Jordan Conroy: ‘It is a blessing starting early’

BLESSING: Ireland 7s star Jordan Conroy believes its a blessing to get up and running before all the madness kicks off in Paris. Picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

THE start of a bright summer. Nielsen’s Gracenote Virtual Medal Table, a medal-winning predictor, has Ireland’s possible tally at nine currently. A first opportunity comes before the Games officially begins.

Ireland Men's Sevens kick off on Wednesday with their Pool A matches against South Africa and Japan, two days before the opening ceremony. All games will be played at the Stade de France. For stalwart Jordan Conroy, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“You kind of get away from the madness in a way, just get in early, get out early,” he said.

“That is the way I see it. It is just that waiting as well, knowing you still have to compete when you see other athletes finishing. You just want to get it done and sometimes, not for us, but maybe for other athletes, that wait can cause anxiety because you want to get going. I suppose it is a blessing starting early.” 

Conroy is set to become a two-time Olympian in Paris. Rugby Sevens only made its debut in Rio. They were left bitterly disappointed at their performance in Tokyo where they finished 10th.

“Going in as well, we’re not going to be overwhelmed. We know what to expect. Having had a taste of it in Tokyo, it is not something I feel I need to go and do, go and see every athlete or exchange pins. I’m there to compete now. It will be a different experience.

“We have pretty much got a taste of it. I don’t feel I need to do the same things in Paris because we’ve all been to Paris before, we’ve played there, we’ve gone there on holiday, it is not like we need to see the Eiffel Tower again. I’m not being smart but that’s the way I’m looking at it.” James Topping’s side are not amongst the favourites for the podium but their form recently has been formidable. They finished second in the World Series. They secured their spot at the European Games in Krakow last summer.

For a now 30-year-old who didn’t take up the sport until he was 18, this is wild stuff. Back in 2015 when he first signed up for Sevens, it was inspired by an individual ambition rather than any collective one: “I was so disgusted with my ability to play rugby that my focus was to really get into a programme to make sure that I became a good rugby player.” Gradually he developed and the team evolved. They’ve become a serious contender. They want more.

“I remember when I first started friends would be saying ‘That’s not real rugby’ and I was like ‘well, what is it then? I have a rugby ball, it has got rugby rules’. Now it is respected and I suppose it was something we had to do and I don’t mind doing it. It is recognised now in Ireland which it wasn’t for a while when we started which was OK. We have tried to put it on the map bit by bit and we hopefully did that."