Interview with Niall Comerford , One of Ireland’s International Rugby Sevens Players

Following on from our post on LinkedIn last week, we are delighted to bring you an exclusive conversation, a treat for all rugby enthusiasts out there.

Our Marketing Manager Mal Convery had the pleasure of sitting down for a chat with one of Ireland’s top international rugby sevens players Niall Comerford, an athlete we know through our Senior Partner Fergal Keys. Fresh home from the SVNS grand final games in Madrid.

From the team’s training routines to their most recent match, from their inspirations to their aspirations, we’ll get a glimpse into what it takes to be at the top of one’s game in the fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled world of sevens rugby.

Who is Niall Comerford?

Niall is a 24-year-old rugby athlete, hailing from Shankill, Co. Dublin. Coming from a sports family, with siblings and parents all involved in sports to some extent has offered him great support. His journey didn’t start within rugby, in fact he didn’t start playing rugby until his first year in secondary school.

His first love of sport came in the light of hurling, Gaelic football, and soccer. He tells us that one of his first memories was holding a hurling stick. It was during his time with Kilmacud Crokes he first met and was coached by Fergal Keys, who has followed his journey ever since.

Rugby – a new direction

Entering secondary school at Blackrock College in 2012 Niall was introduced to rugby, he says that it was an easy transition, and a good option since Gaelic football wasn’t big at the college.

Niall explains that he entered the sport not knowing what to do but didn’t let that deter him from developing and with good coaching succeeding at the sport by winning a Junior Cup in 2016. Over the years he tried various positions within the team from flanker in first year to winger on the senior cup team.

After secondary school in 2019, Niall choose to study Commerce at University College Dublin (UCD). They offered a great programme, and once he was accepted, he received a rugby scholarship, which allowed him to continue playing rugby alongside his studies. It was at this point he realised that rugby was more than a hobby it was something he wanted to do long-term.  The UCD Ad Astra scholarship provided the student/player with an academic  mentor and allowed Niall to split his final year  academic load across two years.

It was during his time at UCD he joined the Leinster Academy, the next step on his journey with school mates Joe McCarthy and Sean O Brien and also current 7s squad member Andrew Smith all entering the Academy together.

When Covid hit

Niall recalls when he was called to play for the Irish U20s for the first time in Six Nations 2020, against France, being thrilled to play for his country, and then Covid hit. Now a distant memory, it played havoc with everything. One minute they were going, the next they weren’t. In the end the game was cancelled.

Covid impacted all sports. Niall explains that during 2020 training had to take place at home, and so he set up a home gym to stay fit and the Leinster Academy team communicated, like the rest of us, over Zoom.

It wasn’t until June or July of 2020 that the lockdown eased, and collective training could resume. Daily testing became a part of the norm and whilst many of his teammates and the support team all came down with Covid, Niall counted himself lucky to not have gotten it at all.

It was that year he got the opportunity to play his first 7s game in Vancouver, Canada.

Tax Internship – a career prospect

It was through the UCD Rugby club that Niall was put into contact with Ernst & Young (EY), they offered a great internship programme for graduates looking to get into taxation as a career. Niall joined EY, being able to work on a hybrid basis, rugby, and work. However, in December 2023 when the commitment to the rugby 7s training schedule increased, Niall was faced with a decision. Playing full-time or not. In the end his employers at EY were incredibly understanding and effectively allowed him time out to focus on the game via a leave of absence.

Niall says he enjoys it and is very grateful for the opportunity

7s vs 15s rugby

Sevens rugby, branded HSBC SVNS by World Rugby , often simply called ‘7s’, is a fast-paced variant of rugby in which teams are made up of seven players, playing seven-minute halves, instead of the traditional 15 players playing 40-minute halves in rugby union. There will be 7 players on the pitch, but 13 squad members  travel  to each tournament.

It’s a quick, high scoring game, and the emphasis is on speed and agility. Players face the same pitch size as the 15s but with fewer players to cover the area.

Niall explains that there is a tournament every month, with games usually taking place Fridays to Sundays. there are easily 6 games during a weekend of play and cities in this year’s series included Dubai, Capetown, LA, Vancouver, Perth, Hong Kong, Singapore and Madrid. Ireland finished as League runner up – accumulated an impressive 104 points across the regular season, earning their highest ever finishing position in the standings. They were pipped to the post by Argentina, who won their maiden SVNS Series League title with 106 points.

There are 12 team in the HSBC SVNS series, but only the top 8 went on to play in the recent grand final in Madrid. Currently the top eight are, Argentina, Ireland , France, Fiji, New Zealand, South Africa, Great Britain, and Australia.   Two agonising extra-time defeats to Fiji and New Zealand knocked the Ireland Men’s Sevens team out of Championship title contention at the HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Madrid however  the team finished strongly  for a fifth place. Without a doubt the team are playing world clss 7s rugby and looking forward to the challenges ahead this summer

7s Rugby

Each rugby 7s team consists of three forwards (a hooker and two props) and four backs (a scrum half, a fly half, a centre and a winger). Although players in all positions must have strong running and passing skills, some of these positions also require specialist skills. For example, the props and the hooker need to compete in the scrums. On top of this, different players also have different attacking and defensive responsibilities.

Niall plays as the team’s hooker. Unlike 15s players in 7s are not stuck to their position on the pitch but can take on others roles  as  opportunity arise.

Niall reckons a great player needs to be driven, a real team player and have the same goal as their teammates.

Currently playing under head coach James Topping Niall also credits the support team with the performance of his team. He says that the team consists of so many more people than just the players, like the physio, nutritionist, and the strength & conditioning coach (SCC) all seeking to drive elite performance

Training

Training is intensive says Niall. The team trains four days per week in the high-performance center in Abbotstown, roughly 7 hours per day (with breaks); a mix between pitch sessions, gym sessions, spinning sessions in the sauna room, short sprints, and ice baths. It’s intense but keeps everyone game ready. The facility includes a new environmental chamber which can simulate altitudes of up to 5,000 metres, temperatures of between –20 and 50 degrees Celsius, and humidity of 20% to 90%.  Niall said they have played in a large range of temperatures on tour this year from Dubai to Madrid.

Most recent game for Niall

Niall lined up for the team in Madrid at the end of May, after a great opening game he feel that they were unlucky to lose during extra time, but they did good overall, and he is pleased with it. Asking him if the announcement of Hugo Keenan joining the team made an impact, he says that Hugo’s presence has spurred the players on, but they have lots of excellent players like Terry Kennedy, and Hugo Lennox just to mention some. They all put their heart and soul into the game and that is the key to success, it’s a team effort.

The last time Niall played with Hugo Keenan was a Celtic cup game for Leinster A in Donnybrook – Niall on the wing, Andrew Smith on the other wing and Hugo in the middle at fullback – All three played again in Madrid in June. The clock has come full circle.

What is next?

It’s going to be a busy second half of the year, and in June Niall and his teammates will take part in the Rugby Europe Sevens Championship series in Croatia (1^st leg) and Hamburg (2^nd leg), defending their 2023 gold medal.  Ireland are current European 7s champions.

He states that though he can’t tell us where he will be in five years’ time, he would love to see it have something to do with sports.

The Panel wishes Niall all the best and we look forward to catching up with him again soon.