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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.

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Nine Irish swimmers are set to compete in Tokyo across 14 events and will be in action in the newly built Tokyo Aquatics Centre from Saturday 24 July – Sunday 1 August 2021.

The strength and depth of Irish swimming has been on display over the past number of years, culminating this year with the ultimate qualification of six swimmers who have achieved the FINA A time across their events.

Jon Rudd, National Performance Director and Team Leader for the Games is excited to see the swimmers in action.

He said: “The standard of swimming in Ireland is growing, and without all these athletes striving for improvement, we would not be where we are today, fielding the largest ever swim team for Ireland.”

25-year-old Darragh Greene from Longford is one of the nine swimmers travelling to Tokyo.

Coached by Ben Higson, who has two other swimmers making the trip to Japan, Greene will compete in 100m and 200m breaststroke events.

It will be the first Olympic Games for the first Irishman to swim the 100m breaststroke in under one minute.

The Irish senior record holder for both events said that “the Olympics have been something that [he has] dreamt about for a long time, and it is a real honour to be officially selected to compete for Team Ireland in Tokyo.”

Other swimmers on the team include record-holders such as Mona McSharry and Tipperary native Finn McGeever.

Team Ireland Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020, Tricia Heberle, is excited by the large number of qualified swimmers.

She believes it’s especially encouraging seeing the number of FINA A standard swimmers qualifying.

Heberle concluded: “The past year has been tough for everyone, but seeing how our swimmers handled that first lockdown, coming out of it producing personal bests and national records, in challenging circumstances has been a true test of resilience.”

Team Ireland Swim Team For Tokyo 2020

Darragh Greene

Danielle Hill

Brendan Hyland

Finn McGeever

Jack McMillan

Mona McSharry

Shane Ryan

Ellen Walshe

Daniel Wiffen

The post Team Ireland Names Largest National Swim Team For Tokyo 2020 appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

13 players will travel to Tokyo after the side qualified for the Olympics when they won the Olympic repechage on June 20th.

Captain Billy Dardis will lead his side out under the tutelage of IRFU Director of Sevens Rugby Anthony Eddy.

“Having the honour of being selected to captain Ireland at the Olympics is special and I don’t think I’ll come to realise the enormity of it for some time to come,” Dardis said.

“Going to Tokyo, we as a squad are representing so much more than ourselves and our families, but Irish Sport and Irish Rugby on the biggest sporting stage.

“To lead this group out at the Olympics will be an extremely proud moment.”

The team will compete in Pool C, facing South Africa, USA and Kenya with a top-two finish in the pool guaranteeing the side a spot in the quarter-finals.

If they finish as one of the two best third-placed teams, they will also qualify.

Once-capped Ireland U20s back and 2019 Love Island winner Greg O’Shea is also one of the 13 headed to Tokyo as part of Team Ireland.

Greg previously competed in Youth Olympics as a sprinter and relishes the opportunity to represent his country at an Olympic level once more.

“The Olympics is the pinnacle of sport, so to represent Ireland at the Games is a huge honour and it means even more to be there playing alongside my mates,” said O’Shea.

“All the hard work and sacrifice has been worth it and now I just cannot wait to get out there and play.”

Anthony Eddy has been head of the IRFU Sevens programme since its inception in 2015.

The New Zealander will be in charge of the programme and the side for its very first Olympic venture.

“We are delighted to be representing Ireland at the Tokyo Olympics,” Eddy noted.

“The squad has worked extremely hard for this opportunity, and they will be determined to perform well and represent their country with distinction.

“Very few rugby players get the opportunity to play rugby for their country at the biggest sporting event in the world and this squad of players should be very proud of their achievement and they will be the first of many more to come.”

Team Ireland Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020 Tricia Heberle is excited to see the Sevens side in action in Tokyo.

She said that their path to qualification in Monaco was exhilarating, a path that took them past 2016 Olympians France.

Heberle added: “We are really looking forward to seeing what they can do now in Tokyo.”

Click here to see the athletes Team Ireland are taking to Tokyo.

TEAM IRELAND RUGBY SEVENS TEAM:

Jordan Conroy

Billy Dardis

Ian Fitzpatrick

Foster Horan

Jack Kelly

Terry Kennedy

Adam Leavy

Hugo Lennox

Harry McNulty

Gavin Mullin

Greg O’Shea

Mark Roche

Bryan Mollen

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Tanya Watson qualified for the Women’s 10m platform and will be one half of the Irish Olympic diving team.

