IRFU Launch 2012 Club Sevens Competition

The Irish Rugby Football Union yesterday launched the 2012 IRFU Club Sevens competition. The provincial programme will now include underage boys and girls sections to enhance the development of sevens rugby in Ireland.

The tournaments will run throughout the four Provinces and will see clubs compete for a place in the IRFU All Ireland Club Sevens Championship in May. The winners of both the All Ireland Senior Men’s and All Ireland Senior Women’s competitions will then represent Ireland in the Amsterdam Sevens tournament that same month.

IRFU Leisure Rugby Manager, Olly Hodges said, “For a first year competition coming at the end of a busy season, last year was a great success in terms of the clubs who committed teams to the provincial and the national tournaments. The IRFU’s club sevens strategy has been to introduce the sevens game in a more formal manner for club’s rather than how the other invitational tournaments do. This allows clubs to bring actual grassroots players into competitive tournaments to play on a level playing environment and so let players develop into their own understanding and experience of the game.”

Last year Dublin University defeated Ulster Bank Division 1B side, U.L. Bohemians 39-10 in the men’s final and U.L. Bohemians claimed the women’s title with a 22-0 win over St. Mary’s.

This year, all of the provincial tournaments will see men’s (senior and junior) and women’s teams drawn from clubs, countrywide finish up the season with a highly competitive seven-a-side form of the game. The newly added underage sections are expected to see a large level of interest and entry of teams.

Four provincial rounds of IRFU Club Sevens will take place on the April 28th, with the All-Ireland Championship taking place on Saturday, May 12th at Buccaneers RFC.

For all details on IRFU Club Sevens dates, registration and news please log on to www.irfusevens.ie

2011/12 IRFU Club Sevens Tournaments

Saturday April 28th

Connacht Championship – Galway Sportsground, Galway
Leinster Championship – De La Salle Palmerston, Dublin
Munster Championship – Bruff RFC, Limerick
Ulster Championship – Belfast Harlequins RFC, Belfast

Saturday May 12th

All Ireland Club Sevens Championship – Buccaneers RFC, Athlone