A depleted Munster side will begin their European journey in Coventry when they walk into the Wasps nest on Sunday.
Johann Van Graan’s team looks vastly different to what would have been expected of them before they got stuck in South Africa.
On top of this, it will be Munster’s first 80 minutes of competitive rugby since their defeat to Ospreys on October 23.
The Stags will face the Wasps, who have played four games since October ended but are yet to find a win.
Lee Blackett’s side only have three wins to their name after nine games but are seen as a bigger obstacle to overcome due to Munster’s situation.
Wasps reached the Gallagher Premiership final just two seasons ago, losing by only three points to Exeter Chiefs, who won a league and European double that year.
However, they have failed to reach the heights that they did in the time since then and their measly 23 carries per line break average this season does not exactly scream attacking intent.
Their defence has not been impressive either – in 2019-20, they conceded an average of 22.59 points per game in the regular season in the Premiership but this year, the number sits at 26.55 after just nine games, showing a decrease in performance.
However, 18 players are listed as unavailable for Wasps through injury this weekend, and one can expect them to improve when that number goes down but it appears this Munster side may play Wasps at a perfect time.
Munster, on the other hand, can be analysed for days but their team for Sunday’s 3:15 pm match is an unknown entity.
Five players have been handed their Munster debuts, including Ireland U20 number eight Daniel Okeke.
The team is a mix of youth, experience and players yet to get solid game time under their belts.
Teams
Wasps
15 Marcus Watson (59)
14 Zach Kibirige (56)
13 Michael Le Bourgeois (65)
12 Jimmy Gopperth (136)
11 Josh Bassett (158)
10 Jacob Umaga (58)
9 Sam Wolstenholme (22)
1 Tom West (57)
2 Dan Frost (5)
3 Biyi Alo (22)
4 Sebastian de Chaves (5)
5 Elliott Stooke (9)
6 Alfie Barbeary (16)
7 Brad Shields (61) (c)
8 Tom Willis (49)
Replacements
16 Gabriel Oghre (53)
17 Robin Hislop (9)
18 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (53)
19 Tim Cardall (37)
20 Nizaam Carr (63)
21 Thomas Young (147)
22 Will Porter (37)
23 Francois Hougaard (4)
Munster
(15-9, 1-8) Patrick Campbell; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Keith Earls; Joey Carbery, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Scott Buckley, James French; Eoin O’Connor, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (C), John Hodnett, Daniel Okeke.
Replacements: Declan Moore, Mark Donnelly, Roman Salanoa, John Forde, Conor Moloney, Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler, Jonathan Wren.
Odds
Wasps 1/5
Draw 25/1
Munster 7/2
Where To Watch
The match will be available to watch on BT Sport 2 and beIN Sports with coverage starting at 3 pm.
Former Munster fly-half JJ Hanrahan will wear the number 10 shirt for the French outfit hosting the Irish province.
The likes Peceli Yato and Damian Penaud also appear in the starting XV but four players miss out due to Covid – one confirmed case, one close contact and two unvaccinated players.
Teams
Clermont Auvergne
Ulster
(15-9) Mike Lowry, Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, John Cooney;
(1-8) Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor (Capt.), Kieran Treadwell, Marcus Rea, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen;
Replacements: John Andrew, Jack McGrath, Ross Kane, Sam Carter, Greg Jones, Sean Reidy, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore.
Odds
Clermont Auvergne 4/9
Draw 17/1
Ulster 9/5
Where To Watch
The game kicks off at 5:300 pm and will be shown live on BT Sport 3 – coverage starts at 5:15 pm.
Leinster begin their European campaign this season when they welcome Bath to the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon at 3:15 pm.
The two sides are in contrasting form heading into the tie – Leinster have only lost one game from seven while Bath are yet to win a game, losing nine times in a row to start their season.
The Irish provincial outfit’s form is down to the synergy they have nurtured over the years, and now with a full squad at their disposal at all times of the year, they are reaping the rewards of their past rotations.
The forwards are currently outscoring the backs by 21 tries to nine for the Pro14 champions, but are doing so because they are joining attacking phases in wide positions – for example, hooker Dan Sheehan’s try against Connacht.
