ireland sevens Archives - SportsNewsIreland https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/tag/ireland-sevens Sports News, Live GAA scores, GAA fixtures Wed, 24 Nov 2021 12:06:16 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/www.sportsnewsireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/sni-icon.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 ireland sevens Archives - SportsNewsIreland https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/tag/ireland-sevens 32 32 229439223 Parsons among Ireland Women’s squad named for Dubai 7s tournament https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/parsons-among-ireland-womens-squad-named-for-dubai-7s-tournament https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/parsons-among-ireland-womens-squad-named-for-dubai-7s-tournament#respond Wed, 24 Nov 2021 12:05:38 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=22752 The Ireland Women’s Sevens squad that will take part in this weekend’s 2022 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series opener in Dubai has been named, and it includes a number of 15s stars. IRFU Director of Women’s and Sevens Rugby, Anthony Eddy, has called up four players that were involved in Ireland’s (15s) win over the […]

The post Parsons among Ireland Women’s squad named for Dubai 7s tournament appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
The Ireland Women’s Sevens squad that will take part in this weekend’s 2022 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series opener in Dubai has been named, and it includes a number of 15s stars.

IRFU Director of Women’s and Sevens Rugby, Anthony Eddy, has called up four players that were involved in Ireland’s (15s) win over the United States in Dublin earlier this month.

Beibhinn Parsons, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Stacey Flood and Eve Higgins were all part of Adam Griggs’ squad for the November Internationals before leaving to join the Sevens squad for the upcoming tournament.

Sevens captain Lucy Mulhall returns to the setup after spending time with the national rugby union team during their failed World Cup qualification campaign.

Mulhall will lead the Ireland Women as they make a welcome return to World Series action for the first time since Sydney in February 2020.

The uncapped Erin King is set to make her senior Sevens debut in Dubai after being called up following some stand-out performances for Leinster in last summer’s Under-18 Women’s Interprovincial Championship.

Ireland, under the guidance of Eddy and incoming Head Coach, Aiden McNulty, kick off their 2022 campaign against Fiji in Pool B on Friday morning (9.22 am local time/5.22 am Irish time).

Ireland Women then face familiar foes Great Britain (12.34 pm local time/8.34 am Irish time) and Canada (6.07 pm local time/2.07 pm Irish time) in further Pool outings on Friday, before going head-to-head with Russia in their final first-round clash on Saturday (9.44 am local time/5.44 am Irish time).

Commenting ahead of the Dubai 7s, Eddy said: “Both squads are extremely excited to be back on the World Series and Dubai is always a quality tournament and a great experience for the players.

“The teams will be very eager to perform well over the two weekends of competition and get off to a good start for the Series ahead.”

All games are available to watch live on World Rugby’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series website here, while there will be live coverage on the Irish Rugby social media channels.

Ireland Women’s Sevens squad for Dubai

Kathy Baker (Blackrock College RFC)
Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC)
Brittany Hogan (Ballynahinch RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)
Katie Heffernan (Mullingar RFC/Railway Union RFC)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC)
Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC)
Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum RFC) (capt)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC)
Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC)
Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)

The post Parsons among Ireland Women’s squad named for Dubai 7s tournament appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/parsons-among-ireland-womens-squad-named-for-dubai-7s-tournament/feed 0 22752
Six Olympians in Ireland Men’s Sevens squad for World Series opener https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/six-olympians-in-ireland-mens-sevens-squad-for-world-series-opener-nov-21 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/six-olympians-in-ireland-mens-sevens-squad-for-world-series-opener-nov-21#respond Wed, 24 Nov 2021 11:48:40 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=22749 The Ireland Men’s Sevens team that will compete in the upcoming 2022 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series opener in Dubai has been named. IRFU Director of Women’s and Sevens Rugby, Anthony Eddy, has selected a 13-player panel that will represent the national team in the United Arab Emirates this weekend – the tournament will be […]

The post Six Olympians in Ireland Men’s Sevens squad for World Series opener appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
The Ireland Men’s Sevens team that will compete in the upcoming 2022 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series opener in Dubai has been named.

