13 June 2005 The IRFU (Irish Rugby Football Union) has honoured its past and present referees who have officiated at the highest levels of the game. A special cap presentation ceremony recently took place in Old Belvedere Rugby Club in Dublin, where those referees who have officiated at senior international level each received commemorative caps for their services to the game. Amongst those presented with caps were: Ham Lambert: (who celebrates his 95th birthday this month ), refereed in the 5 Nations for the first time in 1948. Ray Williams: first capped in 1957, Ray refereed at test level until 1964, including 3 tests on the Wilson Whineray-led New Zealand tour to the Northern Hemisphere. Kevin Kelleher: although better known for the sending-off of Kiwi legend Colin Meads at Murrayfield in 1965, he refereed an extraordinary twenty 5 Nations matches between 1960 and 1971. Other very well known referees honoured were Dave Burnett (first Rugby World Cup in 1987), Stephen Hilditch (World Cup semi-final in 1995), Owen Doyle (IRFU Director of Referees) and the current group of present internationals Donal Courtney, Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland. The full list of capped referees is as follows: N.H. Lambert 1948 R.C. Williams 1957 K.D. Kelleher 1960 R.W. Gilliland 1964 P. D'Arcy 1967 G.A. Jamieson 1972 K.H. Clark 1973 J.R. West 1974 D.I.H. Burnett 1977 M.D.M. Rea 1979 O.E. Doyle 1984 S.R. Hilditch 1984 B. Stirling 1989 D. McHugh 1994 G. Black 1996 L. Mayne 1997 B. Smith 1997 A. Lewis 1998 A. Rolland 2001 D. Courtney 2002  19 May 2005 Message from the President Mike Weiniger   As my year as President of Belfast Harlequins draws to a close I would like to thank all those members, family and friends who have given their support during the year. In particular I wish to pay tribute to two stalwart members who have guided me during the year, namely Howard Hughes and Bertie O’Neill. A big thank you guys for your help and assistance.   The last year has been an exciting one for the club and the teams some of whom have won leagues and trophies. The highlight of the year was undoubtaly the success of the 1stXV who were unlucky to loose out to Shannon in the Final of the All Ireland League. I offer my congratulations to the entire squad on this excellent achievement. I wish to acknowledge the contribution of former Coach Andre Bester and his replacement the ever young DC Gillespie also the assistance Graham McCluggage and Roy Rennix who together all played a part in this magnificent achievement.   To the new coach Andy Ward I wish you continued success next season and if I can be of any assistance you have only to ask. However at 68 years of age I have no intention of buying a new pair of boots.  The pleasure of being President of such a wonderful club is something I will always treasure. To the incoming president Roy McDougal I wish you every success and look forward to assisting you in any way I can.   I wish the club and all its members continued success in the year ahead.   Mike.

9 May 2005 Press release   Experience makes way for talent!!   It is with much happiness that 4th XV captain Stephen Deyermond announces that after 4 years of looking he has found another mug to take over responsibility for the mighty 4th XV.  Dave 'The Master' Dunlop has resisted overtures from Rotherham to take up the new position.   Deyermond said "I have decided to spend more time with my family on a Friday night and a Saturday morning and also given the loss of players from the 1st XV it is only fair on Andy Ward that I keep myself available for the teams up the club."   Dunlop said "To be honest, I've known for months that Stephen was planning to step down and had an inkling that there would be a knock at the door when the time came to appoint a replacement. I know what it's like to play at the top and I saw this as a tremendous opportunity.  Given the departures up the club, there is every chance that the last years 4's will form the bulk of the 1's next season and therefore this will be my last chance to captain the 1st XV"   Senior player and eminent Ballynahinch optician Craig Henderson paid a sort of tribute "I am not surprised by the news that the most successful club captain in the short history of Belfast Harlequins is stepping down. Stephen has been a tremendous customer of Orange over the years so I expect a downturn in their profits and have instructed my broker accordingly".   