Bath, on the other hand, have leaked tries and it’s clear that their chemistry is not up to scratch, especially when holes appear in the defensive line several times in every game that they have played.
They have conceded 297 points so far this season – an average of 33 per game – and 142 of those points came inside two games against Gloucester and Saracens, but Leinster have never scored more than 56 against their upcoming opponent.
However, Bath are good at breaking through opposition lines themselves and their attack has benefitted from this – their 18 carries per line break is joint-third-highest in the Gallagher Premiership.
Three Leinster players have contracted Covid-19 and will be unavailable to line out for their team as a result but a strong team was named nonetheless.
Six Bath players will earn their Champions Cup debuts on this season’s opening weekend.
Teams
Leinster
15. Hugo Keenan (35)
14. Jordan Larmour (66)
13. Garry Ringrose (91)
12. Ciarán Frawley (41)
11. James Lowe (56)
10. Ross Byrne (110)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (105)
1. Andrew Porter (81)
2. Rónan Kelleher (29)
3, Tadhg Furlong (117)
4. Ross Molony (122)
5. Ryan Baird (33)
6. Rhys Ruddock (195) CAPTAIN 7. Josh van der Flier (103)
8. Caelan Doris (44)
Replacements:
16. Dan Sheehan (18)
17. Cian Healy (237)
18. Michael Ala’alatoa (6)
19. Devin Toner (270)
20. Max Deegan (70)
21. Luke McGrath (157)
22. Jimmy O’Brien (37)
23. Tommy O’Brien (12)
Bath
Odds
Leinster 1/200
Draw 70/1
Bath 35/1
Where To Watch
The game will be televised on BT Sport and beIN Sports. Coverage starts at 3 pm.
Connacht v Stade Francais in the Heineken Champions Cup kicks off at 1pm Sunday, TV Coverage – The match is live on BT Sport 3 and Luke Pearse from England is the ref with David Rose on TMO duty.
Connacht are without Paul Boyle, Bundee Aki and Ultan Dillane. Stade have made ten changes to the team that won on Sunday. Expect a Connacht victory.
Head Coach Andy Friend is excited by the impending return of Heineken Champions Cup rugby in front of spectators:
“Sunday is the start of a really exciting opportunity for us to make an impact in the Champions Cup. Knockout rugby in the competition is the aim so a win this weekend is vital if we want to get there, albeit against a very strong Stade Francais team. There’s been some special occasions at our home in this competition so with a strong Sportsground crowd behind us it’s set up to be a great occasion”.
Connacht v Stade Francais
(1) This will be the first time that Connacht and Stade Francas have met in European competition, Stade will be the 24th different French outfit that Connacht have faced in either the Challenge Cup or Heineken Champions Cup
(2) Connacht are on a four game losing streak in the Heineken Champions Cup, their worst run since losing their opening games in the competition (2011/12)
(3) Connacht have won 14 of their last 17 home games in European competition, however, two of their three-time did come in their most recent two games at The Sportsground.
(4) Connacht averaged the most metres gained (575), most defenders beaten (34) of any side although their tackle success rate of 77% was the lowest in the competition.
(5) Stade de Francis are playing in the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time since 2015/16, which was also they played an away game against an Irish side in Europe, losing 13-26 to Munster back in January 2016.
Other facts about the Heineken Cup 2021/22
• The clubs in this season’s HeinekenChampions Cup have a total of 38 European titles between them.
• Each club will play four matches during the pool stage, two at home and two away with the eight highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualifying for the Round of 16.
• The clubs ranked from nine to 11 in each of the pools will qualify for the Round of 16 of the EPCR Challenge Cup.
• The HeinekenChampions Cup Round of 16 matches will be played over two legs with the four highest-ranked clubs in each pool at home in the second leg. The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played over one leg with the final scheduled for the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille on Saturday 28 May.
• It was decided to extend the First Registration date to Wednesday (8 December) to allow all participating clubs to supplement their squads with an unlimited number of previously unregistered players.
• Of the players registered for the tournament, Leicester Tigers’ Richard Wigglesworth has made the most appearances with 93 to date – 69 for Saracens and 24 for Sale Sharks. Cian Healy of Leinster Rugby is next on 90 appearances.
