As the Ireland Men’s Sevens programme continues its preparation for the Rugby Europe Grand Prix Series in June and July, IRFU director of Sevens rugby Anthony Eddy took his 14-man squad for a three-day training camp in Portugal last month.
The selected squad trained with the Portugal and Spain Sevens sides over three days. Included in the squad : Leinster Academy players Hugo Keenan, Terry Kennedy and Jack Power, the Ulster Academy’s Nick Timoney and Tom Stapley, Connacht Academy members Conor Lowndes and Ed O’Keeffe and the Munster Academy’s Steven McMahon and Greg O’Shea.
There are also a number of club players in the squad, with Jordan Conroy (Division 1B’s top try scorer with 13 tries) joining his Buccaneers team-mate Shane Layden and UCD’s Harry McNulty, John O’Donnell from Lansdowne and Exile Steve Toal-Lennon.
IRELAND MEN’S SEVENS Squad (Portugal Training Camp, February 17-19):
Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers)
Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)
Terry Kennedy (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Shane Layden (Buccaneers)
Conor Lowndes (Galwegians/Connacht)
Steve McMahon (Garryowen/Munster)
Harry McNulty (UCD)
John O’Donnell (Lansdowne)
Ed O’Keeffe (Galwegians/Connacht)
Greg O’Shea (Shannon/Munster)
Jack Power (Clontarf/Leinster)
Nick Timoney (Queen’s University/Ulster)
Steve Toal-Lennon (Exile)
Tom Stapley (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
IRELAND MEN’S SEVENS Management –
Anthony Eddy – IRFU Director of Sevens
Stan McDowell – Head Coach
James Topping – Team Manager
Marian Earls – S&C Coach
Barry Smith – Physiotherapist
Alan Walsh – Performance Analyst
Sam O’Byrne – Media & Communications
2017 RUGBY EUROPE GRAND PRIX SERIES:
Stage 1: Moscow, Russia, June 3-4
Stage 2: Lodz, Poland, June 10-11
Stage 3: Saint-Etienne, France, July 1-2
Stage 4: Exeter, England, July 15-16