Andrew Molyneaux of sponsors Sloan Molyneaux added "I could give a flying fiddlers who the next captain is as nobody listened to Dym anyway. Just as long as I continue to get selected and they don't pick Hyndsie i'll be happy"   03 May2005 The AIB Team of the season 2004/2005 Seven players from Saturday's Division One final sides Shannon and Belfast Harlequins have been named in the AIB/Irish Times Team Of The Season for 2004/05. Mick Galwey's Shannon, who will be gunning for a third AIL title in four seasons at Lansdowne Road next weekend, lead the way with five places on the selection, decided upon by The Irish Times rugby writers team of Gerry Thornley, John O'Sullivan, Johnny Waterson and Gavin Cummiskey, with the not too considerable help of a number of top flight coaches. Skipper and lock Tom Hayes, top try-scoring centre Brian Tuohy, hooker Nigel Conroy, burly tighthead prop Tony Buckley and Munster-contracted flanker Stephen Keogh came out on top in their respective positions for Galwey's table-topping lot. First-time finalists 'Quins, who came from behind to beat Shannon 19-18 in the league proper last December, have had talismanic fly-half Ian Humphreys and former Ireland Under-21 prop Declan Fitzpatrick included in the XV. With the league now ever reliant on young homegrown talents, Trinity tyro Jamie Heaslip - a team mate of Fitzpatrick in the Ireland Under-21s side which lost last year's IRB Under-21 World Cup final to New Zealand - takes the number 8 berth, while Garryowen's 21-year-old starlet Gerry Hurley has risen to the top of the scrum-half charts. Lansdowne and Leinster flanker Niall Ronan assumes the openside role on the XV. The 22-year-old wing forward is one of three players included who also made the 2003/04 selection. The 24-year-old Hayes - who lined out twice for Munster in their Celtic League run this past season - and Leicester-bound Humphreys - then of Ballymena - were chosen for last year's team. The players will receive their awards at a lunch later this month. AIB/Irish Times Team Of The Season 2004/05: (15) Ross McCarron (UCD) (14) Niall O'Brien (Clontarf) (13) Andrew Trimble (Ballymena) (12) Brian Tuohy (Shannon) (11) Ted Robinson (Buccaneers) (10) Ian Humphreys (Belfast Harlequins) (9) Gerry Hurley (Garryowen) (1) Declan Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins) (2) Nigel Conroy (Shannon) (3) Tony Buckley (Shannon) (4) Simon Crawford (UCD) (5) Tom Hayes (Shannon) (6) Stephen Keogh (Shannon) (7) Niall Ronan (Lansdowne) (8) Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University)

26 April 2005 DC Gillespie steps out of the shadows Rugby has been a labour of love for DC Gillespie for longer than he would care to remember. Gillespie is one of those army of volunteers who give up so much of their spare time simply for the love of the game. An army that even the onset of professionalism 10 years ago has failed to deter or deflate. The lack of a fat cheque at the end of the month does not prevent Gillespie spending four nights a week at his beloved Belfast Harlequins, never mind running up a phone bill the size of a small mortgage. Since the club was founded seven years ago, Gillespie, a former full-back cum back-row forward for Queen's University and North, has been coaching the Under-20s and second XVs, and, for the last three years he has also been assisting the now-departed Andre Bester with the 1st XV. "My wife would call it an addiction but I do get a fair buzz out of seeing people do well," said Gillespie. "It is nice to be able to say you have helped - and I mean helped, not tell - people to play a bit better. "Take Gavin McLoughlin (a 22-year-old full-back) for example. He came through our Under-20s and has been in the seconds for a number of years. "We gave him an opportunity to play against Cork down earlier this month there and he won man-of-the-match. "John Andress (newly-contracted Ulster development player) is another example. A few years ago we went to Portstewart for a training camp. Andre and I were chatting and we were short of props for a bit of scrummaging, so we said, "what about young Andress?" who at that time he been second row for Campbell. "So we fired him into prop and now he is an Ireland Under-21 prop. To see people like that rise to the challenge is great." Gillespie's rugby coaching career was spent out of the limelight until the departure of Bester last month. Ulster captain Andy Ward, Bester's successor has already begun his work at Deramore, but Gillespie has crucially provided the continuity. And he will step out of the shadows when Harlequins travel to Garryowen for the All-Ireland League Division One play-off, as Ward will be in Swansea with Ulster for the Celtic Cup clash against the Ospreys. "It is nice occasionally to make the hard decisions and that's what I'm going to have to do on Saturday," added Gillespie. "I know the players well and they know me pretty well so it is not as if have been starting completely afresh. "Andy (Ward) has come in and done some bits and pieces and we have been working on getting quicker ball. But I don't think the team would be any different if Andre was here. "It has been business as usual." Gillespie admits he was surprised that Bester left before the season was complete and that the South African's depature did pose problems. "Initially it was a bit of a shock for the players and it maybe came at an inopportune time in terms of continuity," he said. "But we had to work at it and pick up the pieces. We have tried to focus on enjoyment and ball work as most of the donkey work had been done earlier in the season. "And the players have rallied well when the chips