DARDIS Billy

General
MAKING HISTORY
He admits that Ireland enjoyed a bit of fortune as they came from behind to defeat France 28-19 at the 2021 Olympic Repechage Tournament in Monaco. The victory meant that Ireland qualified to for a first Olympic Games in rugby sevens. He has captained the national team since 2017 and hopes the side's performances at the rescheduled Games in Tokyo will inspire future generations. "Words can't describe my feelings. It's just bizarre. It's weird what went on on that pitch. I thought we were out of it for a while in the first half when they had so much possession and they got in front and, then, we just got a few lucky bounces. I think that's rugby sevens. The bounce of the ball goes your way and you can end up in the Olympics. That is just incredible. You dream of doing something really special for your whole life. Kids might start playing rugby after seeing us at the Olympics. It's pretty cool. Being an Olympian, no one can take that away from you. When you're 60 years old and you're in the pub, people will be saying, 'That guy went to the Olympics'." (the42.ie, 20 Jun 2021; billydardis.com, 22 Jun 2020)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
He has served as an ambassador for a mental health campaign called 'Tackle Your Feelings', with Rugby Players Ireland [RPI]. His role incorporates hospital visits and public speaking engagements. (LinkedIn profile, 07 Jul 2021; billydardis.com, 01 Jan 2021)

FURTHER EDUCATION
After he graduated with a bachelor's degree in health and performance science from University College Dublin [UCD] in Ireland in 2018, he started studying for a master's degree in management consultancy at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in 2019. He also earned a diploma in finance for non-financial managers from Griffith College in Dublin, Ireland in 2019. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2021; irishrugby.ie, 22 Jun 2020)