Hong Kong Sevens: Ireland journey threatens downwards turn, as Spain surge
As Mark Roche gave away his match-worn socks to a gleeful young fan inside Kai Tak Stadium, it was tempting to wonder if the hard-up Irish union would scold their player for his generosity.
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After reporting losses of £15.3 million (US$19.8 million) in their 2023-24 accounts, which they blamed on costs for their men's 15s' 2023 World Cup quarter-final campaign, Irish rugby made changes to their 'funding model'.
It is believed that Ireland's sevens teams have been in the crosshairs of cost-cutting chiefs. The men, who finished second in last year's HSBC SVNS Series standings, following only five years on the elite circuit, were a lowly 11th in this season's table, after climbing off the bottom with a seventh-placed finish in Hong Kong.
Talking after his side beat Great Britain 28-12, Roche said he 'would not comment' on whether his team retained strong backing from their union.
He said, however, that the country's full-time programme, which was introduced in 2015, remains operational, while Ireland's sevens teams still share a high-performance centre with their 15s counterparts.
Ireland's Mark Roche passes the ball as Great Britain's players look on. Photo: Elson Li
Nonetheless, the narrative around Roche's team has changed: last year, captain Harry McNulty told the Post about the 'special drive' that was responsible for Ireland's progress since they beat Hong Kong to gain world series status in 2019.
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