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‘Incredibly disappointing' – Brian O'Driscoll blasts IRFU decision to axe men's rugby Sevens team

BRIAN O'Driscoll has added his voice to the chorus of dismay at the IRFU axing the Irish men's rugby Sevens team. The shock move Advertisement 3 The 46-year-old stated he understands why there's such 'anger and frustration' among the men's Sevens players 3 Sevens star Terry Kennedy has labelled the decision 'nothing short of a disgrace' 3 Legendary former fly-half David Humphreys took over as IRFU High Performance Director in June 2024 Several sevens players have expressed their outrage at their career prospects being cut from under them in such a drastic way. And now Ireland's greatest-ever Union player has come down firmly on their side. He tweeted: "Incredibly disappointing to see the Irish rugby mens 7's being discontinued. "Have loved watching them on the @SVNSSeries over the past decade or so - more than holding their own against the best of the worlds 7's teams. Advertisement Read More On Irish Sport "Understandably I'm sure there's a lot of anger and frustration within their camp." In a statement, the IRFU said the decision to cancel the programme was in part to "ensure long-term financial sustainability". It read: "The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) today confirmed that following a comprehensive review of its Sevens programmes after the conclusion of the 2024 Olympic cycle, it has made the decision to cease the Men's Sevens programme following the conclusion of the 2024/25 season. "This move is part of a broader strategic effort to ensure long-term financial sustainability and focus on key initiatives outlined in the Union's strategic plan. Advertisement Most read in Rugby Union "This announcement follows the release of the IRFU's financial results last November, which showed an €18 million deficit for the 2023/24 season. "As part of its ongoing efforts to manage this deficit and secure a sustainable financial future, the IRFU has been reviewing all of its programmes to identify areas for optimisation and prioritisation. Shocking moment enormous brawl breaks out in rubgy league after 'horrendous hit' 'While the decision to end the Men's Sevens programme is a difficult one, it is necessary in order to ensure that our resources are focused on the areas that will have the greatest impact on the future of the game in Ireland. Advertisement "We are committed to making sure that this transition is handled with the utmost respect for all those who have contributed to the success of the Sevens programme.' DARDIS OUTRAGE Vice-chair of the Olympic Federation of Ireland's Athletes Commission Billy Dardis had criticised the IRFU for being "short-sighted" while breaking the news. Dardis captained the team on its Olympic debut, when it came 10th in Tokyo but missed out on selection for Paris World Rugby unveiled a new three-tier competition at the start of the month with the top tier reduced from 12 to eight teams. Ireland came 11th with the squad which came second last year decimated by retirements. Advertisement And Dardis believes the Ireland team was doomed since the departure of David Nucifora as the IRFU's performance director. He fumed: 'Sevens is probably the younger brother that they want to push away and quieten down. 'What happened in the last month, it would be like if the 'I was joking last night that we were like the Jamaican Advertisement 'By all accounts, on Monday the lads are getting told that there is no programme next year.' Dardis' intervention prompted the IRFU to bring forward its announcement planned for Monday but he said it had not come as a surprise. He said: 'Lads are going looking for jobs right now. It's a bit of a mess. It's devastating. 'It has just been infuriating watching it because ten players retired last year after Paris and not one player was replaced. So they only had 13 or 14 players across the whole squad this year. Advertisement 'They didn't bring in one so you kind of see the cracks. They weren't putting in the same amount of funding. Coaches and performance staff started to leave. 'I've come to terms with it and I think the lads as well. It's, 'OK I need to find a job for next year' and some of them have.' Dardis believes a podium finish in Paris might have saved the team but said that was not the only measure of success. WARD EXAMPLE He said: 'You look at Zac Ward kicking on now at Ulster, Andrew Smith at Munster, you could go right across the provinces. Advertisement 'Hugo Keenan is now playing for the Lions, so lots of good things have come out of it. It's short-sighted by both World Rugby and Irish Rugby. 'It was driven by David Nucifora. It was just after Ireland got hammered by Argentina in that 2015 "He saw the crossover and parallels, and he pushed it. It was his baby.. 'We didn't quite realise it at the time, he was the one driving it. With David Humphreys coming in, I thought he was going to be a big supporter of it. Advertisement 'But leading into Paris, there were a few cracks. There wasn't a Sevens academy being built over a few years, so you are thinking, 'what's going to happen here?''