These tournaments will take place over the course of six months, kicking off with a pair of combined men’s and women’s events in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at the end of November.

The Emirates Dubai Sevens will host a behind-closed-doors round on 26-27 November, 2021, followed by a second event a week later on 3-4 December with fans in attendance at The Sevens Stadium.

Great Britain will represent three unions in the first two events but will split into England, Scotland and Wales in the men’s and England will take part in the women’s series following the Dubai tournaments.

The 16 men’s core teams after the Dubai events are Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, USA and Wales.

South Africa will look to defend the title they won in the shortened 2021 season.

Japan will join the men’s Series as a core team following their promotion as HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series champions in 2020.

The 11 core women’s teams after the Dubai events are Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Russia, Spain and the USA.

New Zealand’s Black Ferns Sevens will be aiming to defend their title after being crowned champions in 2020.

There will be a similar double-header in Spain for rounds three and four with events taking place in Malaga and Seville on 21-23 and 28-30 January, 2022 respectively.

The new venues in Spain temporarily replace traditional Series hosts Sydney, Australia, and Hamilton, New Zealand, who were unable to host in 2022 due to the logistical challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in their region.

The men’s Series continues with  North American rounds in Vancouver on 26-27 February and Los Angeles on 5-6 March before moving to Asia.

Hong Kong returns to host a combined men’s and women’s event on 1-3 April, followed by a men’s event in Singapore on 9-10 April.

A women’s standalone event will take place in Langford, Canada, on 30 April-1 May before both men’s and women’s teams travel to a new Series venue in Toulouse, France, on 20-22 May where the women’s Series champions will be crowned.

The men’s Series concludes with the final event in London on 28-29 May.

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin spoke about the release of the 2022 schedule: “Following an outstandingly competitive and highly impactful Olympic Games competition it is fantastic to announce a full schedule for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 today.

“Alongside popular and traditional rugby sevens venues it will be exciting to take the Series to new venues in Spain and France as the game continues to expand and captivate new audiences around the world with its fast, skilful and thrilling format.

“Rugby sevens is a key driver of global growth for our sport, particularly in emerging nations, and it firmly remains a top priority for our organisation.

“A lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes to ensure we can announce a full Series schedule today and we thank HSBC, the host organisations, unions, commercial and broadcast partners for their unwavering support and spirit of collaboration as we navigate the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic together.

“We now look ahead to the return of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series at full throttle ahead of what promises to be a very busy and exciting year for sevens with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town following the Series.

“As ever, the health and welfare of players, fans and wider society continues to be our primary concern and we will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the safe delivery of the Series.

HSBC Group Head of Brand and Brand Partnerships Jonathan Castleman said: “Like everyone involved we are incredibly excited that the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series is back and this is truly a testament to all of the hard work that has gone on behind the scenes.

“With new venues in both Spain and France, it opens up further opportunities to attract even more players, fans and communities to the spectacle of rugby sevens and as the long-term partner of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series we cannot wait to watch the teams competing at the highest levels again and where possible with full stadiums.”

The post HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 calendar released appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The side, which included 15 stars that had been involved in the failed World Cup qualification campaign, went unbeaten to finish first, dispatching of Poland 26-0 in the final.

The men’s national sevens team, which involved several Olympians were also finalists in the Spanish city but lost by five points to the hosts.

Their 2021/22 seasons are set to get underway in Dubai next month in the first leg of the upcoming HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Director of Women’s rugby and Sevens Anthony Eddy took charge of the women’s team for the weekend.

Rugby union stars Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe and Beibhinn Parsons all scored in the final, with superstar winger Parsons crossing the line twice to give the team a four-try victory over their opponents.

They had finished top of their group with four wins from four earlier in the tournament and beat hosts Spain in the semi-finals to earn a date with Poland.

The men’s side, coached once again by James Topping who had taken charge for the two World Rugby Sevens Series events in the 2021 season, also finished top of their group.

The men’s team, which included three Olympians – Terry Kennedy, Jordan Conroy and Hugo Lennox, won four times in the group stage and drew once to earn the top spot.

A 26-point win over Viator Barbarians saw them within one game of pre-season silverware but it as not to be as Spain ended the tournament as champions.