IRFU Director of Women’s and Sevens Rugby, Anthony Eddy, has selected a 13-player panel that will represent the national team in the United Arab Emirates this weekend – the tournament will be held at Dubai’s Sevens Stadium from Friday, November 26 – Saturday, November 27.

Six Olympians have been named in the squad as the side look to build on their first-ever Olympic appearance in Tokyo earlier this year as well as two positive tournaments in Canada back in September.

Billy Dardis once again captains the side, with fellow Olympians Jack Kelly, Mark Roche, Bryan Mollen, Hugo Lennox and Terry Kennedy all named in the squad for Dubai.

Ireland will be coached by James Topping for the tournament – Topping previously took charge of the side for the competitions in Canada.

Ireland get the Men’s tournament up and running in Pool C against South Africa on Friday morning (9.32 am local time/5.32 am Irish time). Clashes against Great Britain (1.46 pm local time/9.46 am Irish time) and Japan (4.08 pm local time/12.08 pm Irish time) follow on Friday.

The Women’s squad has also been named for their HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series opener, also held in Dubai.

Commenting ahead of the Dubai 7s, Eddy said: “Both squads are extremely excited to be back on the World Series and Dubai is always a quality tournament and a great experience for the players.

“The teams will be very eager to perform well over the two weekends of competition and get off to a good start for the Series ahead.”

All games are available to watch live on World Rugby’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series website here, while there will be live coverage on the Irish Rugby social media channels.

Ireland Men’s Sevens Squad – Dubai 7s

Jack Kelly (Dublin University FC)
Liam Turner (Dublin University FC/Leinster)
Mark Roche (Lansdowne FC)
Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC)
Bryan Mollen (Blackrock College RFC)
Billy Dardis (Terenure College RFC) (capt)
Sean Cribbin (Suttonians RFC)
Hugo Lennox (Skerries RFC)
Aaron O’Sullivan (Blackrock College RFC)
Terry Kennedy (St. Mary’s College RFC)
Niall Comerford (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Ed Kelly (Dublin University FC)
Jude Postlethwaite (Banbridge RFC/Ulster).

The post Six Olympians in Ireland Men’s Sevens squad for World Series opener appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/six-olympians-in-ireland-mens-sevens-squad-for-world-series-opener-nov-21/feed 0 22749
Ireland Finish 10th At First-Ever Olympics https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-finish-10th-at-first-ever-olympics-2021 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-finish-10th-at-first-ever-olympics-2021#respond Wed, 28 Jul 2021 02:52:30 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=18704 The Ireland Men’s Sevens side has finished 10th in the Sevens tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Head coach Anthony Eddy’s team were the first Irish rugby side to represent Team Ireland at the Olympics. Eddy’s men suffered a big loss to Kenya on Wednesday morning in the ninth-place final, losing 22-0 to the Shujaa […]

The post Ireland Finish 10th At First-Ever Olympics appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
The Ireland Men’s Sevens side has finished 10th in the Sevens tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Head coach Anthony Eddy’s team were the first Irish rugby side to represent Team Ireland at the Olympics.

Eddy’s men suffered a big loss to Kenya on Wednesday morning in the ninth-place final, losing 22-0 to the Shujaa after beating them less than 24 hours previous.

The match did not get off to the best start for captain Billy Dardis and his squad with a cagey start being interrupted by a Kenyan try to kick-start proceedings.

Kenya captain Andrew Amonde retired after the game and his teammates made sure to play their hearts out to send him off into the sunset riding a high.

Hohnstone Olindi opened the scoring for his country and the conversion was scored.

The side held onto their slim lead until halftime, putting them in prime position to earn ninth.

Jacob Ojee scored his side’s second try and put the result beyond doubt for anyone watching.

Ireland’s handling and concentration were once again below the level that was expected of them coming into this tournament.

