Con Duo Selected For 7s Training Squad

4th May 2017 By The Editor

Munster & Shannon's Steve McMahon has been included in the training squad - INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Cork Constitution’s Ned Hodson and Shane Daly have been selected for the Irish Sevens Training squad, joined by fellow Munstermen Steve McMahon and Greg O’Shea for the squad’s preparations for tthe Rugby Europe Grand Prix beginning in June.

IRFU Director of Sevens Rugby, Anthony Eddy and Coach Stan McDowell have confirmed an extended Men’s 7s squad who will commence training during the month of May with the pair capping off a memorable day for the Temple Hill side, who this afternoon were named Munster Senior Club of the Year for the second year running.

It makes a nice split between Cork and Limerick, with Garryowen’s McMahon and Shannon’s O’Shea rounding off the Munster contribution of four.

The Ireland Men’s 7s will compete in the Rugby Europe Grand Prix for the first time this season, having won the Rugby Europe Sevens Trophy last year.

Working from the Ireland Rugby 7s base on Lansdowne Road, the squad will prepare for the series where they will play teams from across Europe, including the likes of England, Scotland, Wales, France and Russia – who are all currently competing on the World Rugby World Sevens Series.

There are two big opportunities for the Irish 7s side this season. They will be looking to claim a place at the Hong Kong 7s Repechage next year, where the winner of that tournament will qualify for the World Rugby Sevens World Series for the 2018/19 season. They can achieve this by finishing as one of the top two placed sides (outside of those who are not already a core team on the series) over the course of the Grand Prix.

The second big opportunity is qualification for the Sevens Rugby World Cup in San Francisco next summer.

The Rugby Europe Grand Prix offers two places to nations outside of those who are already pre-qualified from the 2013 Moscow World Cup or via this season’s World Series.

The European sides who have already qualified are England, Wales and France, while Scotland look set to gain a spot via this season’s World Series.

Ireland Men’s 7s Squad
David Busby (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Aaron Cairns (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Fionn Carr (Naas)
Will Connors (UCD/Leinster)
Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Shane Daly (Cork Con/Munster)
Billy Dardis (UCD)
Evan Dixon (Dublin University)
Ian Fitzpatrick (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Ned Hodson (Cork Con/Munster)
Foster Horan (Lansdowne)
Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)
Conor Kelly (Queens University/Ulster)
Terry Kennedy (St. Mary’s/Leinster)
Shane Layden (Buccaneers)
Adam Leavy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Conor Lowndes (Galwegians/Connacht)
Mick McGrath (Clontarf)
Steve McMahon (Garryowen/Munster)
Harry McNulty (UCD)
Bryan Mollen (Dublin University)
Jimmy O’Brien (UCD/Leinster)
John O’Donnell (Lansdowne)
James O’Donovan (Trinity)
Edward O’Keeffe (Galwegians)
Greg O’Shea (Shannon/Munster)
Mark Roche (Lansdowne)
Josh Rowland (Galwegians)
Tom Stapley (Ballynahinch)
Nick Timoney (Queens University/Ulster)
Steve Toal-Lennon (Exile)