Men’s 7s Squad Announced For Croatian Trip

Greencore Munster Academy players Alex Wootton and Gearoid Lyons, and Young Munster’s Diarmuid McCarthy are included in the Ireland Men’s Sevens Squad to take part in Rugby Europe Men’s Division B tournament in Croatia this weekend.

All three players also represented the Ireland Wolfhounds Sevens side that came second in the Welsh leg of the GB7s Tour last Saturday.

This weekend, Ireland Men’s Sevens are placed in pool B alongside Slovenia, Bulgaria and Austria.

The highest ranked eligible team from Division B qualifies to participate in the Rugby Europe Olympic Repechage Tournament which will take place in Lisbon on the 18-19 July.

The winner of the Lisbon tournament will then have the opportunity to compete in the World Olympic Repechage in 2016 to secure the last spot for Rio 2016.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Anthony Eddy, IRFU Director of Rugby Sevens said, "This competition is key to the Olympic pathway but also serves as a stepping stone to promotion to the Division A competition in 2016.”

"As a squad, we are developing well but we need to go out and preform to the best of our ability again this weekend to progress.”

Ireland Men's Sevens Squad (Rugby Europe Men's Division B, Zagreb, Croatia, 20-21 June.)
Adam Byrne (UCD/Leinster)
Aaron Cairns (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Tom Daly (Lansdowne/ Leinster) Capt
Ian Fitzpatrick (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Terry Kennedy (St Mary's/ Leinster)
Shane Layden (Buccaneers/ Connacht)
Gearoid Lyons (Young Munster/ Munster)
Diarmuid McCarthy (Young Munster/Munster)
David McGuigan (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Harry McNulty (UCD/Leinster)
Mark Roche (Lansdowne/ Leinster)
Alex Wootton (Garryowen/Munster)

Rugby Europe Men's Division B Match Schedule (All times are local)
Saturday 20th June
11.28 Slovenia v Ireland
13.22 Bulgaria v Ireland
16.22 Ireland v Austria

Sunday 7th June
Playoffs