Two more tries followed for the Kenyans but they were merely icing on the cake that symbolised a strong performance and revenge against the side that beat them on Wednesday morning.

Amonde was visibly emotional after the final whistle as his career came to an end.

Ireland ends their campaign with a win record of 40% (2W, 3L) and valuable experience at the Olympics that will help them on their push towards Paris 2024.

It was a subpar tournament for Eddy’s side and one that his players were clearly disappointed with after the Pool C game against Kenya.

However, they can hold their heads high knowing that they’ve once again grown as a side and taken the Sevens programme in Ireland to new heights – a trend that they will continue to follow.

The post Ireland Finish 10th At First-Ever Olympics appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-finish-10th-at-first-ever-olympics-2021/feed 0 18704
Ireland Reach 9th-Place Final After Win Over R.O.Korea https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-reach-9th-place-final-after-win-over-r-o-korea-olympics-2020 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-reach-9th-place-final-after-win-over-r-o-korea-olympics-2020#respond Tue, 27 Jul 2021 08:45:12 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=18671 The Ireland Men’s Sevens team won their second game in a row on Tuesday morning and booked their place in the ninth-place final after a strong 29-0 win over the Republic of Korea in the semi-final. The side was knocked out of contention for a medal after their victory over Kenya was not enough to […]

The post Ireland Reach 9th-Place Final After Win Over R.O.Korea appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
The Ireland Men’s Sevens team won their second game in a row on Tuesday morning and booked their place in the ninth-place final after a strong 29-0 win over the Republic of Korea in the semi-final.

The side was knocked out of contention for a medal after their victory over Kenya was not enough to take them through but did not let that trouble them.

The five-try performance was a great response to the disappointment of missing out on the quarters.

Mark Roche got the ball rolling with the first try for the boys in green, but not before Ian Fitzpatrick had to leave the field through injury.

Moments later, Conroy was in for his first score of the tournament after a frustrating pool stage for the Tullamore speedster.

Both conversions were missed and Anthony Eddy’s side went into the break with a solid 10-0 lead.

Korea started the second-brightly but could not make any of their possession pay.

Ireland soaked up their pressure and retaliated with three late tries to ensure their spot in the ninth-place final tomorrow morning.

Gavin Mullin notched two of the side’s final tries with Conroy doubling his personal tally in the game too.

Their tries were complemented by three conversions to cap off a strong display from the Olympians.

Ireland will now face Kenya for the second time in the tournament to determine ninth-place after the Shujaa beat Japan 21-7 in the second ninth-place semi-final on Tuesday morning.

The two teams will play for the title of best-of-the-rest at 1:30 am on Wednesday, July 28th.

The post Ireland Reach 9th-Place Final After Win Over R.O.Korea appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-reach-9th-place-final-after-win-over-r-o-korea-olympics-2020/feed 0 18671
Ireland Beat Kenya But Fail To Reach Quarters https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-beat-kenya-but-fail-to-reach-quarters-olympics-2020 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-beat-kenya-but-fail-to-reach-quarters-olympics-2020#respond Tue, 27 Jul 2021 03:10:09 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=18655 The Ireland Men’s Sevens team beat Kenya 12-7 on Tuesday morning but failed to progress to the quarter-finals after conceding a late try. Ireland needed to win the match by at least a seven-point margin to leapfrog Canada as the second-best third-placed side. Ireland flew out of the blocks from the start with their star […]

The post Ireland Beat Kenya But Fail To Reach Quarters appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
The Ireland Men’s Sevens team beat Kenya 12-7 on Tuesday morning but failed to progress to the quarter-finals after conceding a late try.

Ireland needed to win the match by at least a seven-point margin to leapfrog Canada as the second-best third-placed side.

Ireland flew out of the blocks from the start with their star player of the tournament, Terry Kennedy, setting the standard with an assist for Hugo Lennox in the first minute.

Billy Dardis missed the conversion but the side put pressure on Kenya further and Harry McNulty was able to capitalise on a mistake from the opposition, getting over the line for his second try of the Olympics.

