‘It is tough when you are hitting targets and not getting a whole lot of financial reward’

Terry Kennedy thought long and hard about walking away, but, in the end, he wasn’t ready to call it a day just yet.

Others had had enough and after dedicating so much of their lives to the Ireland sevens programme, ultimately, without earning a sustainable long-term wage, they opted to pursue their careers elsewhere.

Since reaching the pinnacle of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Ireland squad has undergone significant change as some of the more experienced players, such as Greg O’Shea and Harry McNulty, are no longer part of the set-up.

Kennedy could just as easily have followed his teammates out the exit door. But even though he is still involved, he hasn’t yet committed to the next Olympic cycle as he doesn’t know how much longer he will be able to juggle his work and rugby commitments.

You can understand why too. When Ireland qualified for Tokyo, there was hope among the squad that their significant achievement could help sway the IRFU to offer better terms.

Whatever chance they had, though, was scuppered by the tightening of the purse strings due to the pandemic.

“Do you know what, there always was that (hope),” Kennedy admits.

“Obviously, we got to the Olympics and now we’re on the series. Where is there to go from that?

“That was in our thoughts. When does it get better? We have ticked every box along the way. One of the lads made the point, in the IRFU goals they set a few years ago, we were the only team to actually hit all the targets.

“It is tough when you are hitting targets like that and not getting a whole lot of financial reward for it.

“I think, for the moment, I can get away with it by managing work and rugby. But there probably will come a point where I do have to make a decision. Unfortunately, that is the case.

“It’s different in sevens. With the salaries not being as high as the 15s, there is going to be that player turnover. There’s not going to be lads staying as long as in 15s.

“It’s the tough reality of the situation, but it’s just something we have to put up with.”

Kennedy is still only 25, but he has quickly gone from being one of the younger players in the squad to being in a far more senior position.

“It’s disappointing it came to that and a lot of the lads had to move on,” he says.

“I don’t think any of them really wanted to, but it was just a case of needs must.

“I’m kinda getting to the age now, I’m 25, although that’s not too old, thankfully I have been able to do work alongside the sevens.

“If that wasn’t the case, I probably would have had to make a similar decision. But I’m just playing it by ear at the moment.”

Travelling the world playing rugby is not a bad lifestyle, but Covid had pretty much shelved the World Series until recently.

However, with the rapidly changing situation, these are nervy times for a sport that thrives on global travel, as well as the colour and atmosphere of supporters.

Kennedy has been part of the Ireland sevens squad since 2016 and he has quickly become a household name on the circuit thanks to his blistering speed and sublime skill-set.

After two years in the Leinster academy, the former Ireland U-20 international found his way into the smaller code and hasn’t looked back.

Other sevens players have spoken of a desire to potentially get back into 15s, and while Kennedy hopes to one day again represent St Mary’s, with whom he won an AIL Division 1B title in 2017, he doesn’t harbour that same desire to give the professional ranks another crack.

“Maybe some of the other lads on the team have a proper itch to get back into 15s. I don’t have that. It would probably have to come with a good experience,” Kennedy says.

“If I was going back into 15s, I would be taking plenty of things into account, in terms of lifestyle and all that goes with it. I don’t have a massive itch that I have to get back into 15s.

“It was an enjoyable experience in Leinster. When I was in the academy, it was different to how it is now. More or less, all of the academy lads are getting capped now and they probably feel a whole lot more part of it.

“When I was in the academy, even when a third-year academy player got capped, it was quite a big deal.

“There definitely isn’t scarring. I think a lot of lads, to be fair to them, put in big stints in the provinces and don’t get a whole lot of reward for it.

“I have never really seen myself as that kind of journeyman who would do that. Even if the money in sevens is a lot less than what you’d be getting in a province, I think the whole lifestyle and enjoyment levels I get from it definitely makes up for the difference in salary.

“It’s different if some lads are going back into a province and they are going to be playing the big Champions Cup matches, pushing at that international level.

“To go back into a province and just kinda play the not-so-important matches isn’t that much of a pull for them. That’s just what I think anyway.”

Kennedy’s dad, Terry Snr, won 13 caps for Ireland from 1978 to 1981, and as a former dancing winger himself, he is always on hand to offer advice even if his son has to rely on grainy footage to watch clips of him back in the day. “The only thing I remember of him was a few golden-oldie competitions,” Kennedy laughs.

“I’ve seen some clips of him playing international matches and that’s cool to look back on.

“I have a brilliant relationship with him. He’s our biggest fan, he wouldn’t miss a game for the world, no matter what the time difference is.

“He’s so proud watching me and he absolutely loves it. That’s probably a big driving force to keep playing because you get to give your family those sorts of experiences.

“He played a lot of sevens, but obviously, it wasn’t at the same sort of level. Back in the day, they played a lot of invitational stuff.

Opinion

“I run things by him. I’m always very interested to hear his opinion after games.”

The Kennedys are steeped in St Mary’s and the club is always hopeful of tempting Terry back for another stint in the AIL.

“I had brilliant times at Mary’s,” he says. “All my mates still play for them. I’d still be up there watching them the whole time. My family are big Mary’s people.

“I loved every minute I had there. Hopefully, I might get the chance to play for them again in the future.

“Every time I’m up there, the alickadoos would be asking when they might get me back! I would love to, the whole buzz (is great) at that level when you win and then into the clubhouse afterwards.”

Ireland returned to the World Series circuit in Dubai in early December, the first time most of the squad were back in action since Tokyo.

Like every athlete at the recent Olympics, it was a strange experience without any supporters.

But for Kennedy and the squad who had worked so tirelessly to get to that point, it was something none of them will ever forget.

The tournament didn’t go as planned in Tokyo, yet Ireland showed what they are capable of by defying the odds to stun France on home turf in Monaco in qualifying, sealing the final spot for Tokyo so memorably.

“Obviously, we were incredibly proud of getting there,” Kennedy says.

“That was a tough journey, especially with Covid.

“Having to train for a year, just holding out hope that the qualifier tournament would go ahead.

“It was disappointing how we got on. We probably went over there with a bit of confidence behind us that we could cause an upset. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

“I think the overriding emotion is a lot of pride for getting there.”

The focus now switches to the 2022 schedule, which will hopefully go ahead.

Kennedy will be at the forefront of Ireland’s hopes of relaunching themselves and even if he has watched many of his former Leinster teammates make it to the top of the far more lucrative 15s game, the speedster is proud of the path he has forged for himself.

“I don’t have any regrets,” Kennedy adds. “I’m so content with what I’ve done. I wouldn’t trade a thing.”