Ireland Sevens player Louise Galvin has announced she is retiring from the game after collecting 96 caps for her country.

Her last appearance for Ireland was back in February at the Sydney Sevens before the World Series was cancelled as a result of the pandemic.

She said: “It just felt right. There have been moments when I’ve thought am I ready to leave and move on, but as the weeks and months progressed it just made sense to use this break to step back and hang up the boots.

“It was a dream to go to work every day. In the last year or so we got to call the High Performance Centre our home and it was all you could ever wish for as an athlete. 

“I’ll miss the people the most, not just my team-mates but the staff you work with every day. You spend so much time with the group that they become family. They know your life inside out, and you know theirs.”

Galvin went back to her trade as a physiotherapist and worked at Tullamore Hospital during the pandemic. She helped Covid patients in their rehab following their stay in the Intensive Care Unit.

The 33 year-old has now taken up a full-time position with the Health Service Executive in Dublin.

She added: “I had a really good conversation with Anthony [Eddy, IRFU Director of Women’s and Sevens Rugby] and I had no regrets. Of course, I would have loved to play one final tournament or one final game in the green jersey but I’m happy with the time and effort I’ve given over the last five years. 

"I don’t think I could have given much more, and I also feel it’s time to give youth a chance, and there are so many exciting young players coming into the programme.

“You just have to appreciate that sport is unpredictable, and nobody could have foreseen a pandemic coming along. I also have that perspective of working in a hospital to see the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on families, so for it to ruin my end of career plan is so insignificant.”