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The Irish Sun
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘Drilled into me' – Robbie Brennan may have been born in Dublin but Meath blood pumps through his veins
ROBBIE BRENNAN was born in Dublin — but Royal blood pumps through his veins. He was lifted over the Croke Park turnstiles as a youngster for the 1984 Centenary Cup when Meath beat Monaghan and he became a fan for life. Brennan played for Kilmacud Crokes and would later return to the southside giants to He transferred to the Meath club in 2002, winning a Meath SFC title with them in 2005. His Crokes stint yielded three county and Leinster titles in a row while the Royals slept in Dublin's shadow at county level. This year, Meath ended the Sky Blues' 15-year grip on the province but Read More On GAA But they have since scalped Cork, Kerry and Galway and a first All-Ireland semi-final since 2009 Brennan's first summer in charge has been the stuff of dreams. He said: 'Going back to my dad's roots, it's always been very close to the heart. I've been living in Meath a long time and I've been lucky to win a championship in Meath. 'I clearly remember being lifted over the stiles back in the day and that was the start of it. Most read in GAA Football "You're brought, and at that age you don't know who you're supporting — but he's Meath and it was drilled into me. 'The first one I can remember was the Centenary Cup in 1984. I remember being on dad's shoulders on the pitch after that game. That was the real, real start of it. Watch RTE pundits' contrasting reaction to full-time whistle of Tipperary's epic win over Kilkenny 'But there were a lot of dark days when you're living in Dublin in Kilmacud — and Meath aren't winning and Dublin are starting to win.' As for why he took the job, he added: 'I certainly knew the talent was there and that was the most exciting part of it. It was a case of, could you get in and awaken the sleeping giant? So far we have.' And Brennan has always used pain to drive himself and his players. Losing the 2022 All-Ireland club final to Kilcoo was one of his toughest days, when Jerome Johnston's 81st-minute goal sank Kilmacud. 1 Sunday will see his side take on Donegal in an All-Ireland semi-final Brennan selected a photo of the Magpies lifting the cup as the wallpaper screen on his phone as a reminder. Pictures from their Leinster final loss were used as motivators this time, including one of a dejected Donal Keogan. He said: 'We've had a couple of Louth pictures on it during the year. Sometimes something might just hit you — the Kilcoo one was heartbreaking at the time and was something we used. 'This year I've had one of Keoghie. There's a brilliant one of Keoghie on his knees in front of the Hill after the final whistle in the Leinster final. "Just little things that just keep you motivated, keep you pushing.'
Irish Examiner
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
How Robbie Brennan's slick man-management awakened the Meath sleeping giant
Tomas Ó Sé was thinking about Meath, and how they've gone from one end of the zeroes/heroes spectrum to the other in a matter of months, and found himself flummoxed. "I tried to figure it out during the week, I don't know what's gone on in Meath," said Ó Sé. "How can they suddenly be properly and really deserving of being in an All-Ireland semi-final? "Everyone has been judging Meath on the last number of years, and what's been there for the last number of years, and there has been nothing in terms of what we're seeing right now." The Kerry man probably doesn't need to look a whole pile further than Robbie Brennan for his answer. It was new manager Brennan that convinced Bryan Menton to come out of retirement, having not played since 2022. Seamus Lavin was even longer away, since 2021, yet both have started all 15 of Meath's League and Championship games this year. Jack Flynn, Menton's midfield partner all year until a recent injury, is in a similar boat, coaxed back after missing much of 2024. Then there's Sean Rafferty, arguably the Meath player most likely to end the county's 17-year wait for an All-Star. He hadn't played a League or Championship game before Brennan came in but has started 14 of the 15 games. Conor Duke's stats