Ireland national rugby sevens team

Ireland competes as a 'core team' on the World Rugby Sevens Series, a competition every year from December to June that includes ten tournaments staged around the globe.Prior to this Ireland had competed in individual tournaments within World Rugby Sevens Series, though not as a core team.Ireland became the first non-core side to medal at a World Series tournament at the 2018 London Sevens, where they finished in third place.Ireland has competed in most Rugby World Cup Sevens since the 1993 inaugural event, with their best results including finishing third in 1993 and 2022.[11] The IRFU announced in December 2014 the hiring of Anthony Eddy as the Director of Irish rugby sevens, both the men's and women's teams.[14] The new team started at the bottom, beginning the 2015 season in Europe's Division C, with an eye towards gaining promotion to higher levels of competition.At the 2016 Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Ireland finished pool play with a 3–0 record including a 27–21 win over Samoa.Ireland began the Grand Prix by winning the first tournament, the 2017 Moscow Sevens, defeating Spain 12–0 in the final.Terry Kennedy capped off the program's successful season, by winning the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, mirroring the achievement of his XV's countrymen and counterpart, Josh van der Flier.In the months following the Olympics, a number of team veterans retired, including caps leader Harry McNulty.[27] Ireland has, however, since assembling a permanent sevens program in 2014, publicly stated in 2014 and again in 2015 that its goal is to qualify as one of the 15 core teams in the World Series.[28] At the 2018 Hong Kong Sevens qualifying tournament for the 2018–19 World Series, Ireland posted a 3–0 record in pool play, winning all three matches by comfortable 20+ point margins, to advance to the knockout rounds.Ireland defeated Zimbabwe 38–5 in the quarterfinals, but lost to Japan 7–12 in the semifinal and failed to qualify for the 2018-19 World Series.At the 2018 London Sevens Ireland defeated the favoured United States and England teams en route to finishing third overall.In May 2022, Ireland achieved their highest ever position at a World Series event, reaching the final of the Toulouse Sevens before falling 17–29 to Fiji.[2] Updated as of 5 June 2024[32] Results listed above do not include matches played as part of the Hong Kong World Series qualifier competition.[36] In the 18–19 July 2015 Rugby Europe sevens repechage in Lisbon, Ireland topped their group with wins over Italy and Georgia and a draw against Russia.[40] Despite a five-point victory over Kenya and a third-place finish in their pool, Ireland failed to achieve a quarterfinal spot due to an unfavourable points difference.At the 1997 tournament, Ireland finished 19th, posting a 1–5 record which included losses to minnows Hong Kong and Japan, with its only win a 33–5 victory over Portugal in the Bowl quarterfinal.[54] At the tournament Ireland won four of their five matches including a 24–14 quarterfinal victory over hosts South Africa, on their way to a bronze medal finish.Ireland began the Grand Prix by winning the 2017 Moscow Sevens with a 5–1 record, defeating Russia 28–21 in the semifinals and Spain 12–0 in the finals.The tables above show players career statistics from the World Rugby Sevens Series main tournament up to 5 June 2024.