Ireland continued to prey on the Kenyan nerves, turning the ball over and knocking it on throughout the half.

Jordan Conroy’s run of bad luck continued after finding it hard to make his presence known in the previous games.

His performance was not up to scratch in the final pool game with several knock-ons and a bizarre decision to pass when there was clear ahead of him.

However, there is more than one player involved in a team and the second-half was error-strewn for the Irish side as a whole.

Kenya did not look like troubling the Irish defensive line until late in the half when they started making large gains with every carry.

The Shujaa showed their courage in the final minute, finally getting the seven points their drive deserved but ending Ireland’s Olympic hopes in the process.

Ireland head coach Anthony Eddy and his squad can hold their heads high for representing Team Ireland and will only grow from participating in a tournament of this level.

The side will be in action at Tokyo Stadium at least once more before they leave Japan.

Ireland will play the Republic of Korea at 8:30 am for a place in the ninth-place final.

The post Ireland Beat Kenya But Fail To Reach Quarters appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-beat-kenya-but-fail-to-reach-quarters-olympics-2020/feed 0 18655
Ireland Lose Second Successive Game At Olympics v USA https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-v-usa-olympics-2020-2021 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-v-usa-olympics-2020-2021#respond Mon, 26 Jul 2021 09:58:01 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=18550 Ireland suffered a second successive defeat at the Olympics with a 19-17 defeat to the United States of America. The USA moved from side to side to spread the Irish defensive line thin and enjoyed the lion’s share of the early possession. Perry Baker got the first score of the game under the posts after […]

The post Ireland Lose Second Successive Game At Olympics v USA appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
Ireland suffered a second successive defeat at the Olympics with a 19-17 defeat to the United States of America.

The USA moved from side to side to spread the Irish defensive line thin and enjoyed the lion’s share of the early possession.

Perry Baker got the first score of the game under the posts after dodging Ireland captain Billy Dardis’ tackle just two minutes in with Madison Hughes converting.

Ireland suffered a disastrous restart after their pod could not recover the ball and it fell for Hughes who made no mistake and dotted down for a second.

The number 10 could not make add the extra two this time around.

The States’ Danny Barrett proved to be a huge ball-carrying threat and constantly pushed the Irish line backwards.

A rare Irish possession was squandered after Hugo Lennox failed to release outside the American 22.

Lennox made up for his error with a lovely catch after an offload from Foster Horan to get Ireland’s first points.

Dardis could not get his conversion between the posts, leaving his side 12-5 down at the break.

An inventive Irish lineout led to a fascinating passage of play that finished with Terry Kennedy inviting Sevens ‘original’ Harry McNulty to get Ireland’s second try of the game.

Billy Dardis missed his second chance to put an extra two on the board and Ireland failed to go level as a result.

A huge carry from forward Brett Thompson opened the Irish defence up once again and Stephen Tomasin added the nation’s third and also scored the conversion.

Jack Kelly’s injury may have been a factor in Thompson’s huge carry.

Ireland found themselves in the American 22 but a poor lineout spelt the end of the game for Anthony Eddy’s men.

Foster Horan got the try he deserved after some strong carries but it was too little, too late.

The side now has a mountain to climb if they are to progress to the quarter-finals, with Kenya the final obstacle for the national sevens side on Tuesday, July 27th at 3 am.

The post Ireland Lose Second Successive Game At Olympics v USA appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-v-usa-olympics-2020-2021/feed 0 18550
Ireland 7s’ Adam Leavy Joins List of St Michael’s Olympians https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-7s-adam-leavy-to-join-list-of-st-michaels-olympians https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-7s-adam-leavy-to-join-list-of-st-michaels-olympians#respond Mon, 26 Jul 2021 04:00:19 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=18520 Ireland Men’s Sevens player Adam Leavy, alongside teammate Jack Kelly, became the latest Olympians and the first batch of rugby Olympians that St Michael’s College in Dublin has nurtured when they faced South Africa on Monday morning. Leavy is part of a conveyor belt of talent over at St Michaels that includes Kelly, his brother […]

The post Ireland 7s’ Adam Leavy Joins List of St Michael’s Olympians appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
Ireland Men’s Sevens player Adam Leavy, alongside teammate Jack Kelly, became the latest Olympians and the first batch of rugby Olympians that St Michael’s College in Dublin has nurtured when they faced South Africa on Monday morning.

