Both the men's and women's Ireland Sevens rugby teams have qualified for the Olympics for the first time in history and there is serious excitement going into the event.
The men's side are in the midst of their strongest ever season, finishing second overall in the HSBC SVNS Series and tasted silverware after winning the Hamburg last time out.
Meanwhile, the Ireland women's team secured a maiden title success this season in the Perth leg of their series, a major confidence boost ahead of the Olympic games in Paris.
Here is everything to know about the two sides' respective bids for Olympic gold ahead of the tournament's start on Wednesday.
Squads
Leinster and Ireland Test full-back Hugo Keenan lined out for the men's sevens team last month at the HSBC SVNS tournament in Madrid as he prepares to make an impact at the Olympics.
He previously played on the circuit back from 2017 to 2019 before breaking into the Leinster and Ireland side and becoming one of the best 15s fullbacks on the planet.
1 June 2024; Hugo Keenan of Ireland in action during the HSBC Men's SVNS 2024 Grand Finals Pool B match between Ireland and New Zealand at Civitas Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain. Photo by Juan Gasparini/Sportsfile
Keenan's switch to Sevens comes at a time where France's Antoine Dupont - widely regarded as the best 15s rugby player on the planet - links up with the tournament hosts in an effort to help them win gold.
Keenan is set to feature in a side which already boasts established attacking talent, spearheaded by the prolific Terry Kennedy and Jordon Conroy.
There is serious talent in the Ireland Women's Sevens squad too, with Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe scoring a remarkable 33 tries in just 31 appearances.
Ireland Men's Sevens squad:
Niall Comerford (UCD RFC)
Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers RFC)
Hugo Keenan (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Jack Kelly (Dublin University FC)
Terry Kennedy (St. Mary’s College RFC)
Hugo Lennox (Skerries RFC)
Harry McNulty (UCD RFC) (capt)
Gavin Mullin (UCD RFC)
Chay Mullins (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht/IQ Rugby)
Mark Roche (Lansdowne FC)
Andrew Smith (Clontarf FC/Connacht)
Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC)
Ireland Women's Sevens squad:
Kathy Baker (Blackrock College RFC)
Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC)
Alanna Fitzpatrick (Portarlington RFC/Blackrock College RFC)
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)
Ashleigh Orchard (Cooke RFC)
Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC)
Lucy Rock (Wicklow RFC) (capt)
Match dates and times
Wednesday, July 24 –
- Pool A: Ireland Men v South Africa, kick-off 5.30pm local time/4.30pm Irish time
- Pool A: Ireland Men v Japan, kick-off 9pm local time/8pm Irish time
Thursday, July 25 –
- Pool A: New Zealand v Ireland Men, kick-off 4.30pm local time/3.30pm Irish time
- Ranking & Quarter-Final Matches
Saturday, July 27 –
- Ranking, Semi-Final & Medal Matches
Sunday, July 28 –
- Pool B: Ireland Women v Great Britain, kick-off 3.30pm local time/2.30pm Irish time
- Pool B: Ireland Women v South Africa, kick-off 7pm local time/6pm Irish time
Monday, July 29 –
- Pool B: Australia v Ireland Women, kick-off 2.30pm local time/1.30pm Irish time
- Ranking & Quarter-Final Matches
Tuesday, July 30 –
- Ranking, Semi-Final & Medal Matches
Where to watch
RTÉ 2 will show live coverage of Ireland's matches starting with Wednesday's opener against South Africa.
