Williams’ Warriors must wait for Rio call
Chief executive Philip Browne informed this newspaper last January that he had significant reservations over the costs — which could stretch to seven figures — involved in establishing a national sevens side while the qualification procedures have yet to be agreed.
Ireland has a long way to go to catch up with the leading nations in the truncated game as it does not participate in the official HSBC World Sevens Series and even reaching Brazil would not be guaranteed.
However, efforts are ongoing independent of the national union to ensure the green jersey will be on view at the tournament in Brazil in five years’ time with the formation — with the union’s blessing — of the Shamrock Warriors Irish Sevens Club.
Former Leinster coach Matt Williams has been secured as a technical advisor for the venture while a committee including former internationals Denis Hickie and Malcolm O’Kelly has also come on board to get the idea off the ground.
Among the players on the club’s radar are those currently playing at club level, others who may be coming off a professional contract, those falling off academy contracts as well as potential players coming up from school level.
The plan is to develop a core base of players who are conditioned to the sevens game and who would be in a position to slot into an official Irish team should the IRFU decide that one is required for an international tournament.
Male and female squads have been put together with an eye on the games in Rio.
The men’s squad will include former Leinster wing Simon Keogh as well as Barry O’Mahony and Hugh Hogan, who both played for the Irish Club side this year.
The squad has already been pencilled in for a number of outings this year including Kinsale, Omagh, Manchester, London Rocks, West Country, Newquay and, possibly, Rome.
The women, current Irish captain Fiona Coughlan among them, will take part in three of those events.
“The long-term goal is for the Shamrock Warriors to develop a body of experienced players which the IRFU may tap into depending on the decision re professional sevens involvement in the Olympic Sevens and IRB Sevens circuit,” said IRFU director of rugby Eddie Wigglesworth.
“The involvement of the Warriors in international competitions at club level provides a unique opportunity for young players who feel they may have that special talent to compete at sevens and potentially get involved at the next level.
“The IRFU will make a decision in early 2013 as to our future engagement in both the Olympic and IRB professional sevens circuit. It would be greatly to our advantage to have a body of experienced sevens player to call upon in the formative years.”
Finance will inevitably play a huge part in the IRFU’s eventual decision but there are undeniable benefits to be accrued from sevens rugby, with young players at clubs and provincial academies badly in need of competitive game time.
Williams saw the benefit of the game when he was coach of Ulster.
“What sevens does for these young guys is put them out on the field by themselves in so much space you have to stand up,” he said. “You have to make your tackles, you have to make your runs.
“There is nowhere to hide. You’re out on the road, living out of a suitcase.You have to be on time, you are a professional in your actions. You mightn’t be getting money but professionalism is about your actions. I said, ‘we need to be part of this’. I was talking to the IRFU saying that we really should go into the sevens circuit. This is a great opportunity. There are groups around the country that really support it.
“What the Shamrock Warriors is, is all those groups coming together with the support of the IRFU which we are really grateful for. It begins the process of getting sevens into the IRFU and into the national circuit.”
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