Four Wallabies named in Sevens team for Games

Commonwealth Games - Melbourne 2006

The Australian Sevens team has been given a massive lift with the inclusion of four Wallabies in the team to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

The injection of Wallaby stars Lote Tuqiri, Matt Giteau, Scott Fava and Chris Latham will give Australia the added pace and power they need to compete against the likes of Fiji, New Zealand, England and South Africa who have been dominating the recent IRB Sevens tournaments.

The four Wallabies join five regular Australian Sevens players Shawn Mackay, Joshua Gamgee, Luke Inman, Damon Murphy and Nick Reily who have been selected after their standout performances for Australia on the IRB Sevens circuit over the last 12 months.

Also named in the team are Melbourne-born flanker Tom McVerry who has played 20 Super Rugby matches for the Queensland Reds and former NSW Waratah and now Western Force fullback Cameron Shepherd.

The twelfth and final member of the team is the pocket-sized flyer Brendan Williams who has returned from Italian club Benetton to play in his second Commonwealth Games. Williams played in the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur and the 2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Argentina and was a stand out for the Waratahs throughout the 2001 Super 12 season before heading over to Italy.

The four Wallabies in the team all have international experience in the abridged version of the game. Tuqiri, Latham and Fava played together at the Brisbane Sevens in 2003 while Giteau played for Australia in seven IRB Sevens tournaments in the 2002 series.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association CEO, Perry Crosswhite said the entire team would welcome the stars of Australian rugby into the team.

“We are thrilled that the rugby seven’s squad contains some of the biggest names in Australian rugby. Their experience and skills will certainly assist in what will be a challenging tournament.

“The competition will be fierce with the majority of the teams competing ranked among the world’s best. We were out of the medals in Manchester, however Glen Ella has put together a very competitive team and their preparation has been excellent,” Mr Crosswhite said.

Australian Coach Glen Ella said the inclusion of the Wallaby stars would not only boost the team, but would also help lift the crowd.

“Sevens is a high-speed game that can turn on a bounce of the ball, so there is no question that guys like Tuqiri, Fava, Latham and Giteau are well suited to it.

“They have the speed, power, footwork and big-game experience that will hopefully give us the edge when we come up against the big guns of Sevens Rugby like New Zealand, Fiji, England and South Africa.

“However it will be important that they pick up the tactics, running lines and defensive strategies quickly from the guys like Shawn Mackay, Joshua Gamgee, Luke Inman, Damon Murphy and Nick Reily who have been playing Sevens for Australia on a regular basis.

“Having some big name Wallabies in the team will also help attract the fans. It is really important for our team that the Telstra Dome is packed to capacity with supporters all decked out in gold. It would definitely give us a lift.”

Ella also thanked the four Australian Super 14 coaches for making players available for the Commonwealth Games.

“The Commonwealth Games falls in the middle of the Super 14 tournament, but the four coaches have been really understanding in allowing us to select their star players.

“It is only with their cooperation that we are able to put the best possible Australian Sevens team on the paddock in Melbourne.”

There are still tickets available to all sessions, including the finals on St Patrick’s Day – Friday 17 March. Log on to www.melbourne2006.com.au, call the Games hotline on 1300 00 2006 or visit Ticketmaster outlets across Australia for further information.

A full competition schedule is available at www.melbourne2006.com.au