Leavy is part of a conveyor belt of talent over at St Michaels that includes Kelly, his brother Dan Leavy and James Ryan.

The school’s list of past Olympians includes a rower and a tennis player and the 25-year-old is honoured to put his name amongst theirs.

“Myself and Jack Kelly will be the third and fourth Olympians that have gone through the school which is amazing – it’s an amazing title to have to my name,” said Leavy.

The Sevens star could have crafted an Olympic career out of shot-putting but became more involved with rugby instead as he grew up.

He feels that the Ireland side’s chemistry will help them throughout their Olympic campaign.

The squad includes five ‘originals’ and many others that have been involved for several years.

“[The programme] has only been together for six years or so now, a lot of us have been in it since the start. I would have joined back in 2017 so there’s a huge amount of gelling in the squad and the connection will definitely stand to us.”

The tight-knit and accepting group will compete in their first Olympic Games in Tokyo this year.

Their hard work over the years paid off in June when they beat France in June at the Stade Louis II in Monaco to book their spot in Japan.

“Monaco was a crazy, crazy experience. Personally, all the emotions kind of hit me at once. I think I broke down at one stage – my brother was slagging me saying the hayfever was at me.”

Qualification was this Ireland side’s main focus since initially missing out in 2019 and to achieve it without their families there annoyed the former St Michael’s student.

Their families will not be able to get over to Tokyo either but Leavy understands that the restrictions are for the best.

On top of the games that lie ahead, against South Africa and the USA, Leavy is prepared for the downtime that this Ireland side will have.

“I have a few anime things on the hard drive, [I’ll] get involved with the culture and learn a bit of Japanese while I’m at it.”

The group will be able to keep each other company, as they have done many times before, perhaps through anime nights courtesy of Leavy.

Their chemistry can help them on and off the pitch as it has shown to do in the past.

With the side constantly improving, they can only go forwards at the Olympics, no matter how they do.

“[Our relationships are] definitely going to stand to us in a big way when we’re in the troughs.”

Ireland face the USA in the second round of pool games on Monday, July 26th at 10:30 am.

The post Ireland 7s’ Adam Leavy Joins List of St Michael’s Olympians appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/ireland-7s-adam-leavy-to-join-list-of-st-michaels-olympians/feed 0 18520
Jack Kelly: “I don’t think you can put anything above the Olympics.” https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/jack-kelly-i-dont-think-you-can-put-anything-above-the-olympics https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/jack-kelly-i-dont-think-you-can-put-anything-above-the-olympics#respond Sun, 25 Jul 2021 23:00:37 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=18516 Ireland Men’s Sevens Star Jack Kelly sees the Olympics as the height of professional sports and is excited to become an Olympian with the rest of the national sevens side. Kelly says the team is absolutely delighted to take part in the Men’s Sevens tournament in Tokyo this summer. The 23-year-old believes the Olympics are […]

The post Jack Kelly: “I don’t think you can put anything above the Olympics.” appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
Ireland Men’s Sevens Star Jack Kelly sees the Olympics as the height of professional sports and is excited to become an Olympian with the rest of the national sevens side.

Kelly says the team is absolutely delighted to take part in the Men’s Sevens tournament in Tokyo this summer.

The 23-year-old believes the Olympics are like nothing else and said before leaving for Japan that the feeling of competing at one is still sinking in.

“[There was] a lot of months and weeks during lockdown where not much was going on and now everything’s happening at a hundred miles an hour. It’s a very exciting time for us,” said Kelly.

