Claire Boles
Rugby Sevens
BIOGRAPHY
Claire Boles represented Ireland in the women’s Rugby Sevens tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where Ireland finished 8th – the first time an Irish women’s rugby sevens team had competed at the Olympics. Boles came off the bench during the tournament and scored a try against Great Britain.
Her route to the Games was not straightforward – she was omitted from several squads in the months before selection and suffered a sternum injury in the build-up, but secured her place and made a significant impact when given her opportunity. Boles began playing rugby at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School before joining Enniskillen RFC, where she played on the first girls’ team alongside her lifelong friend and Ireland teammate Kathryn Dane.
She was part of the first Ulster team to win the Ireland Under-18 interprovincial title in 2016. She plays for Railway Union and Ulster. She holds a master’s degree in biopharmaceutical engineering from University College Dublin and was pursuing a PhD at the SSPC Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals at the time of the Games, researching pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. She has a twin, Katie, who also plays rugby.
OTHER RUGBY ATHLETES
RUGBY NEWS
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