are exactly the same as Rafferty's. Ruairí Kinsella didn't start a Championship game for Meath last year either but has lined out in all eight this year. The list goes on. It all comes back to Brennan and his slick man management. "I've been living in Meath a long time and I've played and was lucky enough to win a championship in Meath," said the Dunboyne resident. "So with all of that going on, and I'd be at so many of the matches watching the games, whether Dunboyne were in them or not, I certainly knew the talent was there and I think that was probably the most exciting part of it. "It was a case of, could you get in and awaken the sleeping giant, and so far we have." Brennan rose to national prominence for his work with Kilmacud Crokes, in Dublin, guiding them to county, provincial and national successes. But as the son of a Meath man from Kilberry, just north of Navan, he was on his father Paddy's shoulders for the Centenary Cup success of 1984, the first trophy won in the Sean Boylan era. The family's decision to relocate to south Dublin for work purposes was what brought him to the capital, and Crokes, before Brennan U-turned when older, marrying Liz Gallagher, the sister of former Meath goalkeeper David Gallagher, and settling in Dunboyne. Asked if he sees himself as a Meath man or a Dub, Brennan shot back instantly: "Meath." Supporting Dublin wasn't really an option. "It was drilled into me, so it was never any other way," he said of his Meath-ness. "There were a lot of dark days then when you're living in Dublin, you're involved in Kilmacud, and Meath aren't winning and Dublin are starting to win and you're having to go back to the clubhouse and stuff like that. "I'm living in Dunboyne for 20-odd years so I'm more Meath now if there was ever any doubt. The 7/2 for the Dublin job isn't a good price I'd say looking at it!" Brennan has a long way to go to enjoy the same legendary status within Meath as Dunboyne neighbour Boylan but he may just be getting there. In any other year, beating Dublin, Kerry, Cork and Galway in the Championship would probably have already snagged the Sam Maguire Cup. But they've still got Donegal to go on Sunday. Perhaps they'll get a crack at Kerry or Tyrone then after that. Brennan's approach has been a simple one - let the players express themselves. Sure, Meath have got praise for their tactical acumen this year but it was probably more insightful that he described Jordan Morris losing the ball in attack against Galway last time as a 'creative turnover'. Those are always allowed, even encouraged. "What do we say? The more you control, the less you can create. It's that kind of approach," said Brennan. "They're not spoon-fed. It's exactly what we did in Kilmacud, we just allowed the leaders to take over and we let the group kind of develop. "It's happened way quicker (in Meath) than even I thought it might but there's some exceptional leaders in it, not just obviously Eoghan (Frayne) and Ciaran (Caulfield) as captain and vice-captain. They're all grabbing it with both hands." Despite it all, they'll be written off by pretty much everybody when the ball is thrown in tomorrow. "We'll still come in as underdogs and that's good for us," said Brennan. "Donegal are probably one of, if not the favourites for the Championship, and have been for a long time. I think that'll suit us fine coming in again. We don't have to change much."
Scotsman
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
'Like being in a movie' - Melrose Sevens delivers raw power
Spaniards left in awe of Melrose Sevens Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The biggest club rugby crowd of the season assembled at the Greenyards on Saturday for the Howden Melrose Sevens and while they were denied a home victory, the hosts did make it to their first final since 2018. The honours, though, went to Shogun, a guest side filled with Spain sevens internationals who play on the World Series circuit. They won the Centenary Cup, coming from behind to defeat Melrose 12-5 in the final. