ireland have lost both their opening ties, Higgins deferred to the discussions between the high-performance director David Nucifora, sevens coach Aiden McNulty and McWilliams.

"David, Aiden and Greg have all been in talks and there is great clarity between them," she said.

"Greg made it clear at the start of the Six Nations that us sevens and 15s players, there is no distinction between it.

"To be honest, I’m just focusing on this weekend ahead and not focusing on far ahead. When that will come, that will come.

"I’m not looking ahead at the moment but obviously as a player, you’ll do what’s best for the programmes.

"We do have a World Cup that we’re trying to qualify for in 2022 with regards to sevens.

"And this is obviously our first World Series after Seville and Malaga [where Ireland reached the final] so we’ll see what happens but, yeah, we’ll just do what’s best for the programmes."

Ireland are on the board thanks to a superb team try, finished by Eve Higgins. #RTERugby #FRAvIRE #TikTokW6N