To mark our 75th Anniversary, we are shining a light on some NCI alumni to showcase the amazing talent the College has produced throughout the years.
Stacey Flood, Professional Irish Rugby Player
Alumni Spotlight: Stacey Flood
BSc (Hons) in Technology Management (2018)
Professional Irish Rugby Player
Olympian - Paris 2024
About Stacey
Stacey Flood is one of Ireland’s most accomplished rugby players, representing her country in the World Rugby Sevens Series and on the Olympic stage at the Paris 2024 Games. Alongside her elite sporting career, Stacey completed a BSc (Hons) in Technology Management at National College of Ireland, balancing the demands of international sport with academic study.
Raised in Dublin in a family dedicated to sports, Stacey initially competed at elite level in Gaelic football, representing Dublin at underage level before turning her full focus to rugby. She first lined out for the U18 Women's Sevens side in 2014, the same year she began her studies at NCI, quickly progressing through the Ireland Women's Sevens pathway and making her senior debut in 2015.
Her journey reflects the level of discipline, adaptability and commitment required to succeed both academically and on the world stage.
From Women's Sevens to Olympic Games
Since earning her first international cap at just 18 at the World Rugby Sevens Series, Stacey has competed across every stage of the global circuit, becoming one of Ireland's most experienced and dependable players.
In 2024, Stacey represented Team Ireland at the Paris Olympic Games, marking a historic milestone as the Irish Women's Sevens Team competed at the Olympics for the first time.
Speaking ahead of the event with the Irish Examiner, Stacey shared what she was looking forward to most:
"I think showing Ireland that we can be contenders and we can really push boundaries and play rugby well and get performances. I am really looking forward to that."
The team fought a fantastic campaign finishing 8th in their debut Olympic Games. Following this, Stacey jumped back into the game for the Six Nations Championship in March 2025 after which she was selected for the Irish squad for the 2025 Rugby World Cup where the team reached the quarter finals.
Resilience, Pressure and Reinvention
Stacey’s career has also faced challenges including the transition to international rugby and navigating qualification heartbreaks. Rather than setbacks, she has described these moments as contributing to her growth as an athlete.
After Ireland narrowly missed qualification for previous global tournaments, she reflected:
“You have to learn how to turn that disappointment into motivation.”
That ability to adapt has seen Stacey re-establish herself across multiple positions in the Irish setup, earning caps in Six Nations campaigns and World Cup qualification matches alongside her Sevens commitments.
Education Alongside Elite Performance
While competing at the highest level internationally, Stacey studied Technology Management at NCI, demonstrating that education and elite sport can exist side by side.
Her time at NCI coincided with the early years of your international career, a period that demanded discipline, time management and focus across two demanding worlds.
Reflecting on the wider impact sport can have, she has said:
“Sport can bring a nation together. It gives people something to believe in and that’s incredibly powerful.”
Stacey’s experience reflects NCI’s long‑standing support for non‑traditional students, including those pursuing careers alongside full‑time study.
A Global Stage, an NCI Graduate
As an Olympian, international athlete and NCI alumnus, Stacey Flood embodies excellence, resilience and ambition. Her journey from student‑athlete to competing on the world’s biggest sporting stage is a powerful reminder that NCI graduates continue to make an impact far beyond the classroom.
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