Football to rugby pathway 'absolutely not' damaged by Vikki Wall omission from Sevens squad

Niamh Briggs doesn't believe Vikki Wall’s failure to make the Ireland Sevens squad for the Olympic Games will damage one of the women’s pathways to rugby.

A double All-Ireland winner with Meath, Wall was the highest profile former Gaelic footballer to make a switch to rugby when she signed an IRFU contract last September with the goal of making it to Paris for the Games this summer.

However, the 26-year-old, who played a season with North Melbourne in AFLW, was missing from the list when Allan Temple-Jones named his 12-player squad for the tournament on Monday.

Asked if it would have a negative effect of other Gaelic footballers trying their hand at rugby, Briggs told RTÉ Sport: "Absolutely not. Vikki Wall is an incredible athlete.

"She’s also incredibly talented, making that move to the AFL for the year.

"When you get to Olympics and national level sports you want to have that depth of competition and I’ve no doubt that both the Sevens [squad] and Vikki are better players and in a better place than they were 12 months ago.

"She’s been incredibly unlucky, and I know all the hard work that goes into all those Sevens players to get on the pitch every day.

"It’s an incredible sport and I’ve the utmost admiration for them. I don’t think it’s damaging.

"If you are a competitive animal and you want to compete at the highest levels you are going to go and try to do that to the best of your ability.

"That Olympics squad is incredibly strong and from my own point of view I wish them the very best and I can’t wait to watch them."

Briggs was speaking after she named her 36-player training squad for the U20s Six Nations tournament, which takes place in Italy between 4-14 July.

A former out-half with Ireland and part of the senior coaching