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.

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.

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.

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.

New season plan and look & feel for @IrishRugby Women at all levels. #nothinglikeit pic.twitter.com/Njr0HfwgRv

— Fiona Coghlan (@CoghlanFiona) July 19, 2021

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.”

#NothingLikeIt

For a life's worth of lessons, there's #NothingLikeIt… pic.twitter.com/EVCp2ELbxu

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) July 19, 2021

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.

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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