have been down all season. "The death of Johnny Poole (who died in a gun accident) at the start of the season has made them a very close-knit squad." Harlequins have beaten all three of the top four rivals during the league campaign, including a 13-6 victory at Dooradoyle back in December. And Gillespie is confident his side can pull it off on Saturday, having come up well short in last season's semi-final at Shannon. "We have been down there already this year and we defended particularly well and won the day and something similar is going to be required. "You couldn't have a more difficult place to go that Garryowen or Shannon in the semi-final, so we are going to have to be at our best. "A good core of the side played in Shannon last year when we didn't really front up. Maybe that's a harsh but we sat off them a wee bit and let them play too much. If you go down there you have to be in their faces for 80 minutes if you want to win it. "Last year Shannon got after us and a couple of our key players, Rory Best and Reece Spee had poor games.," he added. "But we are more experienced now and are capable of playing it a number of different ways if we have to. This week we will be working on options. "A lot of the hard work has been done, it is just a question of getting the attitude right on the day. "If the boys play well, we can win it, I have no doubt about that. In fact, I think if they play to their best, they can win the whole thing outright. We have already beaten the three sides in the play-offs and there isn't a reason why we can't do that again as the teams haven't changed significantly."

22 April 2005 Raker bids a fond farewell at Ravenhill His career as pre-match entertainer at Ravenhill may still be in its prime, but Michael McLean will make his last ever appearance on a rugby pitch this Saturday. McLean, more widely known by his nickname 'Raker', will bring the curtain down on a 35-year playing career, as what he describes as an impact substitute for Belfast Harlequins 7th XV against Malone 5th XV at Ravenhill on Saturday in the final of the Butler Shield (kick-off 1pm). The 52-year-old - who has been stirring up Ravenhill crowds before Ulster matches since the memorable European Cup run in 1999 - made his first appearance in club rugby 30 years earlier, when as a pupil at Methodist College he made his debut for Collegians. "After school I suppose my career has been on a steady crest of a slump," laughed McLean, who is promising to wear his lucky cashmere coat ("Ulster have never lost when I have worn it," he claims) instead of a tracksuit on the bench on Saturday. "Playing for Collegians, inevitably we were playing against better teams, so our goal was always to out-enjoy them. "And my best memories were that even though I was playing for a crap team, you had the opportunity to play against the best players in the world. "My very earliest memory, when I was playing out-half, was against the great Ballymena team of the 1970s. "They had a move which involved Willie John McBride taking a peel from Harry Steele at the back and running straight through me. They quickly worked out that was the easiest way to score and I think they scored something like 70 points when the try was still worth three points! "But McBride came up to me after the game and I was only 19 and said to me, 'let's have a pint after the game son'. He was the greatest player in Ireland at the time and he just sat having a beer with us. I just thought this was unbelievable. "That wouldn't happen today. Firstly you would never get the chance now to play against the best players in the world and would there be anybody at that level would have the time to spend with a couple of very ordinary kids?" McLean, who runs his own sports event management company, Premier Sports, has spent the majority of his career playing social rugby and Saturday will be his fifth final at headquarters - almost 30 years to the day that he captained Collegians 3rd XV to the Foster Cup triumph. He puts his longevity down to his strict training regime (once every two months) and his tackling ability. "The key has not been peaking too early and I am probably pretty famous for my tackling - to the best of my knowledge I haven't tackled for 20 years and I don't intend to change that on Saturday," he added. "It is our secret weapon because it makes the other 14 players on our side work even harder. In the semi-final, Enniskillen 4th XV didn't work out that we had a 52-year-old non-tackling full-back. I think I will be starting on the bench in the final because we reckon Malone will know me a bit better!" His dream now is to land the winning drop-goal in injury-time. "I tried to retire five years ago but nobody phoned me up to talk me out of it so I decided to keep playing but this is definitely my last game on Saturday," he added. "It would bring a suitable end to a career in the bargain basement but I will probably have to wait until Simon Aldred (his rival for the No 15 shirt) has missed five or six kicks until they give me a shot at goal!"

