Opinion: Vikki Wall's ambitions should be lauded

The news during the week that Vikki Wall is joining the Ireland rugby Sevens set-up was hardly a surprise.

The Dunboyne woman is a strong, talented and ambitions footballer and now she has a chance to fulfil one of those ambitions and go to the Olympics.

Such ambition should be lauded and supported; her career change an inspiration for other young people.

Sure the move is likely to mean Meath will be without one of their star performers for the immediate future but that shouldn't top Wall following her dreams.

Two-time All-Ireland winner Wall left her AFLW club North Melbourne to join the Ireland Sevens set-up with the aim of playing at next year’s Olympics in Paris.

She is expected to see pitch action in tournaments in Spain and France in the coming months before a decision is made on whether she’ll be part of the squad for the first SVNS series event in Dubai in early December.

We should support all young people in their pursuit of success; in their quests to be what they want to be.

The IRFU’s head of women’s performance and pathways Gillian McDarby confirmed this week that Wall has been contracted to the Ireland Sevens set-up since last month.

McDarby confirmed that the Dunboyne will see game time in the coming months ahead of the team’s participation in World Series.

“Vikki’s dream is to go to the Olympics,” said McDarby. “She is making great progress and she will get exposed to game time now in development competitions in Elche and Marcoussis.

“We will start to monitor her progress there and whether we bring her into the World Series set-up in Dubai.”

Wall wanted to taste Aussie Rules football and life as a professional. She may not have found it to her liking (or maybe she did?) but at least she gave it a go - a long way from home.

She deserves great credit for that - as she does for following her Olympic dream.