Elche 7s Results

Saturday, October 16:

• Ireland Women 26-5 Belgium
• Ireland Men 19-19 Zastava
• Ireland Women 33-7 Poland
• Ireland Men 36-7 Germany
• Ireland Women 31-0 Viator Costa Blanca
• Ireland Men 15-12 France
• Ireland Women 49-5 Spain

Sunday, October 17:

• Ireland Men 21-19 Spain
• Ireland Men 31-5 Viator Barbarians
• Ireland Women 19-10 Spain (Tournament Semi-Final)
• Ireland Men 19-24 Spain (Tournament Final)
• Ireland Women 26-0 Poland (Tournament Final).

Men’s Sevens Squad

Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers RFC)
Niall Comerford (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Chris Cosgrave (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Sean Cribbin (Suttonians RFC)
Fergus Jemphrey (Blackheath RFC/IQ Rugby)
Sean Kearns (Ireland Sevens)
Terry Kennedy (St Mary’s College RFC)
Hugo Lennox (Skerries RFC)
Matthew McDonald (IQ Rugby)
Aaron O’Sullivan (Blackrock College RFC)
Jude Postlethwaite (Banbridge RFC/Ulster)
Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC)

Women’s Sevens Squad

Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC)
Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC)
Katie Heffernan (Mullingar RFC/Railway Union RFC)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)
Brittany Hogan (DCU RFC/Old Belvedere RFC)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)
Maeve Liston (Blackrock College RFC)
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC)
Grace Moore (Railway Union RFC/IQ Rugby)
Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum RFC) (capt)
Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC)
Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC)
Katie Whelan (Enniscorthy RFC).

The post Ireland Women win at Elche 7s while Men continue to impress appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

O’Shea had been part of the IRFU Sevens programme since 2017 and has built a relationship with the core of the squad in his four years there.

The former Crescent College student was part of a side that became a core team in the World Series and reached the Olympic Games for the first time ever.

O’Shea cited several reasons including injuries and future ventures in his YouTube video on the topic.

An announcement on his Instagram reads: “My life has always been focused around my rugby career, so it has been a really difficult decision for me to decide to retire from the game I love.

“It just feels like the right time for me to close that chapter of my life, especially after reaching my goal of becoming an Olympian and with everything else I want to do outside of rugby.”

The 26-year-old noted in his video on the topic that Sevens players in Ireland are not paid enough for it to be a viable career – he would stay in it if it was so.

The former Love Island contestant started playing rugby at Shannon RFC when he was seven.

At Crescent College, the rugby player won two Junior Cups in 2010 and 2011 and added a Munster Senior Cup to the tally in 2013.

O’Shea played in the back three in 15s and was part of the Munster academy before joining the country’s sevens programme.

In his four years with the national sevens side, he participated in a World Cup in 2018, took part in Rugby Europe tournaments and played in the World Series, as well as the Olympics.

O’Shea spoke of his Olympic dream being realised before the side jetted off to Tokyo in July.

The Limerick native said: “It’s the pinnacle of sport. Personally, it’s what I’ve been working towards the last couple of years. I said no to a lot of other opportunities outside of rugby and it’s would make it all worth it once I cross that whitewash.”

The post Ireland Sevens’ Greg O’Shea Announces Retirement appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

James Topping’s side had previously finished at the summit of their pool for the second tournament in a row but failed to reach the final four, finishing eighth overall.

The two losses on the second day saw the side finish the competition in sixth behind champions South Africa, runners-up Great Britain, Kenya, Canada and the United States.

Winger Jordan Conroy became the first Irishman to score 50 tries in the World Series after scores in four games of the tournament.

Conroy managed this feat in just 10 World Series events, averaging five tries per event to reach the half-century.

Ireland began the tournament strongly with two wins a draw in their pool for the second week running sealing the top spot once again.

A late Niall Comerford try gave the side the win against Germany, while Jamaica suffered a second successive defeat to the boys in green.

A 12-12 draw with Great Britain was enough to finish first in the group and earn a match-up with Canada on Day Two.

Ireland led the hosts until a late try from the Canucks gave them the opportunity to kick for the win, which they did.

The USA kept Topping’s side scoreless in a 19-0 rout in the fifth-place semi-finals and another late concession against Hong Kong saw the side finish eighth, ultimately disappointing after a strong first day.

The six points they earned at Edmonton was enough to keep the side in the top six of the overall World Series table, edging out Germany by four after they had taken fifth place at the tournament.

Ireland will now look to the 2022 season following the climax of a year in which the side broke new ground, making the Olympics and reaching a World Series semi-final.