18 April 2005 AIB/Irish Times Division One Team of the Season.   This year's team will be chosen with the help of the Division One coaches, who will nominated three of their own players, and the best three opposition players they have seen over the season. These players, along with those chosen by Irish Times rugby correspondent Gerry Thornley, and reporters John O'Sullivan, Johnny Watterson and Gavin Cummiskey, will provide the team.   We also want you, the rugby public, to vote for your team of the season, from the list of players below. The premise is simple: the list contains 10 clusters of players. From the groups below, you have to choose a fullback, two wings, two centres, an outhalf, a scrumhalf, two props, a hooker, two secondrows, two flankers and a number eight. When choosing wings, centres, props, locks and flankers you don’t have to differentiate in terms of specialities; you may pick two right wings, or two outside centres, or two tighthead props. The organisers are just looking for the best two in each category. Public voting will start today, (Monday, April 18th) and will continue until Monday April 25th. The AIB League/Irish Times Team of Season will be announced on Monday May 2nd. You can log your selected team by emailing aibleague@ogilvy.com.   The ten people to pick the team that matches or closely resembles the team, as chosen by The Irish Times rugby writers, will be invited to attend the League finals day as a guest of AIB and The Irish Times. Each prize consists of two tickets for the AIB finals day lunch, two stand tickets, and overnight accommodation in Dublin. Best of luck!   Candidates for the AIB League Irish Times Team of the Season 2005: Full Backs: Pick 1 from following Ross McCarron (UCD), John Lacey (Shannon), Andrew Finn (Garryowen) Wings: Pick 2 from following John Cleary (Galwegians), Niall O'Brien (Clontarf), Scott Young (Ballymena), Ted Robinson (Buccaneers), Paul McKenzie (Belfast Harlequins), Fiachra Baynes (Lansdowne) Centre: Pick 2 from following WP Strauss (Belfast Harlequins), Tom Allen (Galwegians), Brian Touhy (Shannon), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena), Conrad O’Sullivan (Cork Constitution), Andrew O’Neill (Blackrock) Outhalves: Pick 1 from following Richie Murphy (Carlow), Ian Humphreys (Belfast Harlequins), Eoghan Hickey (UCD) Scrumhalves: Pick 1 from following Pat McCarthy (Cork Constitution), Jerry Hurley (Garryowen) Andy Matchett (Belfast Harlequins) Props: Pick 2 from following Padraig Brennan (Carlow), Bryan Young (Ballymena), Tony Buckley (Shannon), Eamonn Bracken (Buccaneers), Declan Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins), John Wickham (Clontarf) Hookers: Pick 1 from following David Blaney (UCD), Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins), Nigel Conroy (Shannon) Second Rows: Pick 2 from following Simon Crawford (UCD), Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon), John Duffy (Clontarf), Tom Hayes (Shannon), Shane O’Connor (Cork Constitution), Henry Head (Ballymena) Flankers: Pick 2 from following Kevin Croke (UCD), David O’Brien (Clontarf), Chris McCarey (Belfast Harlequins), Stephen Keogh (Shannon), Niall Ronan (Lansdowne), Peter Malone (Garryowen) Number Eights: Pick 1 from following Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University), David Quinlan (Shannon), Paul Neville (Garryowen)

14 April 2005 Triple treat ahead for fans   This year's three All-Ireland League divisional finals will be played on Saturday, May 7 at Lansdowne Road. The Division Three decider will kick-off at midday, and with Greystones beating Ards last year, the Co Wicklow side will be strong favourites to reach the final again after only losing one game in winning promotion. Division Two's final is scheduled for a 2pm start and unfortunately there will be no Ulster representation in a game that could be an all Munster affair. The showpiece Division One final kicks off at 4pm. Belfast Harlequins have already made the semi-finals, as have defending champions Shannon who have a home tie in the last four. As well as the rugby the IRFU and the sponsors AIB want to make the occasion a family fun day. The back pitch will be opened up and their will be marquees, musical events and bouncy castles. The IRFU are also putting on free coaches for clubs participating in the finals. Maurice Crowley, general manager of AIB, is hoping the event is well supported. "We are delighted that the Division 1, 2 and 3 finals will each be played in Lansdowne on the same day. Finals day is the highlight of the club rugby calendar each year, and last year's finals day proved to be a huge success. "A great atmosphere is bound to prevail in and around Lansdowne Road on the day, and I would encourage everyone to come along and support club rugby in general."