• Leinster’s injured captain, Johnny Sexton, who is fourth on the tournament’s all-time points scoring list behind Ronan O’Gara, Stephen Jones and Owen Farrell, needs just one point to reach 700 career points.
• If available and selected, Cardiff Rugby’s Rhys Priestland and Bradley Davies of the Ospreys could both make their 50th tournament appearances in Round 1.
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions Limerick have made history as 12 of their players have been awarded 2021 PwC All-Stars for their performances this season, the most any county has ever received in any code.
No other county has ever reached double figures in the final 15 in the 50-year history of the awards.
Limerick beat the record that they equalled last year – one that the Kilkenny hurlers achieved three teams in 1983, 2000 and 2008, and the Kerry and Dublin footballers also accomplished in 1981, and 1977 and 2020.
Kilkenny goalkeeper Eoin Murphy wins his third All-Star and the Cats’ 189th ever, while Waterford full-back Connor Prunty gets a spot in front of him.
The rest of the team is filled with Treaty talent including Séan Finn, Kyle Hayes and Cian Lynch but right corner-forward sees a deviation from the trend – Clare star Tony Kelly appears for his third career award.
Uachtarán CLG Larry McCarthy said: “In the fullness of time, the achievement of getting club and county games played in the midst of a harrowing pandemic will rank as one of our most significant achievements. It was a collective effort, and enormous credit is due to our players for their dedication and diligence.
“This PwC All-Star hurling selection represents the cream of a memorable crop in 2021. I salute all of those who have been chosen in this final 15 and know that after the year you have had it will be extra special and celebrated by your families and clubs.”
Tom Parsons, GPA CEO said: “To all the hurling nominees, congratulations on making it to the shortlist and to each winner, your selection is fully merited given the exceptional individual performances you produced in 2021.
“You lit up what was another tough year and brought joy and memorable moments to millions. Indeed, to every player who lined out in 2021, thank you.”
In light of the on-going pandemic and its restrictions, a decision was taken not to proceed with the traditional presentation banquet.
However, the event will still be showcased live by RTE 1 television in a special programme this Friday at 7 pm.
The PwC All-Stars for Football 2021 will be announced live on the night of the awards which also see the naming of the PwC GAA/GPA Players of the Year in hurling and football as well as the Young Players of the Year in both codes.
You have to feel for Mark Williams. Having won the British Open earlier this season, there was a sense that the three-time world champion was beginning to find his best form again. However, a recurrence of gout, which has troubled the Welshman in recent years, along with the ill-effects of contracting COVID-19, have left Williams struggling to win matches.
The latest setback came in the second round of the UK Championship, where Williams fell asleep in his chair en route to losing 6-5 to veteran Anthony Hamilton. The 45-year-old, who has been suffering from severe fatigue since having covid, was understandably left embarrassed by the incident.
“Thirty years as a professional, that’s the first time I’ve ever fell asleep in the chair,” Williams said. “It was 3-2 and I was out. My head went down, and I woke up and I didn’t have a clue where I was for about five seconds. It was a bit embarrassing but I was just shattered.
“I need to be playing in the mornings really, or afternoons. The more the day goes on the more tired I get. It’s disappointing but there’s a lot worse people that have had Covid than I’ve had it, so I’m one of the lucky ones really.”
Through a combination of illness and fatigue, Williams is now pretty far off the pace as far as his game is concerned. While he was somewhat in the running in the Betfair snooker betting odds ahead of the UK Championship, the reality is that the Welshman has been considerably weakened by his various ailments of late.
As if things weren’t already going against the Welshman, the nature of Hamilton’s win saw the ‘Sheriff of Pottingham’ benefit from a huge slice of fortune. In the midst of the 70 break which won Hamilton the match, he outrageously fluked a red into the yellow pocket after it had wobbled in the jaws of the right middle. When your luck’s out, your luck’s out, and it seems like Williams just can’t catch a break at the moment.
There are plenty of tournaments still to come, and the fact that Williams earned £100,000 for winning the British Open means that he will in all likelihood be present for all three events in the Cazoo Series, which are based on the one-year ranking list — the World Grand Prix, the Players Championship and the Tour Championship. Those are the kind of tournaments that will motivate Williams to rediscover his best form.