Ireland Squad – Edmonton 7s

Niall Comerford (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers RFC)
Chris Cosgrave (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Sean Cribbin (Suttonians RFC)
Billy Dardis (Terenure College RFC)
Shane Jennings (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
Sean Kearns (Ireland Sevens)
Steven Kilgallen (UCD RFC)
Bryan Mollen (Blackrock College RFC) (capt)
Ben Moxham (Ballymena RFC/Ulster)
Aaron O’Sullivan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Conor Phillips (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
Liam Turner (Dublin University FC/Leinster)

The post Ireland 7s Star Conroy Scores 50th WS Try But Team Falls Short appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The three changes to the squad for this weekend are injury-enforced, with Gavin Mullin, Ed Kelly and Mark Roche, unfortunately, picking up injuries in Vancouver.

All three have been ruled out this week and have returned to Dublin while Olympians Billy Dardis and Jordan Conroy, and Aaron O’Sullivan return to action for the national side.

A new-look Ireland squad impressed last weekend in Vancouver as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series returned after 18 months, and the side – led by Bryan Mollen – will be hoping to build further on those performances at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.

A fourth-place finish in Vancouver was Ireland’s best placing as a World Series core team, and the exposure of nine debutants to international action across the weekend was a real positive at the start of a new Olympic cycle.

Commenting ahead of the Edmonton tournament, IRFU Director of Sevens Rugby Anthony Eddy says this weekend will provide the squad with another exciting opportunity to build experience and cohesion building towards the 2022 season.

“It was great to see to team perform so well in Vancouver and they have taken a lot of learnings from that tournament that should put them in a better position this weekend,” Eddy said.

“What is really exciting is to see some of the young men that have no experience of this level of competition perform so well and they will continue to develop and become very important players for the team during the 2021/2022 World Series.”

Ireland will open their campaign against Germany on Saturday, September 25 (9:44 am local time/4:44 pm Irish time), before further Pool C clashes against Jamaica (12:55 pm local time/7:55 pm Irish time) and Great Britain (4:28 pm local time/11:28 pm Irish time) later in the day.

Play-off matches will be played on Sunday, September 26 – all games will be available to watch on the World Rugby Sevens Series social media channels.

Ireland Squad – Edmonton 7s

Niall Comerford (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers)
Chris Cosgrave (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Seán Cribbin (Suttonians)
Billy Dardis (Terenure College)
Shane Jennings (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
Sean Kearns (Irish Sevens)
Steven Kilgallen (UCD RFC)
Bryan Mollen (Blackrock College)(Captain)
Ben Moxham (Ballymena/Ulster)
Aaron O’Sullivan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Conor Phillips (Young Munster/Munster)
Liam Turner (Dublin University/Leinster)

The post Three Changes To Ireland Sevens Squad For Edmonton Tournament appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The side fell short of a spot in the final after topping their pool after an unbeaten first day but achieve their highest-ever finish at a World Series event as a core team.

Nine players made their debuts for the national sevens side throughout the weekend as the rotated squad impressed in the Canadian city, coming into the tournament with just 22 caps to their name altogether.

Munster Academy winger Conor Phillips caught the eye with four tries, while Liam Turner, Mark Roche, Sean Kearns, Gavin Mullin and Shane Jennings all scored two each.

Ulster academy winger Ben Moxham also grabbed one in his first tournament with the side, scoring in extra-time in the quarter-final against Hong Kong to ensure a spot in the semi-final.

The team, coached by James Topping for the week, won twice and drew once on the first day before the experience of Kenya and Great Britain proved to be too much in the latter stages.

Ireland scored 74 points on the first day, including a 50-0 thumping of Jamaica, but injuries hampered their second day as they fell short of a spot in the top three.

A one-sided defeat to Kenya made clear the difference between the two squads and Great Britain made up for a lacklustre performance in the pool stage with a 24-14 win over Topping’s side in the bronze final.

However, Ireland can take positives from the tournament as they head into the World Series finale in Edmonton on a high.