Rio 2016 finalist Ollie Dingley will be going to his second Olympic games and will compete in the Men’s Springboard 3m event.

“Firstly, I’d like to say thank you to everyone who made this possible. It’s a real privilege to represent Ireland at my second Olympic Games,” said Dingley.

“I feel very lucky that we can get to go and compete at the Olympics after what has been a very uncertain time for everybody.

“This will be my third competition in over two years, and I really just can’t wait to get out there and compete and do my best.”

19-year-old Tanya Watson will be looking forward to this summer’s Olympics too.

The Southampton-born diver qualified after getting into the Top 18 of the FINA Diving World Cup in Tokyo.

Team Ireland has also made history by sending more than one diver to the Olympics for the first time, according to Swim Ireland Performance Director John Rudd.

“We’re all thrilled to see this talented team of two selected to compete in diving at the Games, particularly as this is the very first time we’ve ever fielded more than one diver at an Olympics – as well as Tanya having the honour of being our first-ever female Olympic diver….we can look forward to some exciting days of competition in the Olympic weeks ahead,” said Rudd.

Tanya progressed from Ireland’s Youth Olympic team of 2018 and has added more great performances and accolades to her name since reaching the final in Buenos Aires.

28-year-old Ollie Dingley has a notable amount of accolades too, including the Irish record for the 1m and 3m Springboard.

Team Ireland Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020, Tricia Heberle, is excited to see the divers in action.

Heberle said: “We know it has been a challenging qualifying pathway and we are very excited to support them both.”

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The national side will be competing to earn a spot at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

The tournament will take place from June 19th to June 20th in Stade Louis II.

Head coach Anthony Eddy selected a 14-man squad for the tournament that is filled with experience.

He spoke about his selections after the announcement on Friday.

#Ireland7s

The Ireland squad for next week's 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗥𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗴𝗲 has been named, with Anthony Eddy announcing an experienced 14-player panel for Monaco

Full details: https://t.co/S9QJn3n1JK#IrishRugby #ShoulderToShoulder @TritonLake pic.twitter.com/kzyL4Ksu33

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) June 11, 2021

Ireland’s most-capped sevens player Harry McNulty will return to the side.

La Giltinis, McNulty’s club, granted the Major League Rugby player the opportunity to play international level sevens this summer.

McNulty comes back into a side that has been through the highs and lows of recent years together.

Billy Dardis captains the side once again as he tries to take the team to the Olympics.

Furthermore, two uncapped players are part of the squad.

Gavin Mullin and Aaron Sexton will earn their first caps this weekend after being with the squad for an extended period.

Eddy also picked top try-scorer Jordan Conroy.

The Tullamore speedster will be a dangerous offensive weapon for the Irish and will want to extend his try-scoring record.

The outstanding Terry Kennedy is also part of the 14-man squad.

Anthony Eddy’s side will begin the tournament in Pool A alongside Samoa, Tonga, Zimbabwe and Mexico, per Irish Rugby.

The team will play Zimbabwe, Tonga and Mexico on June 19th and Samoa on June 20th.

Games beyond the group stage will also take place on June 20th.

Every side in Pool A will be gunning for their first appearance at the Olympic games.

Sevens heavyweights Samoa is the toughest challenge in Pool A for Anthony Eddy’s side on paper.

The Samoans came closer than Ireland to qualification in 2016 but fell to the same foe in Spain at the final hurdle.

They will want to right the wrongs of 2016 and reach the Olympics for the first time.

Led by the legendary Brian Lima, the side will be hungry for success after a year out.

France provides competition for the Irish if they are to get through the pool stage.

The France national sevens team has already played at the Olympic level in 2016 and will want to do so again.

Jérôme Daret will want to take his side to Tokyo this summer.

Ireland may have to get past Daret’s side if they are to reach their goal.

Olympic qualification would be a massive achievement for the Irish sevens programme, but can it be done?

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Victory at this tournament would mean the Ireland Sevens side earn a spot at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

The New Zealand native chose an experienced squad and two uncapped players around the squad for an extended period.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Eddy noted the importance of experience for an event like the Olympic repechage.

“They’ve been part of this program for a number of years – they know what these sorts of tournaments are like and how important it is to make sure you manage each game but also perform and win each game,” said Eddy.

The Sevens head coach added that the side’s experience of missing out before and bouncing back will prove important.

