SO OFTEN OVERSHADOWED by the longform, this weekend marks an enormous one for Sevens rugby.
The northern hemisphere rugby summer has grown arid and fans – at least those who don’t rise early for Super Rugby – with a thirst for the oval ball might find themselves quenched by the World Cup taking place in San Francisco from today.
The World Series is set aside for now, the prize on offer rests on this one tournament. And the straight knockout format means the tournament can turn on every game.
It’s a big opportunity for Irish Sevens too. The women’s side begin their campaign against England (more on that here) at 20.12 tonight, but the men’s side must have high aspirations after their bronze medal-winning performance on an invite to the London Sevens.
Chile are first up for the spritely young Irishmen. Having met and beat the South Americans at last year’s Oktoberfest, the robust Chileans will carry few surprises for Anthony Eddy’s side. Of course, that doesn’t mean captain Billy Dardis is looking ahead to the possible last 16 clash against South Africa that awaits the winner of tonight’s 23.35 kick-off, but the rest of us should look forward to seeing how Ireland match up to the Blitzbokke.
A key reason for Ireland’s excellent form this season – with two Grand Prix tournament wins and a third-place to ensure a berth at the World Series qualifier, and also a taste of that World Series in Twickenham – has been the move to bring a familiar look to the squad. In the short history of Ireland taking Sevens seriously, an element of experimentation has been present almost every weekend. But this season, there has been a tested formula on show.
“It has been about 12 or 15 of us that have trained throughout the whole year,” says Dardis.
“We’ve had a good few lads come in, have a shot at it. They might not have gone well, but other lads have come in and made a big impact and they’ve stayed part of it. There is a core group, but it’s kind of changing the whole time.”
As captain, the former Newbridge College kid Dardis has been a core member of the squad for the past two years. Released by Leinster before last summer, the blow was softened by the leadership role in green. Having made his name through age grades at 10 and 15, he became a drop-kicking, playmaking scrum-half in the short form of the game.
“It was unreal (to be named captain) I was delighted with it,” says the affable Dardis.
“It’s just a nice honour to have. Since then, it has just been about how I can do it to my best and lead the lads to the best of my ability. One of my things would be just the unseen things. I’m not the biggest person in the world, I’m not the biggest, loudest person. Just little things would be kind of my thing.
“Going into a World Cup is real special. I’m getting a few messages from lads being like: ‘jesus, a mate leading Ireland to a World Cup!’ It’s pretty cool and I suppose not many people have done it.”
An honour, certainly. But Dardis doesn’t speak as though he has reached the pinnacle of his sporting career.
Sevens is a terrific sport; fast, frenetic, full of scores, impressive athletes and drama. Yet it has a problem, perhaps you can tell by the swathes of empty seats at any big World Series tournament.
For Tier one nations – and you arguably have to go outside World Rugby’s top 20 for an exception other than Fiji – Sevens figures a long way below the Test game as priorities go. Even with stars and a thrilling spectacle, the challenges of marketing a game which is not the top echelon of its sport has obvious challenges.
“No,” is Dardis’ immediate and genuine response to whether he intends on returning to 15s, though it comes with a qualifier.
In the back of my head I still have my dreams and aspirations. In my head, I’m still an 18-year-old kid and my dream is to play for Ireland, obviously. Whether this is a stepping stone or what I do for the next five, 10 years, I don’t really know yet.
“At the time I had a few other options, but I chose this. At the moment it is what I’m focusing on. There’s no point in trying to half-ass a few different things. You’re better off just focusing on one thing. If I get an offer, I’d consider it, but at the moment [Sevens] is what I’m focusing on.”
It’s understandable for this ‘stepping stone’ view to be held in Ireland, where the IRFU’s interest in Sevens has been greatly heightened in the last few years. However, it can be seen across the globe. From Sonny Bill Williams dipping into the short form of the game in the hope of grabbing an Olympic medal, to his team-mate in Rio Rieko Ioane being quickly plucked out by the All Blacks or Virimi Vakatawa’s bounce from Racing 92 to Sevens and back to Test 15s a few years later.
Asking a Sevens player to ignore the attractions of the 15-a-side game is akin to telling an indoor sprinter there’s no need to get out in the open air and take aim at the Olympics. That doesn’t mean the facility is razed, quite the opposite. They work in tandem.
The short form of the game should be celebrated, encouraged and enjoyed for giving opportunities and creating an ever-greater depth of talent and diversified interest in the sport.
Over the last few years, Sevens tournaments involving Ireland have been all about creating that depth, this weekend is a chance to show the fruits of that labour.
Ireland men’s squad for Sevens World Cup, San Francisco
Robert Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ballymena/Ulster)
Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers)
Shane Daly (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Billy Dardis (UCD) (capt)
Ian Fitzpatrick (Lansdowne)
Foster Horan (Lansdowne)
Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)
Terry Kennedy (St. Mary’s College)
Harry McNulty (UCD)
Bryan Mollen (Dublin University)
Jimmy O’Brien (UCD/Leinster)
John O’Donnell (Lansdowne)
Greg O’Shea (Shannon)
Fixtures (broadcast on eir Sport)
Preliminary round: Ireland v Chile, 23.35 Irish time.
Round of 16: South Africa v Ireland or Chile, 05.15 Saturday Irish time.
Or (if Chile beat Ireland)
Bowl 1/4 final: Ireland v Kenya or Tonga. 20.26 Saturday, Irish time.
