Ireland Men To Face Familiar Opponents In World Sevens Series Qualifier
Ian Fitzpatrick hurdles Martin Iosefo of the USA during Ireland's historic bronze medal-winning campaign at last summer's London leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series ©INPHO/Andrew Fosker
The Ireland Men’s Sevens team will kick off the upcoming HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series qualifying tournament against Jamaica, following confirmation of the pools and fixtures for the 12-team competition in Hong Kong on April 5-7.
Returning to the scene of their heartbreaking semi-final exit last year, Ireland have been drawn in Pool F with Jamaica, Uruguay and European rivals Russia. The tournament winners will secure core status on the Sevens Series for 2020.
Anthony Eddy’s men face Jamaica, the Rugby Americas North Sevens champions, first up at Hong Kong Stadium on Friday, April 5 (kick-off 12.38pm local time/5.38am Irish time), before they play Uruguay, the fourth-place finishers in the recent Sudamérica Rugby Sevens, at 3.43pm local time/8.43am Irish time.
Ireland defeated both Jamaica (26-0) and Uruguay (36-0) in their Hong Kong pool in 2018, while they have gone head-to-head with Russia, their final round opponents on Saturday, April 6 (kick-off 10.08am local time/3.08am Irish time), on a number of occasions, including a 35-0 Marcoussis 7s semi-final win last July.
Pool E for the fast-approaching qualifier includes hosts Hong Kong, the Philippines, Zimbabwe and Tonga, the latter two having featured on the 2019 series as invitational sides. Germany, beaten finalists the last two years in Hong Kong, feature in Pool G along with Uganda, the Cook Islands and Chile, the invitational team in Las Vegas and Vancouver earlier this month.
For more information on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, visit www.world.rugby/sevens-series.
HSBC WORLD RUGBY SEVENS SERIES QUALIFIER – HONG KONG 7s:
POOL E: Hong Kong, Tonga, Zimbabwe, Philippines
POOL F: Ireland, Russia, Uruguay, Jamaica
POOL H: Chile, Germany, Uganda, Cook Islands
IRELAND FIXTURES –
Friday, April 5
POOL F:
Ireland v Jamaica, Hong Kong Stadium, 12.38pm local time/5.38am Irish time
Ireland v Uruguay, Hong Kong Stadium, 3.43pm local time/8.43am Irish time
Saturday, April 6
Ireland v Russia, Hong Kong Stadium, 10.08am local time/3.08am Irish time
QUARTER-FINALS
Sunday, April 7
SEMI-FINALS & FINAL