### Ireland’s Men’s and Women’s Rugby Sevens Squads Announced for Paris 2024 Olympics
The Olympic Federation of Ireland has officially selected the Men’s and Women’s Rugby Sevens squads for the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Harry McNulty will captain the men’s team, which recently secured a second-place finish in the World Series. Lucy Rock (formerly Mulhall) will lead the women’s team, marking their debut at the Olympics.
#### Rugby Sevens Events at Paris 2024
The Rugby Sevens events will take place at the iconic Stade de France. The men’s competition runs from August 24-27, while the women’s matches are scheduled from July 28-30.
#### Men’s Rugby Sevens Squad
Head coach James Topping has named a 12-player squad for the men’s team, which includes several Tokyo 2020 Olympians. Key players returning to the squad are Ireland’s Men’s XVs international Hugo Keenan and Connacht’s Andrew Smith. The men’s team earned their Olympic qualification at the European Games in Krakow last summer.
**Men’s Team:**
– Niall Comerford
– Jordan Conroy (Tokyo Olympian)
– Hugo Keenan
– Jack Kelly (Tokyo Olympian)
– Terry Kennedy (Tokyo Olympian)
– Hugo Lennox (Tokyo Olympian)
– Harry McNulty (Tokyo Olympian)
– Gavin Mullin (Tokyo Olympian)
– Chay Mullins
– Mark Roche (Tokyo Olympian)
– Andrew Smith
– Zac Ward
**Travelling Reserves:**
– Bryan Mollen (Tokyo Olympian)
– Sean Cribbin
#### Women’s Rugby Sevens Squad
The journey to Paris has been especially significant for the women’s team, who narrowly missed out on the Rio and Tokyo Games. Head coach Allan Temple-Jones has selected a strong squad, including standout player Ashleigh Orchard, who made a remarkable return to the team after giving birth.
**Women’s Team:**
– Kathy Baker
– Megan Burns
– Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe
– Alanna Fitzpatrick
– Stacey Flood
– Eve Higgins
– Erin King
– Vicky Elmes Kinlan
– Emily Lane
– Ashleigh Orchard
– Béibhinn Parsons
– Lucy Rock
**Travelling Reserves:**
– Claire Boles
– Amy Larn
#### Statements from Team Leaders
Men’s team captain Harry McNulty expressed his pride, saying, “It is an incredible honor to lead the squad to this summer’s Olympics. We are working really hard to ensure we are in peak condition to chase our Olympic medal ambitions.”
Women’s team captain Lucy Rock reflected on the team’s journey, “This is an incredibly exciting time for the Ireland Sevens programme. Leading this team out at the Olympics will be an extremely proud moment.”
#### Official Remarks
Gavin Noble, Chef de Mission for Paris 2024, welcomed the squads: “We are delighted to officially welcome the Men’s and Women’s Rugby Sevens teams to Team Ireland. The teams represent the progression and success of the sevens programme in Ireland.”
Rugby Sevens Performance Director David Nucifora added, “This is a landmark day for us. The selected players have worked extremely hard, and we hope their achievements inspire the nation this summer.”
#### Upcoming Announcements
This announcement brings the total number of athletes selected to represent Team Ireland at Paris 2024 to twenty-eight. Additional team announcements will follow, with the final team announcement scheduled for early July. The Paris Olympics will run from July 24 to August 11, 2024, with the Opening Ceremony on July 26.
For more updates on Team Ireland’s journey to Paris 2024, stay tuned to our official channels.
