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The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) Club Sevens kicks off this weekend with the Munster and Ulster legs providing the opening action last weekend and now the tournament moving onto Leinster and Connaught in the newly created championship.

In February, the IRFU launched the exciting new domestic game initiative comprising four provincially-based tournaments and an All-Ireland Club Sevens Championship, the winner of which will represent Ireland at an Ultimate 7s tournament in Europe during the summer.

The tournaments will feature men's (senior and junior) and women's teams drawn from clubs that normally compete in Ireland's regular 15-a-side leagues with the top two teams from each province going on to compete in the All-Ireland event.

Ireland have competed in Rugby World Cup Sevens tournaments, but not on the IRB's well-established Sevens World Series, so this could be a significant development, given the sport's new-found status with the IOC.

"The advent of Rugby Sevens as an Olympic sport will see a surge in interest and popularity for the game as a whole," said IRFU Domestic Game Manager, Scott Walker.

"The IRFU Club Sevens programme aims to introduce the skills of the seven-a-side game at grassroots level with the emphasis on the development of Irish players and the transition to the fifteen-a-side game.

"We conducted an extensive survey of players and coaches in recent seasons, and Sevens was high on the list of things that they wanted to see.

"The IRFU Club Sevens Championships will be a great addition to the rugby calendar, a wonderful social occasion and also a fantastic way for players to develop and hone their skills"

The opening action will take place at Cork IT and Belfast Harlequins and promises to be an all action festival of rugby as clubs vie to become the first IRFU Club Sevens Champions.

All-Ireland Cup Champions Bruff will be one of the favourites to take the Munster title but they will face stiff opposition from the likes of UCC, Garryowen and Dolphin.

In Ulster, the newly crowned Ulster Bank League Division 2 Champions Ballynahinch will be hoping to end their season on a high but will face a tough challenge from the likes of Banbridge, who narrowly lost out on promotion last weekend, and Division 3 Champions City Of Derry.

The Leinster and Connacht legs of the Club Sevens Championship take place a week later.

IRFU Club Sevens Championship 2011

7 May
IRFU Club Sevens – Munster Championship
IRFU Club Sevens – Ulster Championship

14 May
IRFU Club Sevens – Leinster Championship
IRFU Club Sevens – Connacht Championship

21 May
IRFU Club Sevens – All Ireland Championship