#Ireland7s

"It would be fantastic for the IRFU and for Irish Rugby in general to have a team qualify for the Olympics. We'll be doing our very best."

All eyes on Monaco for the #IreM7s as they chase a ticket to Tokyo #ShoulderToShoulder #IrishRugby pic.twitter.com/LJ7F8PwSVL

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) June 12, 2021

Eddy also spoke about the threats that his side faces in Monaco this weekend seeking Olympic qualification.

The Ireland boss singled out the teams in the competition that have World Series experience.

“Samoa are always a challenge.

“Teams on the other side of the draw – Uganda, Chile. Hong Kong, you know we played Hong Kong to qualify for the World Series and that’s not an easy game either, but those sort of teams are always going to provide a good challenge.”

France was also mentioned in the list.

The French are the other European side involved in the 10-strong tournament and Ireland has had some close games with them in recent years.

The most recent match resulted in a 19-12 defeat for the Irish side in July 2019.

Eddy says that if a game against France occurs, his side must be more “clinical” than they were in their last meeting.

It will be the first time an Irish rugby side will be at the Olympics if they are successful.

Eddy thinks that it is a great opportunity to grow the game of rugby on the island.

“[It would be] a huge achievement to have an Irish rugby team representing their country at the Olympic games.

“It will give the 7s program enormous exposure but also I think it will great for the game of rugby in Ireland to have your rugby team representing their country at the Olympic games.

“The Olympic games is the pinnacle of [sports]”

The Monaco Repechage begins on June 19^th with Ireland facing Zimbabwe in their opener.

To see the squad and Irish fixtures for the tournament, click here.

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Mr McNulty signed for the LA Giltinis ahead of the 2021 Major League Rugby season.

The 48-time Ireland Sevens star rejoined the squad after the Irish Rugby Football Union and his club reached an agreement.

To clarify, the agreement allows McNulty to re-join the national sevens side for its Olympic qualification bid.

Ireland Sevens Head Coach Anthony Eddy noted that the IRFU approached the LA Giltinis to see if this was possible.

Mr Eddy said: “We approached him, we also approached the club there in LA and they were happy to release Harry for the Olympics which is fantastic and very nice of them to do.”

As a result, McNulty will be part of the squad for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo if the side is victorious in Monaco.

This will cap off a fantastic career in the Ireland Sevens programme for the former Munster academy man.

The Bahrain-born star’s club in America saw this as a valuable opportunity for him.

However, Anthony Eddy noted that the arrangement is not permanent and that his contract with the Los Angeles club is still intact.

“Hopefully, he gets what he deserves,” concluded Eddy.

McNulty’s move to America joined part of a long list of Ireland Sevens stars that were able to make the switch to rugby union.

For context, Leinster’s Will Connors and Hugo Keenan as well as Ulster’s Robert Baloucoune are among those who made the switch previously.

Eddy sees this as one of the successful aspects of the Irish Sevens programme.

The rugby coach thinks sevens is a great platform to develop players for their rugby union careers.

Furthermore, he thinks it is great that the country’s rugby union side is seeing the benefits of the sevens programme.

“There will be plenty more to come in the future.”

The full Irish squad and fixture list for the Monaco Repechage is available here.

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RTE Sport report that they will hold further meetings and discussions which will involve the option of delaying the Olympics from it’s original start date of July 24th. They did however state a complete cancelling of the worldwide event will not solve any problems or help anyone. In a statement they said, “Therefore, cancellation is not on the agenda,”. They went on state that these talks will be over the next month and a decision will be taken then.

They said they will engage in scenario planning in the talks. The statement said, “These scenarios relate to modifying existing operational plans for the Games to go ahead on 24 July 2020, and also for changes to the start date of the Games”. Thomas Bach who is the President of the IOC addressed athletes also. He said, “I think I can feel with those among you who consider the situation to be unsatisfactory,”. Furthermore, he said that a statement on the postponement of the Olympics today could not determine a new date. He said, “A decision about a postponement today could not determine a new date for the Olympic Games because of the uncertain developments in both directions: an improvement… in a number of countries… or a deteriorating situation in other countries.”

Covid 19 is quickly spreading across Europe. Things are going from bad to worse especially in Italy, France and Germany, with England not far behind. People obviously need to be sticking to social distancing. Of course if things start to gradually get better which they will in time then the games will go ahead. But as of now there is no chance of the games going ahead in my opinion.

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