Ireland’s Pool Opponents Confirmed For HSBC SVNS Grand Final Event

The upcoming 2024 HSBC SVNS Championship is a winner-takes-all event in the Spanish capital, spread across three days from May 31 to June 2, where a podium finish could be the springboard to Olympic medal success later in the summer.

The Ireland Men were ultra consistent across the regular SVNS Series, qualifying for Madrid with their highest ever overall finish of second. They were silver medallists in Singapore last weekend, and also picked up three bronzes after reaching five Cup semi-finals in all.

The highlight of the Ireland Women’s campaign was their historic Perth title win in January, where they overcame hosts Australia 19-14 in a thrilling final. Finishing seventh overall, they bounced back from some lower placings with a fifth place finish in Singapore.

Captain and key player, Lucy Rock (née Mulhall), missed most of the last three rounds through injury, but head coach Allan Temple-Jones said she will be back ‘hopefully sooner rather than later’.

Tipperary flyer Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, their leading try scorer again this season with 26 tries in as many matches, has stood in as skipper for the last two legs.

The Ireland Women have been drawn in Pool B for the Madrid event, alongside League runners-up Australia, France, and sixth-placed Fiji. They beat both Australia and Fiji in Perth, and will be looking to avenge their Hong Kong quarter-final defeat to the French.

Having ended up a close second to League title winners Argentina, the Ireland Men will head up Pool B for the Grand Final. They are set for some tasty fixtures against Fiji, South Africa, and New Zealand, who pipped them to the Singapore crown in Sunday’s decider.

After narrowly missing out on their first SVNS Series gold, James Topping’s charges will be aiming to extend their run of podium finishes at Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano.

Terry Kennedy is the Men’s Series’ top try scorer with 31 tries, and has made three Dream Team selections this season. In-form forward Zac Ward has also impressed in the try-scoring stakes, crossing the whitewash 22 times in 29 games.

2024 HSBC SVNS CHAMPIONSHIP POOLS – GRAND FINAL, MADRID:

MEN’S COMPETITION –

POOL A: Argentina (1), Australia (4), France (5), Great Britain (8)

POOL B: IRELAND (2), New Zealand (3), Fiji (6), South Africa (7)

WOMEN’S COMPETITION –

POOL A: New Zealand (1), USA (4), Canada (5), Great Britain (8)

POOL B: Australia (2), France (3), Fiji (6), IRELAND (7)

– Final positions from regular season in brackets