The side worked hard since losing out on the first European spot in 2019 and the collective goal that they shared helped them to stay focused throughout the pandemic.

The chemistry they honed for several years and hard work since their loss in Colomiers came together in June when they dismantled France in Monaco to book their tickets to Tokyo.

Kelly felt that these factors played a big part in their historic victory at the Stade Louis II Stadium.

Their celebrations were muted because of the coronavirus but the team were able to share some drinks on their hotel floor that night to commemorate the occasion.

“I think we’re quite a close squad…it was definitely a great moment and I think the fact that we couldn’t actually go out and we did just stay together was better for us because it made it all that bit more special.”

The strong chemistry that the side has will be important when there’s downtime, where they will keep each other company and respect each other’s privacy at different times – for example, when Jack wants to read or watch one of his downloaded Netflix movies.

The lads in the squad have also been contemplating getting the famous Olympic tattoo as a way to remember their achievement this year.

I think, in terms of tattoos, it’s probably one of the more ok ones, you know, one of the ones that my parents wouldn’t be too angry at.”

However, their focus lies on their opening games on Monday, July 26th, when they will face South Africa and the USA.

Kenya is also part of their pool at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The St Michaels graduate believes that Ireland can beat both sides, as they have done before, provided they put the work in during the game.

Kelly does not feel like they have weapons that Anthony Eddy’s Ireland will not be able to deal with and that, with focus, they can impose dominance with weapons of their own, such as Jordan Conroy.

“We know that we’ve got a job to do when we’re out there.”

Click here to see the scheduled times for the Ireland Sevens’ first two games.

The post Jack Kelly: “I don’t think you can put anything above the Olympics.” appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/jack-kelly-i-dont-think-you-can-put-anything-above-the-olympics/feed 0 18516
IRFU Want To ‘Leave a Legacy’ In 7s Programme https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/irfu-want-to-leave-a-legacy-in-7s-programme https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/irfu-want-to-leave-a-legacy-in-7s-programme#respond Wed, 21 Jul 2021 14:19:04 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=18326 The IRFU have announced a new set of targets for their Sevens programme after the Irish Men’s side achieved qualification to the Tokyo Olympics. Anthony Eddy‘s squad are currently finalising their preparations for a maiden Olympics campaign in Tokyo. As excitement builds for the start of the Rugby 7s competition on Monday 26 July, a […]

The post IRFU Want To ‘Leave a Legacy’ In 7s Programme appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
The IRFU have announced a new set of targets for their Sevens programme after the Irish Men’s side achieved qualification to the Tokyo Olympics.

Anthony Eddy‘s squad are currently finalising their preparations for a maiden Olympics campaign in Tokyo.

As excitement builds for the start of the Rugby 7s competition on Monday 26 July, a huge opportunity awaits for Irish Rugby and the shortened format of the game in Ireland.

The realisation of their Olympic Dream promises to be a watershed moment for Irish Sevens Rugby, elevating the players, sport and programme to a whole new level in front of a global audience.

“The Ireland Men’s Sevens team qualifying for the Olympics is a huge opportunity for us to be able to build a sustainable pathway for Sevens Rugby in Ireland,” IRFU Performance Director, David Nucifora, says.

“The interest that the Olympics will bring gives us the opportunity to be able to grow the game of Sevens throughout the country.”

The IRFU want to ensure that there is a clear pathway for young children to get into Sevens rugby.

Sevens is an accessible sport for all ages and the value of Sevens programmes and competitions in schools and colleges and Age-Grade Interprovincial Structures cannot be underestimated with Irish Rugby fully aligned and committed to ensuring Tokyo 2020 is truly a watershed moment for the sport in Ireland.

“The opportunity created by the Men’s Sevens being in the Olympics enables us to be able to connect the Domestic Participation part of the game for young boys and girls to be able to see an opportunity to follow their Olympic Dreams,” Nucifora continues.

