{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Mark Roche | image = Fiji vs. Ireland, 2024 Summer Olympic rugby sevens, men's quarter-final, 2024-07-25 (59) (cropped).jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Roche attempts a conversion during the Ireland's quarter-final matchup against Fiji at the 2024 Summer Olympics | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|01|25|df=y}} | birth_place = | height = 173 cm<ref name=IRFU-PlayerProfile-2018>{{cite news|title=Ireland 7s Squad: Mark Roche|url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/rugby/fixturesandresults/squads_ireland_men_7s.php?player=110515&includeref=dynamic|work=Irish Rugby Football Union|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229120119/https://www.irishrugby.ie/rugby/fixturesandresults/squads_ireland_men_7s.php?player=110515&includeref=dynamic|archivedate=29 December 2018}}</ref> | weight = 89kg<ref name=IRFU-PlayerProfile-2018 /> | occupation = Professional rugby player | position = Scrum-half (7s) | amatyears1 = | amatteam1 = | ru_amateurclubcaps = | ru_amateurclubpoints = | years1 = 2016– | clubs1 = Lansdowne | apps1 = | points1 = | clubupdate = | repyears1 = 2014 | repteam1 = Ireland under-20 | repcaps1 = | reppoints1 = | repupdate = | repsevensyears1 = 2016– | repsevensteam1 = Ireland 7s | repsevenscomp1 = | ru_sevensupdate = | medals = {{Medal|Sport|Men's rugby sevens}} {{MedalCountry|{{IRL}}}} {{Medal|Competition|European Games}} {{Medal|Gold|2023 Kraków–Małopolska|{{nowrap|Team competition}}}} }}
'''Mark Roche''' (born 25 January 1993)<ref name=IRFU-PlayerProfile-2018 /> is an Irish rugby union player. He plays for the Ireland national rugby sevens team as a scrum-half.
== Youth rugby and early career== In his youth, Roche played with Blackrock.<ref name=IrishTimes-Munster-2013>{{cite news|last1=Thornley|first1=Gerry|title=League great for bringing players on, but paying for success leading clubs to the wall|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/league-great-for-bringing-players-on-but-paying-for-success-leading-clubs-to-the-wall-1.1345584|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=2 April 2013|language=en}}</ref> He then went on to play for the Ireland under-20 national team in the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship.<ref name=IrishTimes-IrelandUnder20-2013>{{cite news|title=Ruddock makes 11 changes for Fiji match|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/ruddock-makes-11-changes-for-fiji-match-1.1420635|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=7 June 2013|language=en}}</ref> He was also part of the Lansdowne team that was crowned 2015 All-Ireland League Division 1A champions, scoring a try in the final against Clontarf.<ref name=IrishTimes-Lansdowne-2015>{{cite news|last1=O'Sullivan|first1=John|title=Lansdowne fight back to be crowned Division 1A champions|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/lansdowne-fight-back-to-be-crowned-division-1a-champions-1.2206747|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=9 May 2015|language=en}}</ref>
== Ireland national sevens team== thumb|Mark Roche during Ireland's 2024 Summer Olympics quarter-final. Roche has played as a scrum-half for the Ireland national rugby sevens team since 2015. Roche played for Ireland in the 2017 Rugby Europe Grand Prix, helping Ireland qualify for the 2018 Hong Kong qualifier and the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens.<ref name=IrishTimes-Ireland7sWorldCup-2017>{{cite news|last1=O'Sullivan|first1=John|title=Moscow success gives Ireland Sevens World Cup boost|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/moscow-success-gives-ireland-sevens-world-cup-boost-1.3108450|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=5 June 2017|language=en}}</ref>
Roche was part of the Ireland team that reached the semifinals of the 2018 Hong Kong Sevens qualifier for the 2018–19 World Rugby Sevens Series.<ref name=IrishTimes-HongKong7s-2018>{{cite news|title=Hong Kong Sevens: Ireland to play Japan in semi-finals|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/hong-kong-sevens-ireland-to-play-japan-in-semi-finals-1.3454340|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=7 April 2018|language=en}}</ref> He started at scrum-half for the Ireland team that finished third at the 2018 London Sevens; Roche was selected to the tournament Dream Team at the conclusion of the tournament.<ref name=WorldRugby-HSBCDreamTeam-London-2018>{{cite news|title=HSBC Dream Team: London|url=https://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/video/340207|work=World Rugby|date=4 June 2018|format=Video}}</ref> He competed for Ireland at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-06 |title=Ireland Squads Named For Rugby World Cup Sevens In Cape Town |url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/2022/09/06/ireland-squads-named-for-rugby-world-cup-sevens-in-cape-town/ |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=Irish Rugby |language=en-US}}</ref>
He represented Ireland at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=2024-06-17 |title=Ireland Sevens Squads Confirmed For 2024 Paris Olympics |url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/2024/06/17/ireland-sevens-squads-confirmed-for-2024-paris-olympics/ |access-date=2024-07-27 |website=Irish Rugby |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Ireland - Rugby Sevens Olympic Games Paris 2024 |url=https://www.world.rugby/tournaments/olympics/paris-2024/participating-nations/ireland |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=www.world.rugby}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland_sevens/mark-roche/ Mark Roche] at Irish Rugby Football Union
{{Ireland Men's 2024 Summer Olympics Squad}} {{Ireland Men's 2020 Summer Olympics Squad}} {{Ireland Sevens Squad for 2017 Sevens Grand Prix Series}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roche, Mark}} Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:Irish rugby union players Category:Ireland international rugby sevens players Category:Olympic rugby sevens players for Ireland Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2023 European Games Category:Medalists at the 2023 European Games Category:European Games medalists in rugby sevens Category:European Games gold medalists for Ireland Category:Lansdowne Football Club players Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2024 Summer Olympics