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While the weather wasn't quite Costa Brava, it was warm enough and although the heavens opened during the second round tie between Selkirk and Shogun it did little to dampen the spirits of the 7,000 or so spectators. Joy for Shogun Rugby who won the Melrose Sevens. | Lisa Ferguson Tournament organisers had reshaped the draw this year in a bid to help the local teams. The guest sides, who tend to be filled with semi-pro and fully professional players, were all made to play in the first round while the seven Borders clubs and Watsonians were given byes into round two. As it turned out, only Melrose managed to make it through to the quarter-finals as Peebles, Hawick, Selkirk, Kelso, Gala, Jed-Forest and Sonians were all ousted in the last 16. Currie and Ayr flew the flag for the Scottish club game, with the former unlucky to lose 22-19 to Melrose in a cracking quarter-final tie. Ayr went one better, and enjoyed a highly impressive 28-0 win over New Zealand guests Te Awamutu before losing 33-26 to Shogun in the semis. Te Awamutu, from Waikato, treated spectators to an impromptu haka before the final. Shogun, founded by Englishman Terry Sands, are an elite invitational outfit who call on players from around the world. They also won at Melrose in 2024 but this year's model drew heavily on Spanish talent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Melrose lost 12-5 to Shogun in the Melrose Sevens final. | Lisa Ferguson In the exciting Francisco Cosculluela they had the player of the tournament and there were also impressive showings from the likes of Jaime Mata, Noah Cánepa, Ángel Bozal and Gabriel Rocaries in a fiesta of rugby. For Mata, winning at Melrose felt like a special moment and very different to his experiences with Spain in the more strait-laced World Series. 'I'd say this is like raw rugby sevens,' said Mata, who also played last year. 'It's pure sevens, and with the crowd and the atmosphere, it's amazing. I really love playing here. I told all the Spanish guys about this tournament and they didn't believe me and now they're so happy. They think they're in a movie!' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rocaries and Will Hendy scored Shogun's tries in the final after Roly Brett had given Melrose the lead. Melrose, who had the compensation of being crowned Kings of the Sevens as the most successful team on this season's Borders circuit, reached the final by beating Edinburgh Rugby 19-14 in the semis. The capital pro side sent an academy squad down to the Borders and there were stand-out performances from Jerry Blyth-Lafferty and Lewis Wells, particularly in their quarter-final win over the Breadalbane Storm guest side which featured Fijian international Niko Matawalu. Melrose had the compensation of being crowned Kings of the Sevens as the most successful team on this season's Borders circuit. | Lisa Ferguson Monaco Impi's, who have the patronage of Princess Charlene of Monaco, also made it to the last eight. The Impi's bolstered their Monegasque squad with a handful of former Scotland Sevens internationals. One of them, Freddie Owsley, scored arguably the try of the day in their win over Kelso. The former Edinburgh flyer collected the ball in his own in-goal area before dodging past a couple of Kelso players and running the length of the field. In the women's final, Harlequins, coached by Jedburgh's Chris Laidlaw, beat Shogun 28-7. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Melrose Sevens results MEN. First round: London Scottish 24-19 Edinburgh Accies; British Army 17-27 Currie; Stew-Mel 0-38 Edinburgh Rugby; Breadalbane Storm 19-12 Stirling Co; Shogun Rugby 20-7 Heriot's; Boroughmuir 7-34 Monaco Impi's; Te Awamutu 24-12 Glasgow Hawks; Glasgow Accies 7-33 Ayr. Second round: London Scottish 0-5 Melrose; Peebles 12-24 Currie; Watsonians 24-21 Edinburgh Rugby; Hawick 45-10 Breadalbane Storm; Shogun 31-7 Selkirk; Monaco 31-12 Kelso; Te Awamutu 47-0 Gala; Ayr 33-5 Jed-Forest. Quarter-finals: Melrose 22-19 Currie; Edinburgh Rugby 26-21 Breadalbane Storm; Shogun 29-5 Monaco; Te Awamutu 0-28 Ayr. Semi-finals: Melrose 19-14 Edinburgh Rugby; Shogun 33-26 Ayr. Final: Melrose 5-12 Shogun. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad WOMEN. First round: Newcastle Uni 10-33 Shogun Rugby; Harlequins 38-0 Hearts+Balls. Second round: Newcastle Uni 0-34 Hearts+Balls; Shogun Rugby 17-24 Harlequins. Third round: Newcastle Uni 0-52 Harlequins; Shogun Rugby 27-12 Hearts+Balls.