“Our ambition is to be able to make the game of Sevens a sustainable game within its own right, with the ambition of qualifying our Men’s and Women’s teams for the 2024 and 2028 Games in Paris and LA and our Men’s and Women’s U18s teams for the 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar.”

For Nucifora, the goal is clear: to build a pathway that connects the Participation and Domestic components of the game with the High Performance Programmes.

This will enable young boys and girls to play the sport in their school and club, granting them access to selection for Provincial teams, National Underage squads and then the National Sevens squads, leading them into Olympic Games opportunities in the future.

“We’re focused on leaving a legacy as a result of the team’s qualification for Tokyo,” he says.

“We want to build a Participation Pathway for the game of Sevens through the schools and clubs to open up the sport to non-traditional areas and players. It is a true pathway for a rugby player and we’re striving to get the development part of it right and truly open up the game for all and make it as accessible as possible. We’ll see the grow game in Ireland off the back of that.

“Tokyo is on our mind right now but looking towards Paris, it is only a three year turnaround and our ambition is to be there with both our Men’s and Women’s teams. We’re hugely excited for what’s ahead and know we can achieve all of these goals and ambitions in the years ahead.”

The post IRFU Want To ‘Leave a Legacy’ In 7s Programme appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/irfu-want-to-leave-a-legacy-in-7s-programme/feed 0 18326
IRFU Launch New Women’s Rugby Season Calendar https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/irfu-launch-new-womens-rugby-season-calendar-2021 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/irfu-launch-new-womens-rugby-season-calendar-2021#respond Mon, 19 Jul 2021 10:21:35 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=18156 The IRFU revealed a new season calendar for women’s rugby in Ireland on Monday morning as the sport emerges from the aftermath of COVID-19. The calendar will aim to focus on the continued growth of participation, development and profile of the game, through the celebration of rugby’s position as a game for all. With a […]

The post IRFU Launch New Women’s Rugby Season Calendar appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
The IRFU revealed a new season calendar for women’s rugby in Ireland on Monday morning as the sport emerges from the aftermath of COVID-19.

The calendar will aim to focus on the continued growth of participation, development and profile of the game, through the celebration of rugby’s position as a game for all.

With a packed calendar of events, from Canterbury Give It Try, which grows participation among younger players, to the Energia Women’s All-Ireland League and a packed international calendar across sevens and fifteens squads, 2021/22 is set to be the busiest season to date for women’s rugby.

IRFU Women’s Rugby Development Manager Amanda Greensmith welcomed the new calendar.

“It is fitting that as we all emerge from COVID-19, which had such a devastating impact on all sports, that we look forward to the return of an action-packed season, where there really is something for everyone that has space in their life to make more friends, have more fun and get fitter while doing it.

“Pre-Covid, our female domestic game programme was growing strongly with over 2,000 registered players, and with the new season, new promotional campaign and messaging we not only want to get all those people back, we want to demonstrate the warm welcome rugby has, to attract even more women and girls.”

To elevate the women’s game throughout the year a new communications and marketing campaign, #NothingLikeIt will support all IRFU women’s programmes and initiatives to bring an exciting, vibrant and focused approach to how the game is presented, across coaching, volunteering and playing.

The campaign will look to highlight the inclusivity of sport, rugby in this case, and show that difference is an important part of teams.

To mark the new season and launch the #NothingLikeIt creative campaign Ireland Captains Ciara Griffin and Lucy Mulhall deliver a manifesto for the women’s game, inspired by the research and feedback from those who love, play and develop the game.

Touching on the new communications and marketing programme, Communications Director Stephen McNamara said: “We worked for many months with Rothco on the development of a new platform and look and feel for our women’s programme, and then had to put it on the back burner due to Covid.

“However, a new season offers new opportunities which will be filled with #NothingLikeIt moments. We hope that this work can lift the women’s game to the next level.”

The post IRFU Launch New Women’s Rugby Season Calendar appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

]]>
https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/irfu-launch-new-womens-rugby-season-calendar-2021/feed 0 18156