It’s easy to forget that before the 2017-18 season, which saw Williams win three ranking events including the World Championship, he had been in the doldrums for some time and was considering quitting the game. His resurgence has been one of the most incredible stories in snooker over the last few years, and it’s only natural that he experiences another decline as he gets older.
One thing’s for sure, Williams will not be too bothered by a few early exits or tournaments missed. As far as the world’s top snooker players go, the Welshman is one of the most laid-back characters you could come across. Right now it might feel like things have been going against him, and he might not be highly fancied in the snooker betting tips today, but his calm and composed demeanour means a return to form could be just around the corner.
If you’re thinking about placing a bet on horse racing and are wondering if you can make money from horse racing, you’ve come to the right place. We will be answering the million-dollar question. While there’s no magic formula to success, it’s equally frustrating to find a reliable strategy for betting in horse racing that helps you generate a consistent profit.
What makes things worse is that when you find a good system that helps you win big in horse racing, you may find that it only works in specific races. That means you will be placing several bets and staking thousands of dollars, and we know that the more bets you place, you risk wiping out any profits you have made so far.
Is It Possible to Make Money from Horse Race Betting?
It doesn’t come as a surprise to learn that people and punters all want to know one thing “Can you make money from horse racing?” and the short answer is: Yes, you can. There’s a lot of money to be made from horse racing betting, but only if you’re willing to make efforts, which means knowing how to read bets or investing in a tipping service for horse racing like Neds that has a proven track record of success.
That would mean devoting most of your time to crafting and developing a horse racing betting strategy to beat the bookmakers and working with a horse racing betting service that does all the work for you. Whatever method you choose to employ, your end goal remains the same, to be successful in horse race betting and make a lot of money.
Even though it’s possible to create a winning strategy for betting in horse racing that is based around laying, backing, and matched betting, only 2% of punters have made a living from horse racing. Those numbers don’t fill you with confidence, but it is possible to make money from the sport.
The Secret to Making Money from Horse Racing
When you adopt a strategy for horse racing based around backing, trading, and laying, it’s vital to treat your funds like other financial investments. That means assessing how to minimise and spread your risk, like in the stock market, and find a way to consistently generate profits and achieve steady growth instead of aiming for get-rich-quick schemes.
Now that we have cleared most of your reservations about making money from horse racing, let’s reveal the secrets to helping you achieve your goals. Here’s what you must do:
Find a Winning System
The key to success in horse racing betting is finding a winning system that consistently provides you results. That’s easier said than done, but you won’t be doing most of the heavy lifting when you’re working with a tipping service.
They will do all the research, and their experts will have tried-and-trusted methods that will help guarantee results. You will be paying a monthly fee, but their advice will allow you to build a winning system for horse racing.
Backing to Win
You should try backing to win on based horses, whose form reflects that they should have shorter odds than those quoted in the market. It’s a good way to win large profits, especially if you are backing a favourite outsider with long odds to win, which is known as a ‘value’ bet.
When you subscribe for betting tips, you will also get expert analysis on various horses with the best chances of crossing the post in the first place. That exponentially increases your chances of winning big when placing your bets in horse racing.
Lay to Lose
There are other ways to make money in horse racing apart from backing the winners. You can even make money if you lay the odds for weak favourites on different betting sites and platforms. Several lay systems that are profitable tend to focus on jumps racing, turf racing, and all-weather events. They have a fixed-liability approach, which is designed to help them keep their profits at maximum levels.
Trading
The most dependable and consistent way to make money from horse racing involves trading on trading platforms. When you know the sport, you can learn how to effectively trade and enjoy profits, around $200 per day. That’s not a bad amount of money you can make in a day by betting on horse racing.
Conclusion
Not everyone who bets in horse racing will make money, and most people tend to lose entire fortunes when gambling on the sport. Always be careful when betting on horse racing, and ensure that you’re only betting with money you can afford to lose.
Signing up with a horse racing tipping service does improve your chances of winning as you can take advantage of a reliable gambling system that shares a strategy that helps you make profits and make money from horse racing.
The Leinster forwards have started this season off in fantastic fashion with their work evident in all areas of the pitch.
What’s most interesting about the provincial pack’s season so far is their attacking output – as it stands, they’re outscoring the club’s backs by two to one (21-9).
