IRELAND’S MEN’S SEVENS team secured their second piece of silverware of the season this afternoon as they were crowned Rugby Europe Trophy champions in Prague.
Anthony Eddy’s side won six games over the weekend to lift the title and qualify to play in next season’s Rugby Europe Grand Prix Series alongside the continent’s top nations.
After safely booking their passage through to the quarter-finals with wins over Monaco, Cyprus and Israel on Saturday, Ireland continued their impressive form today.
A seven-try rout of Cyprus and a commanding win in the semi-final against Romania set-up a second successive European final and this young Irish side weren’t to be stopped.
First-half tries from Ian Fitzpatrick, Mick McGrath and Tom Daly set Ireland on their way to an emphatic 52-0 demolition of Ukraine in the decider.
Clontarf winger McGrath scored a hat-trick in the Czech capital as Ireland ran riot as the curtain came down on a hugely successful year.
Despite the heartbreak of missing out on Olympic qualification, Eddy’s charges won twice in the Trophy Series and took home silverware from Rugby Europe Divisions B and C last summer.
And now there’s a debut appearance on the European Grand Prix Series – the level just below the World Series - to look forward to in 2016/17.
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