Scotsman
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
A day at the Melrose Sevens: Spanish armada, pain for hosts and jewel in crown
Greenyards event continues to showcase some of game's best talents Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... In a week where the very future of the international sevens game has been called into question, it was heartening to return to Melrose and the place where it all began. Shogun celebrate winning the Melrose Sevens. | Lisa Ferguson The Greenyards is the most bucolic of settings and its original 'sports day' continues to entertain and showcase some of the game's great talents. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This latest renewal of the world's oldest sevens tournament almost turned out to be the ultimate crowd pleaser as the hosts reached the men's final for the first time in seven years. Unfortunately for the vocal home support, it was a round too far and Melrose were edged out by Shogun Rugby. The guest side won 12-5, retaining the Centenary Cup they lifted last year. Shogun celebrate winning the Melrose Sevens. | Lisa Ferguson The draw for the men's tournament was revamped this year in a bid to help the local teams following a period of dominance by guest sides. All the Borders clubs - and Watsonians - were given byes into the second round, but only Melrose made it beyond that stage. Ultimately, however, they were sunk by a Spanish armada. Shogun were led by Ross McKnight, the Stirling County winger, but the rest of the squad was stuffed full of international players from Spain and they proved too strong for the hosts. Melrose got off to a flying start in the final. Will Hendy, Shogun's GB Sevens international, was yellow-carded for slapping the ball away and Roly Brett grabbed the opening try almost immediately. Melrose's lead didn't last. Gabriel Rocaries scored a converted try to edge Shogun 7-5 ahead at the break and Hendy sealed the victory with a second-half score. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Melrose remain proud 'I'm immensely proud of all of our efforts today,' said Callum Anderson, the Melrose coach. 'I'm just really, really gutted because there was so much effort there. We were just so close. 'I just thought we could have had a moment that could have turned the game for us. Unfortunately, it fell to them but I couldn't be more proud of my boys. They came out with confidence to show what we've done over the season and I think we showed up really well. We controlled the ball so brilliantly.' The compensation for Melrose is that they were crowned Kings of the Sevens, having already won four of the previous nine tournaments on the Borders circuit. They lifted the trophy to great acclaim as dusk crept up on the Greenyards. The Melrose Sevens may be 142 years old but it retains its place in the Scottish sporting calendar, even if it has been shunted back a few weeks. But sevens rugby is an endangered species at the moment. The Ireland men's team will be cut at the end of this season and it was revealed on Friday that the Great Britain men and women's full-time sevens programme will be scrapped at the end of July. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Shogun players embrace after beating Melrose. Pic: Lisa Ferguson | Lisa Ferguson Scotland's sevens team was disbanded long ago but down in the Borders there remains a thriving circuit of which Melrose is the jewel in the crown. They turned out in big numbers on Saturday and they saw some familiar faces. Niko Matawalu, the former Glasgow Warriors favourite, graced the Greenyards with his presence, turning out for guest side Breadalbane Storm. The Fijian international enjoyed himself in a leisurely second-round romp over Hawick. Storm led 31-0 at half-time but the young Hawick side rallied in the second half, scoring tries through Filip Kubicki and Liam Bouglas before eventually going down 45-10. Breadalbane were turfed out in the quarter-finals, losing to Edinburgh Rugby. The young pro-academy team had too much energy for the star-studded guests, who also included Boks sevens international Nabo Sokoyi. Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (two) and Rory Brogan scored first-half tries for the capital pro side and a further score after the break from Hamish Macarthur was enough to give Edinburgh 26-21 win and put them into the last four where they met the hosts. Pain for the Exiles Melrose's run to the semis hadn't been straightforward. Having been waved into the second round, they led London Scottish 5-0 through a try from Douglas Crawford but were almost undone in the closing stages. David Heavey of Scottish broke from his own half and looked certain to score close to the posts only to drop the ball over the line. Agony for the Exiles but a touch of fortune for Melrose who then defeated Currie 22-19 in the quarter-finals. