The try-machine adapted to rugby quickly after a late start
Jordan Conroy takes a breath during an Ireland sevens match against France in 2021 (Getty Images)
Who is Jordan Conroy: Ten things you should know about the Ireland sevens back
Jordan Conroy is an electric winger for the Ireland sevens team.
He has overcome a difficult childhood and a late arrival to rugby to become a key part of the Irish sevens renaissance.
Ten things you should know about Jordan Conroy
1. Jordan Conroy was born on 10 March 1994 in Tullamore, County Offaly. He spent his early childhood in Germany before returning to Ireland aged ten.
2. The move away from Germany came in traumatic circumstances. Conroy’s mother, Jennie, had an abusive husband and her son told Sunday World that he was attacked from the age of six.
When Jennie was attacked with a knife by her husband, a desperate Conroy managed to get out of his house and scream for help.
Following a court case, Jennie and her children moved back to Offaly.
3. Lightning-quick from an early age, Conroy initially excelled in athletics and then football before focusing on rugby from age 18. He played for Tullamore before joining Buccaneers RFC in 2016.
4. Ireland sevens head coach Anthony Eddy discovered Conroy’s talents via YouTube, as a clip of him scoring from a kick-off receipt demonstrated his pace. He was subsequently invited for a trial and debuted for Ireland in 2016 at a tournament in Amsterdam.
5. Conroy was part of the Ireland team that returned to the World Rugby Sevens Series in 2017 after a 12-year absence.
His impressive debut season Sevens perhaps peaked in London, where Ireland secured third place and Conroy made the HSBC Dream Team.