Any sports quiz compilers out there, take note – Brian Carney will make history this week as he takes part in his third World Cup tournament and second in the rugby union code.
Brian Carney’s career across the league and union codes has been well documented and he could add another successful chapter to it this week as he lines out for Ireland at the Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament in Dubai.
The much-anticipated Middle East event will see the Cork-born player achieve a unique honour.
Speaking at the team’s tournament base, Carney said: “It will be my third World Cup after the Rugby League World Cup, the Rugby World Cup and now the Rugby World Cup Sevens.
“But this will be different. It is a lovely setting out here and I am glad to be a part of it.
“The game involves a lot of work, a lot of running, just like any other rugby format, but I am just happy to have been given the chance to play out here.”
Carney featured for Ireland during the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, helping the side reach the quarter-finals, and in 2007 he was selected as part of Eddie O’Sullivan’s Irish Rugby World Cup squad but did not make any of the matchday squads.
The 32-year-old’s experience could prove vital as Ireland look to get their World Cup Sevens bid off to a winning start against Samoa on Thursday.
Commenting on the squad’s preparations, he said: “Preparations have been going well, we’ve trained at the stadium and the pitch is fantastic.
“We had a week’s camp in Portugal, which was pretty warm…probably not as warm as here but I don’t know how much preparation you can have to adapt to this situation of training in the desert.
“It’s hard to adapt to these conditions, they are very extreme.”
As well as the hot temperatures, Carney and company have some difficult opponents to contend with in Pool D – namely Samoa, Australia and Portugal, all regulars on the IRB Sevens circuit.
“It is a tough pool but our concentration has really been on looking after ourselves.
“We can’t change our opponents so we are just working hard and do the best we can do.
“As for throwing spanners in the works, we have our own ambitions and goals but hopefully we can achieve them.”
Carney’s Munster team-mate James Coughlan also told IrishRugby.ie just how beneficial it is to the Ireland-capped winger on board.
“We were slagging Brian, saying he was going to be a question on ‘A Question Of Sport’ – he’s the one guy who has played league for Great Britain, went to a World Cup with Ireland and now played Sevens as well.
“Obviously having a guy like Brian in the squad is massive, just from his rugby league experience alone with the bigger pitch and the fewer players.
“His defensive structure and talk is fantastic. Having a guy of that quality in the team is going to improve you,” he said.
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