The reasons for this involve several factors – for example, where they are positioned and how they operate set-pieces.
Hooker Dan Sheehan’s latest effort against Connacht underlines how forwards have developed in today’s game – the number two received the ball out wide and stepped Mack Hansen to get a clear run to the try line. Anyone that used Sky Bet sign up offer to back Leinster -30 collected the 5/1.
The multi-faceted ability of their forwards has only made Leinster a more dangerous threat to their opponents and fullback Hugo Keenan is happy to see his teammates perform so well.
“It’s brilliant – sure they’re scoring our tries for us,” Keenan exclaimed. “Dan Sheehan will be taking our jobs soon out on the wing.
“It’s great to have that talent in the pack. There’s some serious athletes coming through now and it definitely adds a different dynamic to the team and we’re lucky to have it.”
“The list goes on of lads that are in that category as well – it doesn’t happen just for no reason – it’s the work they do in training, the work they do in the gym and, yeah, it’s great to see that it’s paying off now.”
Keenan has noted that the growth of forwards such as Sheehan and flanker Josh Van Der Flier has changed the way he approaches an attack.
Van Der Flier has been dubbed ‘Van Der Flier 2.0’ in recent times as the Wicklow forward has greatly improved his ball-carrying ability in the last year, offering a strong threat with the ball in his hands as well as at the breakdown.
“He’s doing incredible, isn’t he? He’s such a hard worker, you see it in training everyday – he’s a bit of a student game, isn’t he?
“He’s improving so much and any feedback he gets from coaches, he’s so good at taking it on board and learning from it. He’s finding himself out in the wide channels a bit more so he’s working with the outside backs a bit and it’s paying dividends, isn’t it? He’s playing great rugby.”
Several Leinster forwards tend to find themselves in a wide position on phased attacking play, with number eight Jack Conan and hookers Sheehan and Rónan Kelleher being the usual suspects in this case.
In particular, the back row as a unit are known to find themselves in these sort of attacking positions – the likes of Caelan Doris and Dan Leavy can also be seen out wide on occasion.
The development only follows the trend in Leinster of mobile forwards, with those already mentioned serving as fine examples of what to expect from one.
Leinster forwards coach Robin McBryde described them as ‘modern-day forwards’ when speaking about the attacking impact several Leinster pack members had for Ireland last month.
Keenan, who has played full back for Ireland since making his debut last year, has said that he finds himself getting on the shoulder of the Leinster forwards more often.
“I think it’s not just [Van Der Flier], it’s about everyone flooding those channels when there’s a bit of a break.
“I think it was Mike Ala’alaatoa who got on the shoulder of Josh and then Ringer (Garry Ringrose) on Mike’s shoulders.
“That’s always positive to see and it’s something that Felipe (Contepomi) would be big on – winning those races and getting into that space.
“I think it is something that [Van Der Flier’s] improved and people are naturally trying to run off him now but it’s across the board as well.”
2022 WDF Lakeside World Darts Championships draws confirmed, Wayne Warren will open his campaign against either Lee Shewan or Jordan Brooks.
Defending women’s champion Mikuru Suzuki will face former British Classic Champion Laura Turner in her opening match of the tournament, with the winner facing fourth seed Aileen de Graaf.
Three-time World Champion Martin Adams faces the prospect of a tough first-round tie against one of the two UK-based qualifiers from Sunday, in Jarred Cole. Whilst number one seed Brian Raman will face either Johnny Haines or the United States’ Leonard Gates.
In the women’s draw, three-time World Champion Anastasia Dobromyslova will face the winner of Paula Jacklin versus Rhian O’Sullivan. Meanwhile number one seed and three-time Lakeside finalist Deta Hedman will face either Lorraine Hyde or Australia’s Tori Kewish.
The tournament will begin on the 1st January at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, with finals day set to see the men’s, women’s, boy’s, and girl’s finals take place on the iconic Lakeside stage.