12 March 2005 Ian Humphreys to move to Leicester Ian Humphreys has rejected the offer of a development contract from Ulster in favour of joining Leicester. Humphreys, younger brother of Ulster and Ireland fly-half David Humphreys, said the offer from the Tigers had been "impossible to turn down". "Now my playing future is decided, I am looking forward to concentrating my efforts on helping Belfast Harlequins secure the AIL league title," he said. Humphreys captained Ireland in the recent World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong. The fly-half, who will continue his university studies at Loughborough University, said he was looking forward to linking up with "Paddy Howard, Neil Back and the rest of the coaching staff at Leicester". "The coaching staff at Leicester including a full-time kicking coach coupled with the attacking style of rugby Leicester play were ultimately the determining factors in reaching my decision," added Humphreys.

11 March 2005 Kettyle steps in for Irish u21'S Ireland Under-21 coach Mark McDermott has been forced into a late change for tonight's Six Nations clash with France U-21 at Thomond Park (kick-off 7.30pm). Belfast Harlequins' full-back Mark Kettyle - who started in the 28-6 loss to England U-21 a fortnight ago - comes in for UCD's Ross McCarron, who injured himself in training. McCarron - a former Leinster schools and Under-21 star - would have been making his debut at this level. UCC's Denis Hurley comes onto the bench. That means there will be three changes from the line-up that was dusted down by the English at Donnybrook. In the backs, captain Gareth Steenson returns from injury at fly-half, while Kieran Geraghty of London Irish gets an outing on the right wing. Steenson is one of four Dungannon players on the side - with Ulster chipping in with nine in all. With Saracens' Stuart Philpott sidelined, Corinthians' Joseph Merrigan starts at hooker. Last season, Ireland earned a 20-20 draw away to France. Today's visitors have chalked up two wins over both Scotland (12-8) and England (20-17) in 2005, but lost to leaders Wales last time out, 20-19. UNDER-21 SIX NATIONS: Friday, March 11 Ireland U-21 v France U-21, Thomond Park, 7.00pm IRELAND UNDER-21: (15) Mark Kettyle (Belfast Harlequins) (14) Kieran Geraghty (London Irish) (13) Andrew Trimble (Ballymena) (12) Greg Stafford (Lansdowne) (11) Paul McKenzie (Belfast Harlequins) (10) Gareth Steenson (Dungannon) (Captain) (9) David O'Leary (UCC) (1) Michael Diffley (Buccaneers) (2) Joseph Merrigan (Corinthians) (3) John Andress (Belfast Harlequins) (4) Lewis Stevenson (Belfast Harlequins) (5) Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon) (6) Brett McNamee (Northampton) (7) Oisin Hennessy (Dungannon) (8) Stephen Ferris (Dungannon) Replacements: (16) Eamonn Bracken (Buccaneers) (17) Robert Quinn (UCC) (18) Mark Melbourne (Garryowen) (19) Chris Henry (Malone) (20) Paul Marshall (Ballynahinch) (21) Barry Keeshan (Cork Constitution) (22) Denis Hurley (UCC) France U-21: Bejamin Dambielle; Mathieu Bourret, Vincent Roux, Sylvain Mirande, Florian Denos; Christophe Ruiz, Mickael Campeggia; Pierre Lafond, Frédéric Montagnat, Alexandre Bastin, Denys Drozdz, Loïc Jacquet, Gérald Gambetta (Capt), Fabien Alexandre, Aurélien Diotallevi. Replacements: Benjamin Kayser, Yohan Montès, Damien Fèvre, Damien Chouly, Fabien Cibray, Thibault Lacroix, Adrien Figueiredo. Referee: Mauro Dordolo (Italy) Touch judges: Maurizio Vancini, Stefano Penne (both Italy)

8 March 2005 Eight Ulster players will start for the Ireland A team in Friday's game against France A at Donnybrook. Bryn Cunningham and Tommy Bowe are joined in the backs by fly-half Paddy Wallace and scrum-half Kieran Campbell. Ronan McCormack and Simon Best get the prop berths while Matt McCullough and Roger Wilson are also included in the Irish pack. London Irish second row Bob Casey and Munster men Anthony Horgan and Alan Quinlan are also included. Ulster hooker Paul Shields is included in the replacements. Ireland A: B Cunningham, T Bowe, K Lewis, D Quinlan, A Horgan, P Wallace, K Campbell, R McCormack, B Jackman, S Best, M McCullough, B Casey, A Quinlan, S Jennings, R Wilson. Replacements: P Shields, R Hogan, B Gissing, D Wallace, B O'Riordan, P Burke, S Payne. Not considered due to injury: Keith Gleeson (Leinster ¿ St.Mary¿s College), John O¿Sullivan (Connacht ¿ Garryowen), Leo Cullen (Leinster ¿ Blackrock College), Neil McMillan (Ulster ¿ Ballymena).

