Fiji are rugby 7s. They embody a game that is also their national sport, which is why Ireland’s win over the Olympic gold medallists today is so significant, and a milestone for Irish rugby in general.
The Irish 7s team continue to break down barriers, qualifying for the Olympics in Tokyo while the women’s team lost a heart breaking final in the Seville leg of the HSBC 7s circuit.
The win over Fiji leaves Ireland 7s with a Cup quarter-final tie tomorrow against the USA in Singapore. They finished second in their group, level on points with France and Fiji, taking second place behind the Fijians with France missing out in third.
Ireland’s two-punch duo of Jordan Conroy and Terry Kennedy were in flying form, with Kennedy scoring a clutch try to seal the victory over Fiji, and Conroy top of the HSBC’s impact player table.
With the match in the balance, it's @IrishRugby talisman @TerryKennedy14 with a moment of magic to seal a first ever win over Fiji on the circuit@DHLrugby | #ImpactMoment pic.twitter.com/bb7fgosoXT
— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) April 9, 2022
Kennedy’s try against the Fijians secured a 21-12 win in their first pool game, before defeating Japan 38-7, and losing to France 12-5.
Jordan Conroy, a recent participant in Dancing with the Stars on RTE, was in flying form off the pitch after their loss to France, referring to the Singapore pitch as “the dancefloor”, an obvious nod to his recent TV showings.
Catch you in the quarter-finals, Jordan 👋@IrishRugby | #Singapore7s | #HSBC7s pic.twitter.com/eA2MQljY0k
— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) April 9, 2022
In both rugby and dancing he has a similar mentality, which was clear with his words before he entered the RTE competition.
"I'm really excited to put my dancing skills to the test and looking forward to swapping out rugby boots for the shiny dancing shoes!It will definitely be a change of scenery, I can't wait to have fun with it and learn different dances - I do love a good boogie! I have to say there's a winning mentality and I'm in to win!"
Ireland will face off against the USA 7s in tomorrow’s quarter-final as they look to secure a first ever HSBC series win.
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