Shamrock Warriors RFC was a Rugby sevens club founded in 2009 by former

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...

out-half Fergal Campion. They were the only 7's club in Ireland endorsed by the

Irish Rugby Football Union The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) ( ga, Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann) is the body managing rugby union in the island of Ireland (both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ...

and were established to represent

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

as the only official Irish 7's team competing at the top level tournaments in Europe.

Aims

The clubs aim was to develop a pool of experienced 7's players for the IRFU to be in position to select to develop into a future international 7's squad to compete in tournaments by giving them experience playing in the top level competition should the IRFU become involved in professional international sevens or in the Olympic Sevens. The intention was to develop the game in Ireland and use the IRFU approved Warriors as the foundation for a national side. Ireland does not participate in the official HSBC Sevens World Series. The Shamrock Warriors was the beginning of the process of getting sevens into the IRFU and into the national circuit. The team was self-funded.

Players

The player pool consisted of players who are playing club rugby in Ireland, those coming from provincial contracts and development players that may not win full professional contracts.

Women's team

There is also a women's team that consists of club players around the country led by former Irish captain Sarah Jane Belton and is managed by Kazakhstan international Luke O'Callaghan. The team also hopes to recruit

female Female (Venus symbol, symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ovum, ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the Sperm, male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gamet ...

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

players.

Key staff

Former

and

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

coach Matt Williams has been secured as a technical advisor for the venture while a committee including former internationals

Denis Hickie Denis Anthony Hickie (Irish name: ''Donnacadh Antoin Ó hIceadh''; born 13 February 1976), is a retired professional rugby union player formerly employed by the Irish Rugby Football Union. He played his club rugby for Leinster. His primary pos ...

and Malcolm O'Kelly has also come on board to assist the project. The club aims to recruit players on playing at club level or those who may be coming off a professional contract, those falling off academy contracts as well as potential players coming up from school level. The team is managed by Derek Thornton.

Committee

*Fergal Campion *Derek Thornton * Matt Williams *

David McHugh David McHugh is a former Irish rugby union referee. McHugh refereed matches at the 1995, 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cups. In 1996 McHugh refereed the inaugural Heineken Cup final. He would also referee the 2001 final, making him the first ref ...

* Victor Costello *

Malcolm O'Kelly Malcolm O'Kelly (born 19 July 1974) is an Irish former rugby union player who played as a Lock (rugby union), lock for Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland and Leinster Rugby, Leinster. O'Kelly was born in Chelmsford, England, and attended ...

Competitions

The club is planning to compete in a number of outings for 2011 including: *

Kinsale Sevens The Kinsale Sevens (also known as Heineken Kinsale Sevens, Kinsale Sevens By The Sea) is Ireland and Europe's premier seven-a-side club rugby event. The event takes place across the May Bank Holiday Weekend (Friday to Sunday) at the Kinsale Rug ...

*Omagh *Manchester *London Rocks *West Country *Newquay *

Roma seven The Roma Sevens International Rugby Sevens Tournament is held every years since 2002 in Rome, Italy, at the Stadio dei Marmi. Men's tournament Participants in the Roma Sevens over the years: Australia national rugby sevens team, South Africa nat ...

References

{{Reflist Irish rugby union teams Rugby clubs established in 2009 2009 establishments in Ireland Rugby sevens in Ireland Ireland national rugby sevens team