8 March 2005   3 young Quins named in Irish U21 Squad –v- France   An initial 22-man Ireland Under-21 squad has been named for Friday's Six Nations meeting with France U-21 at Thomond Park (kick-off 7.30pm). Having begun this year's tournament with an encouraging 33-21 defeat of Italy in Udine, Mark McDermott's side have shipped defeats to both Scotland (16-8) - for the first time ever at this level - and most recently England (28-6). Captain Gareth Steenson - who missed the outing against England at Donnybrook on February 25 - looks set for a return from injury. UCD's Ross McCarron and Daniel Ross of Corinthians - one of two players from the Tuam Road club included - have also earned call-ups. In the forwards, UCC scholarship student Robert Quinn is in line for his first tournament appearance. Last season, Ireland earned a 20-20 draw away to France. Friday's visitors to Limerick chalked up two wins over both Scotland (12-8) and England (20-17) before losing to leaders Wales last time out, 20-19. The Ireland team and replacements will be selected later this week, from the following squad: Forwards (12): John Andress (Belfast Harlequins) Eamonn Bracken (Buccaneers) Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon) Michael Diffley (Buccaneers) Stephen Ferris (Dungannon) Oisin Hennessy (Dungannon) Chris Henry (Malone) Mark Melbourne (Garryowen) Brett McNamee (Northampton) Joseph Merrigan (Corinthians) Robert Quinn (UCC) Lewis Stevenson (Belfast Harlequins) Backs (10): Kieran Geraghty (London Irish) Barry Keeshan (Cork Constitution) Paul Marshall (Ballynahinch) Ross McCarron (UCD) Paul McKenzie (Belfast Harlequins) David O’Leary (UCC) Daniel Riordan (Corinthians) Greg Stafford (Lansdowne) Gareth Steenson (Dungannon) (Capt) Andrew Trimble (Ballymena) Coach: Mark McDermott Assistant Coach: Brian Walsh Manager: David Haslett Ireland Under-21s' Six Nations results: Italy U-21 21 Ireland U-21 33, Udine Scotland U-21 16 Ireland U-21 8, Falkirk Community Stadium Ireland U-21 6 England U-21 28, Donnybrook Fixtures to come: Friday, March 11: Ireland U-21 v France U-21, Thomond Park (7.30pm) Friday, March 18: Wales U-21 v Ireland U-21, Rodney Parade, Newport (7.00pm)

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8 March 2005 Ian Humphreys to captain Ireland 7s The Irish team to take part in the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong from March 18-20 has been named. The squad will be captained by Ian Humphreys, who along with Michael McComish, has played in all five IRB Sevens circuit tournaments this season. There are also three newcomers in the squad to the sevens circuit in the shape of Kevin Croke, Brendan O’Connor and Brian Tuohy. Ireland has been placed in Pool A with New Zealand, Scotland, Tonga, Korea and the USA. The team will play Scotland, New Zealand and the USA on day one of the tournament and Korea and Tonga on day two. The team will depart on Thursday, 10 March. The Ireland Sevens squad to play in the Rugby World Cup Sevens Finals is as follows: Mark Bruce (Loughborough University) Kevin Croke (UCD) David Hewitt (Clontarf) Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin) Ian Humphreys (Belfast Harlequins) Captain Andy Maxwell (Ballymena) Michael McComish (Ballymena) Martin McPhail (UL Bohemians) James Norton (UCD) Brendan O’Connor (Cork Constitution) Niall Ronan (Lansdowne) Brian Tuohy (Shannon) Management: Ryan Constable (Coach) Ailbe McCormack (Physio) George Spotswood (Manager)