Wall and Doris get ready for big challenges ahead

Both internationals, who have strong connections with Meath, preparing for busy schedules

This week Irish rugby internationals Caelan Doris and Vikki Wall became the latest to join the pantheon of Lucozade Sport Athletes - and both players can certainly look forward to some busy, exciting times ahead.

Both players have also close connections with the Royal County.

Wall is, of course, is former member of the Meath team that won two All-Ireland SFC finals with her storming runs one of the reasons why the Royals could change from defence to attack in an instant.

The Dunboyne woman spent a time playing Aussie Rules football with North Melbourne but is is currently a member of the Irish Women's Rugby Sevens team who are preparing for the Olympic games in Paris in the summer.

Doris is an integral part of Andy Farrell's Irish rugby side who have already recorded victories over France and Italy in their Six Nations campaign and have games against Wales, England and Scotland on the horizon as they chase a second successive Grand Slam.

The Ireland Women Sevens team qualified for the Olympics last summer following a 10-5 victory over Fiji in the World Rugby Seven Series.

Ireland bowed out at the quarter-final stage of the tournament, losing 17-7 defeat to Australia, however, they remained in the automatic qualification spot and had to beat Fiji in the fifth-place semi-final, which they did, 10-5 in Toulouse.

Allan Temple-Jones' side could then start preparing for the Olympics Games in France next summer where they will be joined by teams such as Australia, New Zealand, USA and hosts France.

The Olympic Rugby Sevens competition runs from Wednesday 24th - Tuesday 30th July, 2024 at the Stade de France in Paris.

Wall made her debut for the Women's Sevens team a few weeks ago and played her part in helping the Girls in Green win gold at the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Perth in Australia.

In the final Ireland stunned Australia to win 19-14 to end their 29-match losing streak against the Aussies.

Doris is 25 and from Ballina in Co Mayo. He was raised in the village of Lacken and went to the tiny Creevagh National School where he was one of only two boys in his class.

He also turned out for the Naomh Pádraig Gaelic football club but the oval ball game was where he found his niche.

He attended Blackrock College in Dublin and it was during his time at the boarding school that his passion and talent for rugby blossomed.

He is edging close to winning his 40th senior cap for Ireland since making his debut in the 2020 Six Nations. He was part of the Ireland squads that won a Triple Crown in 2022, and the Grand Slam last year. He has won four Pro14 titles with Leinster.

The 25-year-old was named Rugby Players Ireland Player of the Year '23 by his peers, and picked on the World Rugby men's Dream Team of the Year.

Originally Munster's Peter O'Mahony was named as Irish captain for the Six Nations but he was not selected to start against Italy last week.

Instead Doris was asked to lead the team out becoming the 110th player to captain the Ireland men's team in test rugby.

As pointed out by John Donohoe of this parish recently in an article Doris has strong family connections with Meath.

His grandfather, Michael Sweetman, was from Johnsbrook House in Girley.

"It is no surprise that Doris is being regarded for a leadership role, as anyone who knew Michael Sweetman will testify," wrote Donohoe.

"Sadly, Sweetman's potential as a business and political leader was never fully realised, as he, along with 12 leading Irish industrialists were among the 118 people killed when a BEA Trident plane crashed at Staines shortly after take-off from Heathrow on Sunday 18th June 1972. The plane was bound for Brussels where the Irishmen were to have attended an EEC study tour – Ireland had just voted to join the European Economic Community.

"Michael Sweetman was one of the leading lights in that referendum campaign, as Director of the Irish Council for the European Movement, on secondment from the Confederation of Irish Industry."