GB Sevens name large Olympic training squad - Ruck

GB Sevens name large Olympic training squad

  • GB Sevens men have announced their wider training squad for the Rio Olympics
  • Two GB Sevens teams will compete in four international tournaments during June and July as preparation
  • A final 12-man squad then to be named for the Olympics in July 
GB Sevens men have announced their wider training squad for the Rio Olympics which includes a combination of sevens specialists and 15-a-side players from England, Scotland and Wales.

Team GB Sevens Head Coach Simon Amor said: “We have watched a significant amount of footage throughout the season of 15-a-side players and every sevens game from England, Scotland and Wales. Exciting talent was available to us and competition for places was tough. We’re now really looking forward to bringing this group together as one team and creating an incredible Great Britain spirit.

“One of the main strengths of the players who have been named today is their aggressive style of play in both attack and defence. Looking at how the games are won at the top level at the moment, it is very much about that physicality, teams who are fearless in the way they play.

“For the 15s players aiming to make that transition, recent sevens experience at the top level was important given how much the world of sevens rugby has progressed in the last three to four years. We were also targeting players in certain key positions to add strength in depth and complement the qualities of the specialists we already have.”

Scotland centre Mark Bennett is set to be named in the preliminary squad having opted to pursue his Olympic dream rather than tour Japan with his national team this summer.

His Scotland team-mate and Player of the Six Nations Stuart Hogg was also interested, but has decided against it, as he is getting married back home two days after the gold and silver medal Sevens final in Rio.

Two GB Sevens teams will compete in four international tournaments during June and July as preparation, with a final 12-man squad then to be named for the Olympics, which will take place in Brazil from August 5-21.

TEAM GB TRAINING SQUAD

Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues)
Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors)
Dan Bibby (England Sevens)
Tom Bowen (England Sevens)
Phil Burgess (England Sevens)
Sam Cross (Wales Sevens)
James Davies (Scarlets)
Alex Davis (England Sevens)
Richard de Carpentier (England Sevens)
Jamie Farndale (Scotland Sevens)
Alex Gray (England Sevens)
Charlie Hayter (England Sevens)
Warwick Lahmert (England Sevens)
Ollie Lindsay-Hague (Harlequins)
Gavin Lowe (Scotland Sevens)
Ruaridh McConnochie (England Sevens)
Tom Mitchell (England Sevens)
Luke Morgan (Wales Sevens)
Dan Norton (England Sevens)
Scott Riddell (Scotland Sevens)
Mark Robertson (Scotland Sevens)
James Rodwell (England Sevens)
Joe Simpson (Wasps)
Luke Treharne (Wales Sevens)
Marcus Watson (Newcastle Falcons)
GB Sevens Women:
Claire Allan, Natasha Brennan, Abbie Brown, Rachael Burford, Heather Fisher, Victoria Fleetwood, Natasha Hunt, Jasmine Joyce (Wales Sevens), Stephanie Johnston (Scotland Sevens), Megan Jones, Alex Matthews, Fran Matthews, Sarah Mckenna, Katy Mclean, Marlie Packer, Alice Richardson, Emily Scarratt, Emily Scott, Michaela Staniford, Danielle Waterman, Joanne Watmore, Kay Wilson, Amy Wilson Hardy *Laurie Harries (Wales Sevens) has been withdrawn from the squad through injury