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The crowd swelled noticeably for the semi-final with Edinburgh as the beer tents emptied and the home fans sensed an upset over the city side. And they were right. The hosts fell behind to an early Jerry Blyth-Lafferty try but tied things up through Connor Spence. A second-half try double from the impressive Keiran Clark put them in the driving seat and although Ross Wolfenden pulled one back for Edinburgh, Melrose had enough to power through into the final, winning 19-14. Shogun, meanwhile, were tearing it up in the other half of the draw. Having taken care of Heriot's and Selkirk, they then proved far too strong for the Monaco Impi's in the third quarter-finals, winning 29-5 with tries from player of the tournament Francisco Cosculluela, Jeremy Trevithick, Jamie Matta, Gabriel Rocaries and Noah Canepa. Melrose were crowned Kings Of The Sevens. | Lisa Ferguson Ayr blocked their path to the final. The Scottish champions had been one of the day's standouts and they had done it the hard way: no bye into the second round for them. They beat Glasgow Accies and Jed in the early rounds before overcoming New Zealanders Te Awamutu in the quarters. But Shogun reached their fourth Melrose final in a row with a 33-26 win over a valiant Ayr. Cosculluela was excellent, scoring a hat-trick to dash hopes of a first all-Scottish final since 2018. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
What channel is Melrose Sevens on? How to watch famous Borders tournament at home of sevens
New format favours local clubs Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Melrose Sevens returns in a new calendar slot this weekend with hopes high of a home triumph. The Melrose Sevens has moved to a new slot and tweaked the format to favour local clubs. | SNS Group / SRU The draw has been reshaped to help the Borders clubs after organisers acknowledged that the strength of the guest teams in recent years had become overpowering. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad All seven Borders sides, along with Watsonians, have been given first-round byes in a reversal of the event's customary running order, increasing the chances of a local winner. The Melrose Sevens has moved to a new slot and tweaked the format to favour local clubs. | SNS Group / SRU Watsonians, in 2018, were the last Scottish club side to win the Melrose Sevens and you have to go back to 2011 for the last time the hosts lifted the coveted 1883 Centenary Cup. There is also a new broadcaster this year, with the BBC no longer showing the tournament. The 2025 Howden Melrose Sevens Traditionally held on the second Saturday in April, the tournament has been moved to Saturday, May 24. Organisers were concerned the April date would clash with Premiership fixtures and took the decision to push the Melrose Sevens back to this May bank holiday weekend. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The men's tournament features 24 teams and retains its traditional knockout format with the first tie - between London Scottish and Edinburgh Accies - kicking off at 11am. There are four teams taking part in the women's tournament which will be played on a round robin basis. It begins at 1.25pm, with Loughborough University taking on Shogun Rugby which is followed by Harlequins v Hearts+Balls MB. The men's final will take place at 7.45pm, with the women's final at 7.20pm. Byes for the Borders clubs Borders clubs Melrose, Hawick, Kelso, Selkirk, Peebles, Jed-Forest and Gala all enter the men's tournament at the second-round stage, along with Watsonians, in an attempt to level the playing field. 'We have responded to concerns about semi-pro or specialised sevens guest teams being too powerful with a focus on inviting recognised club strength teams, with the ambition that the Scottish rugby public will continue to enjoy the highest standard of sevens at Melrose, the birthplace of the sevens game,' said Phil Morris, the tournament director. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The second round is scheduled to start at 2pm with Melrose taking on the winners of the London Scottish v Edinburgh Accies tie. How to watch the Melrose Sevens If you can't make it to the Greenyards, the latter stages of the tournament will be shown live on TV and there is a new broadcaster on board. Premier Sports are showing the Melrose Sevens for the first time and will begin their live coverage at 5.30pm, immediately after the Champions Cup final between Northampton Saints and Bordeaux-Begles. Premier Sports will broadcast the latter stages of the Melrose Sevens. | SNS Group The men's quarter-finals through to the final, as well as the concluding stages of the women's competition, will be shown live on Premier Sports 1. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The earlier action will be available to watch live on the Melrose Sevens YouTube channel from the first tie at 11am. Guest teams can still pack a punch While the draw is stacked in favour of the home teams this year, the guest sides should still have enough firepower to go deep at Melrose. Shogun Rugby, the invitational side that won both the men's and women's tournaments last season, are back to defend both titles. Shogun Rugby won the Melrose Sevens last year. | Bryan Robertson Shogun men will be captained by Ross McKnight fresh from his recent stint with Edinburgh Rugby which saw him score a hat-trick in a friendly against Saracens at Hive Stadium. Former Glasgow Warriors favourite Niko Matawalu is in the Breadalbane Storm squad and Monaco Impi's have Scotland Sevens international Freddie Owlsey, who will play for Chinnor in the English Championship next season.
