Men’s Rugby Sevens

The Games have yet to formally start but the medal prospects of Ireland’s Men’s Rugby Sevens are already over after a heartbreaking defeat last night to Fiji.

Ireland led the back to back Olympic champions by eight points into the second half but they clawed their way back into the game with two quick-fire tries and Ireland were left to rue giving up leads to both Zew Zealand in the afternoon and then Fiji last night.

Ireland now drop down to the 5-8 place play-off matches when the Sevens resumes in Saint Denis on Saturday. There they will face the USA.

New Zealand’s supposed easier Quarter Final proved anything but with South Africa defeating them last night in front of a sold out crowd. France and Australia make up the other semi final contestants.

“It’s obviously a bitterly disappointing result for us because we came to Paris with ambitions of a podium finish,” said Ireland Manager James Topping.

“We controlled large parts of the game and put ourselves in a strong position but a couple of mistakes cost us dearly, and unfortunately against teams like Fiji you are going to be punished.”

“The group are devastated because we’ve worked hard over the year building into this campaign, but we still have work to do because we want to finish strongly and on a high. We have a rest day tomorrow and we’ll dust ourselves down to come back better for the placing matches on Saturday afternoon.”

Just don’t anyone mention Ireland Rugby and Quarter-Finals…

Boxing

Defending lightweight champion Kellie Harrington (60kg), Wicklow flyweight Daina Moorehouse (50kg), Bantamweight Jennifer Lehane (54kg), featherweight Michaela Walsh (57kg) in the Women’s and and featherweight Jude Gallagher (57kg) in the Men’s Boxing were all given byes to the Round of 16 at the Draw for the Olympic Boxing which took place in Paris last night.

Aoife O’Rourke, who was 2nd seed in the 75kg, did not benefit from a bye because there were only 16 in the Middleweight division and she faces a very familiar opponent in Poland’s Elzbieta Wojcik.

Offaly welterweight Grainne Walsh (66kg) is the only Irish woman who will box in the round of 32 where she faces Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori.

In the last 16 Kellie Harrington will face either an Italian (Alessia Mesiano) or Turk (Gizem Ozer) on Monday afternoon (29th July). Daina Moorehouse faces French fighter Wassila Lkhadiri who is seeded 7th, Jennifer Lehane faces 8th seed Yuan Chang of China, and Michaela Walsh will face Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva.

Jude Gallagher (57kg) was the only male Irish boxer to benefit from a bye, lining him up against Carlo Paalam of the Philippines in the last 16.

Lightweight Dean Clancy (63.5kg) will face Obada Alkasbeh of Jordan in the preliminary round (of 32) and he is first of the Irish into action on Saturday.

Welterweight Aidan Walsh (71kg) meets Makan Traore of France in the preliminary round and, with only 16 in the heavyweight division Dubliner Jack Marley (92kg) will face Poland’s Mateusz Bereznicki in his opening bout.

“here is no easy fight in the Olympic Games,” said Ireland Head Coach Zaur Antia.

“Every fight will need the full focus of our boxers, just as they do at every competition.”

With ten Irish boxers taking to the ring, this is Team Ireland’s largest boxing team since Rome of 1960 and only Australia (12) and Uzbekistan (11) will have more boxers in Paris.

Ireland is also the only European country and one of only three in the world to have qualified a boxer in all of the six women’s weights.

RESULTS – Thursday 25th July 2024

Men’s Rugby Sevens, Pool A, Ireland 12 – 14 New Zealand
Men’s Rugby Sevens, Quarter-final; Ireland 15 – 19 Fiji

SCHEDULE Friday 26th July 2024

7pm Opening Ceremony, live on RTE2

With thanks to the media service being delivered from Paris by Sport for Business member the Olympic Federation of Ireland

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