TOKYO DRIFT

Dardis thought the wheels had come off his Olympic dream but delay has Ireland back in groove

RELIEVED Billy Dardis believes the Olympic Games postponement has handed the Ireland Sevens a third shot at making Tokyo.

Dardis and his team-mates feared their opportunity was about to be snuffed out without them even kicking off with the final qualifiers scheduled for June.

The swift spread of Covid-19 meant Olympic repechage tournament was expected to be called off – and the 25-year-old could see Ireland’s hopes going with it.

“Japan hoped to go ahead with the Games, and we knew there wouldn’t be time for the qualifier.” said the Ireland skipper.

“It was looking like France, as the top seeds in the qualifiers, were going to go without a tournament being played.

“So for a few days I was thinking, ‘That’s it, that’s what we’ve been training for these last few years, and it’s gone’. “Then the Games were postponed and I see it as our third chance to make it. “Last summer we had a chance and didn’t do it and, to me, the announcement last week represents a second chance gone. “But we are still there and we have another year to get even fitter, stronger and better – to hit the ground running for the qualifiers.

“To not have that chance would have been heartbreaking.

“The Olympics is the pinnacle of sport. To make it is something you’d hold on to forever.

“Obviously the 15s team is the main scene in Irish rugby, but to lead a team at the Olympics as captain would be incredible – to qualify would inspire kids to want to do the same, it would be a big stepping stone to grow the game in Ireland.”

Nevertheless the French – currently third in the world rankings – would have been favourites to take the one spot left on offer. Ireland are in 10th place.

“We would have had to catch them on the hop, with us playing at our best, but we can build more momentum now,” Dardis added.

He believes that the one year Olympic delay can only benefit an Ireland set-up that has been coming to terms with the jump onto the elite HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

The last four months were a brilliant experience for the globe-trotting squad, though they have mixed good performances with bad.

The campaign started in Dubai and Cape Town in December, moved on to Hamilton and Sydney just after Christmas and then to LA and Vancouver.

They were due to be fly to Hong Kong this weekend, then on to Singapore. The coronavirus emergency put paid to that. “It is what it is, it’s disappointing but there are more important things in life than playing,” added Dardis.