2022 Lakeside WDF World Championships – Men’s draw
Brian Raman – BEL (1) Vs Leonard Gates (USA) / Johnny Haines (ENG)
Antony Allen – ENG (16) Vs Martin Adams (ENG) / Jarred Cole (ENG)
Luke Littler – ENG (8) Vs Ben Hazel (ENG) / Haupai Puha (NZ)
Richard Veenstra – NED (9) Vs Andreas Harrysson (SWE) / Laszlo Kadar (ROU)
Ross Montgomery – SCO (4) Vs Aaron Turner (ENG) / Jim McEwan (SCO)
Michael Warburton – WAL (13) Vs Mark Graham (WAL) / Dave Prins (ENG)
Neil Duff – NIR (5) Vs Paul Hogan (ENG) / Justin Thompson (AUS)
Nick Fullwell – ENG (12) Vs Mark Barilli (SCO) / Rory Hansen (CAN)
Thibault Tricole – FRA (2) Vs Connor Scutt (ENG) / Shawn Burt (CAN)
Alexsey Kadochnikov – RDF (15) Vs Steve Hine (ENG) / Kevin Luke (USA)
Andy Baetens – BEL (7) Vs Dave Parletti (ENG) / Shaun McDonald (SCO)
Scott Marsh – ENG (10) Vs James Richardson (ENG) / Sebastian Steyer (POL)
Wayne Warren – WAL (3) Vs Lee Shewan (ENG) / Jordan Brooks (ENG)
Cameron Menzies – SCO (14) Vs Ian Jones (ENG) / David Cameron (CAN)
James Hurrell – ENG (6) Vs John Desreumaux (BEL) / Mario Vandenbogaerde (BEL)
Jules van Dongen – USA (11) Vs Francesco Raschini (ITA) / Ryan de Vreede (NED)
2022 Lakeside WDF World Championships – Women’s draw
Deta Hedman – ENG (1) Vs Lorraine Hyde (SCO) / Tori Kewish (AUS)
Lorraine Winstanley – ENG (8) Vs Vicky Pruim (SWE) / Desi Mercer (NZ)
Aileen de Graaf – NED (4) Vs Laura Turner (ENG) / Mikuru Suzuki (JPN)
Beau Greaves – ENG (5) Vs Paula Murphy (USA) / Veronika Ihasz (HUN)
Anastasia Dobromyslova – RDF (2) VS Paula Jacklin (ENG) / Rhian O’Sullivan (WAL)
Maria O’Brien – ENG (7) Vs Amanda Harwood (ENG) / Marjolein Noijens (NED)
Anca Zijlstra – NED (3) Vs Corrine Hammond (AUS) / Darlene van Sleeuwen (CAN)
Kirsty Hutchinson – ENG (6) Vs Suzanne Smith (ENG) / Elena Shulgina (RDF)
2022 Lakeside WDF World Championships – Boy’s semi-finals draw
Luis Liptow (GER) Vs Bradly Roes (NED)
Leighton Bennett (ENG) Vs Charlie Large (ENG)
2022 Lakeside WDF World Championships – Girl’s Final
Eleanor Cairns (ENG) Vs Wibke Riemann (GER)
The schedule for which matches are played on which days and in what session will be announced as soon as they are finalised with our partners at Eurosport.
Winter Olympics – Beijing 2022 – List of possible Irish athletes that might make the games. It takes place in Beijing from 4-20 February 2022 and Ireland has a chance of qualifying its largest team to date.
With the Winter Olympic Games just 65 days away, Irish athletes are in a period of intense competition around the world competing for the Olympic spots on offer. Athletes from ten sports are competing with chances of achieving qualification places in their events for Ireland. Ireland first sent a team to the Winter Olympics in 1992, Albertville, and since then has competed in seven Games, with a total of 32 Winter Olympians in the twenty years of competition.
The Winter Olympic Games offers a special opportunity to engage with the wider Irish family, with many of the Olympic hopefuls coming from the greater diaspora, with many of the athletes currently training and living in countries such as Norway, France, the USA and Australia, where winter sports are more prevalent due to access to snow.
For Beijing 2022 there are three main venues, with most of the Irish focus based in the mountainous areas. Beijing will host the skating events, and Zhangjiakou and Yanqing host the skiing, snowboarding, and sliding events. As with Tokyo 2020 all participants at the Olympic Games will be subject to stringent measures to ensure that the competition conditions are as safe as possible, with Playbooks outlining the framework for how these will be applied.
