Hugo Keenan has been included in the Ireland Men’s Sevens Squad for this weekend’s Grand Final in Madrid, signalling a likely place on the Olympics squad in the summer and an equally potential absence from the remaining games of the season in the United Rugby Championship with Leinster.

Following the conclusion of the seven-leg regular season, the top eight teams in the Men’s and Women’s SVNS Standings assemble at the Metropolitano Stadium, the home of Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital for a winner-takes-all event across three days from May 31 to June 2.

Ireland’s Men have been in consistently excellent form throughout the 2024 campaign, qualifying for this weekend’s HSBC SVNS Championship in Madrid with their highest ever overall finish of second, having been narrowly beaten to the League Title by Argentina in Singapore earlier this month.

Hugo Keenan, a key member of Andy Farrell’s Ireland Men’s XVs side in recent seasons, links up with the Ireland Men’s Sevens squad five years after winning the last of his 12 Ireland Sevens caps, while Connacht winger Andrew Smith was an outstanding performer for Topping’s side on the Series last year.

During his two years in the Sevens programme, Keenan was a regular presence throughout the key moments on Ireland’s journey to HSBC SVNS Series qualification – a memorable third place finish as an invitational team in London, to the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco, and then World Series qualification in Hong Kong in 2019. He missed out on the 2021 Olympic Games though and may be looking to set that right in Paris.

Ireland’s Women, meanwhile, will also welcome back a number of players to their squad for Madrid, as Beibhinn Parsons and Aoibheann Reilly return to Sevens action following their involvement in the recent Guinness Women’s Six Nations, while Katie Corrigan receives her first Sevens call up having impressed during the Championship.

There is also a welcome return for Anna McGann, who has recovered from a long-term knee injury to be included in the 13-player squad this week. There is no spot on this squad for Double All Ireland winning footballer Vicki Wall who took part in the series earlier this season.

Allan Temple Jones’ side finished seventh overall, the highlight of their campaign being the historic maiden title win in Perth back in January. They have been drawn in Pool B for Madrid, alongside League runners-up Australia, Olympic hosts France and Fiji.

You can watch all of the HSBC SVNS Series matches for free on RugbyPass TV or on TNT Sports, while there will be coverage of Ireland’s progress in Madrid across the @Ireland7s social media channels, and in our Ireland Sevens Hub.

Ireland Men’s Sevens:

Niall Comerford (UCD RFC)
Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers RFC)
Sean Cribbin (Suttonians RFC)
Billy Dardis (Terenure College RFC)
Hugo Keenan (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Terry Kennedy (St Mary’s College RFC)
Hugo Lennox (Skerries RFC)
Harry McNulty (UCD RFC)(captain)
Gavin Mullin (UCD RFC)
Chay Mullins (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht/IQ Rugby)
Aaron O’Sullivan (Blackrock College RFC)
Andrew Smith (Clontarf FC/Connacht)
Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC)

Ireland Women’s Sevens:

Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)
Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC)*
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC)(captain)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC)
Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC)
Ashleigh Orchard (Cooke RFC)
Beibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC)
Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC)

 

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