Keenan included as Ireland name squads for Olympic 7s
IRELAND AND LEINSTER star Hugo Keenan will be part of the Ireland men’s 7s team’s push for an Olympic medal next month after being confirmed as part of the final 12-player squad for Paris.
Keenan missed the URC play-offs with Leinster and will also be absent for the Ireland 15s team’s tour of South Africa next month after returning to the 7s set-up for their tilt at Olympic glory.
The Ireland men’s 7s team will be captained by the experienced Harry McNulty, who played at the last Olympics along with Terry Kennedy, Jordan Conroy, Jack Kelly, Hugo Lennox, Gavin Mullin, and Mark Roche – who are all included by head coach James Topping again this year.
The in-form Zac Ward, Niall Comerford, Keenan, and Connacht duo Andrew Smith – who also recently returned to the 7s squad from professional 15s – and Chay Mullins will feature in the Olympics for the first time.
Ireland have also named two travelling reserves in Sean Cribbin and Bryan Mollen, who was at the last Games in Toyko.
Meanwhile, Lucy Rock [formerly Mulhall] captains an Ireland women’s 7s side who will play in the Olympics for the first time.
Long-time key players Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Stacey Flood, and Eve Higgins will be central to Ireland’s medal hopes, while Emily Lane, Kathy Baker, Megan Burns, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Erin King, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Ashleigh Orchard, and Ireland 15s star Béibhinn Parsons make up the rest of head coach Allan Temple-Jones’ squad.
Meath GAA player Vikki Wall, who started playing 7s last year in a bid for a place at the Olympics has missed out, with Claire Boles and Amy Larn named as the travelling reserves.
Ireland women's 7s captain Lucy Rock.
The men’s competition takes place from 24 to 27 July at Stade de France in Paris, with the women’s competition running from 28 to 30 July.
The men’s side have particularly high hopes of medalling after finishing second in the overall World SVNS Series table this season, while the women’s team were seventh.
“It is a landmark and proud day for us to confirm our men’s and women’s sevens squads to represent Team Ireland at Paris 2024,” said IRFU performance director David Nucifora.
“A huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes for the last number of years for us to reach this milestone, and it is testament to the dedication, talent and resilience of the players and staff in the Ireland Sevens programme – past and present – that we now have the privileged opportunity to be part of Team Ireland for Paris.
“The selected players have worked extremely hard to earn this opportunity, and while it is a proud and hugely exciting moment for them and their families, we must also acknowledge the members of wider Ireland Sevens squads who have missed out on selection through injury or today received disappointing news. They will continue to play an integral role in our preparation for Paris in the weeks ahead.
“The squads will be determined to perform well and represent their country with pride and distinction at the biggest sporting event in the world, and we hope the achievements of our players will help inspire the nation this summer and continue to put the Ireland Sevens programme on the sporting map.”
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Ireland men’s squad for Olympics:
Niall Comerford
Jordan Conroy
Hugo Keenan
Jack Kelly
Terry Kennedy
Hugo Lennox
Harry McNulty (captain)
Gavin Mullin
Chay Mullins
Mark Roche
Andrew Smith
Zac Ward
Travelling reserves:
Bryan Mollen
Sean Cribbin
Ireland women’s squad for Olympics:
Kathy Baker
Megan Burns
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe
Alanna Fitzpatrick
Stacey Flood
Eve Higgins
Erin King
Vicky Elmes Kinlan
Emily Lane
Ashleigh Orchard
Béibhinn Parsons
Lucy Rock (captain)
Travelling reserves:
Claire Boles
Amy Larn