Ireland Sevens Squad – Vancouver 7s

Niall Comerford (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Chris Cosgrave (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Sean Cribbin (Suttonians RFC)
Shane Jennings (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
Sean Kearns (Ireland Sevens)
Ed Kelly (Dublin University FC)
Steven Kilgallen (UCD RFC)
Bryan Mollen (Blackrock College) (capt)
Ben Moxham (Ballymena RFC/Ulster)
Gavin Mullin (UCD RFC)
Conor Phillips (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
Mark Roche (Lansdowne FC)
Liam Turner (Dublin University FC/Leinster)

The post Ireland Men’s Secure Fourth Place At Vancouver 7s appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

IRFU Director of Sevens Rugby, Anthony Eddy,  has today named a 13-player squad for Ireland’s return to HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series action, as the 2021 season prepares to get up and running at BC Place, Vancouver this weekend.

Eddy will use the upcoming tournaments in Canada to explore the depth of his Ireland Men’s Sevens squad as players are given the opportunity to stake a claim on the World Series stage.

Three Olympians are named in the squad – Bryan Mollen, Mark Roche and Gavin Mullin – with Mollen set to captain the squad.

Ireland will face Great Britain and invitational sides Hong Kong and Jamaica in Pool B in Vancouver from September 18-19 – Play-offs are scheduled for September 19.

Liam Turner and Seán Cribbin also add experience to the squad, with Turner having racked up 16 appearances on last year’s World Series.

Ireland U20 stars Shane Jennings, Chris Cosgrave and Ben Moxham will work with the sevens setup for the upcoming tournaments.

Moxham, along with Conor Phillips of Munster and Ed Kelly – the younger brother of Olympian Jack – have been part of the National Sevens programme for the last 12 months.

They featured during the IRFU HPC International 7s tournament in June, with the back-to-back tournaments in Canada presenting them with the platform to showcase their talents at the start of a new Olympic cycle.

Commenting on his selection, Eddy said: “It is great to have the HSBC World Series back up and running and expose some new players to the quality of this competition.

“The Canada tournaments provide a great opportunity for some players to put their hand up for future tournaments and the 2022 Series.

“We have some experience in the group and also players new to the World Series, so I am keen to see how some of the new players perform in this environment.”

Ireland will open their HSBC Canada Sevens campaign against Hong Kong on Saturday 18th September (5:44 pm Irish time), before going head-to-head with Jamaica (8:55 pm) and Great Britain (12:28 am) later in the day.

The Vancouver tournament will be followed by a second HSBC Canada Sevens event in Edmonton the following weekend, on 25th-26th September. The two rounds in Canada form the 2021 Series, with the Series title awarded in Edmonton.

Ireland Men’s 7s Squad For Vancouver & Edmonton

Niall Comerford (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Chris Cosgrave (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Seán Cribbin (Suttonians)
Shane Jennings (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
Sean Kearns (Irish Sevens)
Ed Kelly (Dublin University)
Steven Kilgallen (UCD RFC)
Bryan Mollen (Blackrock College)(Captain)
Ben Moxham (Ballymena/Ulster)
Gavin Mullin (UCD RFC)
Conor Phillips (Young Munster/Munster)
Mark Roche (Lansdowne)
Liam Turner (Dublin University/Leinster)

The post Ireland Name Men’s Sevens Squad For Canadian World Series Fixtures appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

USA-capped Luke Carty, Irish Sevens ‘original’ Harry McNulty, his brother Sean McNulty and Sean O’Brien are all on the club’s books.

Carty, O’Brien and Sean McNulty all came off the bench for their team’s MLR Shield win in their club’s inaugural season in the league.

The LA Giltini’s cruised to a 31-17 victory against Rugby ATL at the LA Memorial Coliseum on Sunday night.

Former Connacht academy out-half Luke Carty has two caps for the United States national side after moving to LA, qualifying for the side through his grandmother.

The 23-year-old made his debut for the US against England and then started against his native Ireland last month, having only moved to the States earlier this year.

Sean O’Brien joined LA from the Leinster academy on a short-term contract in June and is a native of the US.

He played for the Ireland U20s last year and made his debut for the Leinster senior team earlier this year before moving stateside for more game-time.

Hooker Sean McNulty is a former Leinster academy player who played for Ireland up to the U20 level.

The 26-year-old is also US-qualified having spent much of his youth living in the States and first moved back over from Ireland to join the New England Free Jacks in 2019 before shifting to the Giltinis ahead of this season.

Older brother Harry was the only player out of the four not in the matchday 23 after he returned to America from the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Former Enniscorthy player Ross Deacon and former Leinster back Mark O’Keeffe were among the 23-man squad of the runners-up.

Deacon scored a late try to provide a consolation for the Atlanta side who were second-best on the day.

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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.

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

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.

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