The Beijing 2022 Games offer an opportunity for our community to connect with athletes and sports that are not ordinarily in the Irish mainstream, and for two weeks to immerse themselves in adrenalin fueled exciting sports, while meeting the Irish athletes for whom these sports are a way of life. Plans are already underway for the OFI Dare to Believe schools programme to run a Road to Beijing activation in the new year. This will bring the Winter Olympic Games to school children right around Ireland.
The following list groups some of the athletes, at this stage of qualification, who are most in contention to represent the final team in February next year.
ALPINE SKIING
Team Ireland is on track to qualify one female spot and one or two male spots in the Alpine Skiing events. For the women’s place, 2018 Olympian Tess Arbez, whose Irish roots are in Carlow, is the front runner for the spot, with young USA based athletes Emma Ryan (Dublin and Roscommon) and Elle Murphy (Dublin) also contesting this spot.
In the men’s event Skibbereen may have an athlete to cheer for with Jack Gower having recently declared for Ireland, his late grandmother was born in Dublin and raised in the West Cork town renowned for their rowing prowess. Also seeking qualification is Dubliner Cormac Comerford, Australia based Alec Scott and Winter Youth Olympian Matt Ryan, whose sister Emma Ryan is targeting the women’s event. Their father is from Dublin and mother from Roscommon.
Cross-country Skiing
Pyeongchang Winter Olympian Thomas Maloney Westgaard has already accumulated enough qualification points for the Beijing Winter Games, and will compete in the 15km event in Beijing 2022. Westgaard’s mother hails from Galway, and met his Norwegian father whilst on holiday, before moving to a small fishing island in Norway. This event is one of the oldest winter sports, and is an endurance sport, often compared to running on ice.
Freestyle Skiing
Brendan Newby, better known as Bubba, competed for Team Ireland at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics in this event, and is on the cusp of achieving qualification once more. The Cork born athlete is based in the USA where he competes in the exciting halfpipe event.
Luge
The entire Irish Luge Federation is founded based on the drive and ambition of Elsa Desmond, whose paternal grandparents are from Cavan and Cork. The UK based athlete has recently qualified as a doctor, and should she qualify for Beijing 2022, she begins work just days after her event! Luge is an event where the athlete lies on their back on a sled while sliding down a track. This is the fastest sport at the Winter Olympics with the speeds reaching up to 145kmph.
Short-Track Racing
For the first time in the history of Ireland competing at the Winter Olympics, we have an ice skater in contention for one of the spots in Men’s 1500m in Short Track Racing. Liam O’Brien (Cavan/Leitrim) is an Australian based skater, who alongside the McAnuff brothers (Ryan and Sean) has been competing for qualification points during the Olympic Qualification series which ended last weekend. With 36 athletes set to compete in Beijing, O’Brien is currently ranked between 34-37 on the qualification status, and has qualification within his grasp, pending the publication of the final qualification list on the 13 December 2021.
Skeleton
Skeleton, the event where athletes compete on a sled sliding head first down a track, is the event in which Team Ireland has had the most success at the Winter Olympics! In 2002 at Salt Lake City Clifton Wrottesley finished fourth in this event, just outside the medals! For Beijing 2022 Dubliner Brendan Doyle is currently competing in events in the USA seeking qualification in the Skeleton. Over the coming weeks his results in races in the USA and in Germany will determine his Olympic qualification. Based in Ireland for much of the year, Doyle needs results in eight competitions across his race calendar for November and December, where he is targeting fourteen competitions. After five events, he has reached his target in three events.
Snowboard
The most experienced Olympian on the Team Ireland list is Seamus O’Connor who has competed in the past two Olympic Games in the Halfpipe. The US based Snowboarder’s paternal grandparents are from Drogheda and Dublin, competing since he was five, O’Connor turned professional when he was 13. He has now achieved the qualification target for Beijing 2022 and is set to compete in his third Olympic Games, becoming the first Irish person to do so.
Maggie Rose Carrigan is an Alpine Snowboarder and is seeking qualification in the Parallel Giant Slalom. The American born athlete has an incredible story of resilience, she was diagnosed with scoliosis as a child and following surgery at 11 years of age she is now competing with the best in the world. In the women’s event in Beijing 2022 there are 31 spots on offer.
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