A DOZEN Scots - six women and six men - have been included in the Team GB Sevens training squad to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics later this year. Both squads will be based at Loughborough, with their first camp due to take place next month.
Women’s head coach Scott Forrest, a former captain of the Scotland men’s sevens team, has chosen a squad of 19 at this stage. The compatriots he has chosen - Megan Gaffney, Rhona Lloyd, Helen Nelson, Chloe Rollie, Hannah Smith and Lisa Thomson - are all full internationals. Wales’ Jasmine Joyce and England’s Abbie Brown, Heather Fisher and Amy Wilson-Hardy all represented Great Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“It’s a very strong 19,” Forrest said. “The four players from Rio 2016 bring really good experience, as do the English players who have been playing consistently on the World Series for the past couple of seasons. The Scottish and Welsh players have been playing international rugby for a number of years, in both 7s and 15s, and this will be invaluable.”
Of the Scots in the men’s squad of 21 chosen by head coach Tony Roques, Alec Coombes and Jamie Farndale are current Edinburgh players while Robbie Fergusson and Paddy Kelly are with Glasgow. Ross McCann and Max McFarland are both key members of the national sevens squad.
Team GB Women’s squad: Megan Gaffney, Rhona Lloyd, Helen Nelson, Chloe Rollie, Hannah Smith, Lisa Thomson(all Scotland); Hannah Jones, Jasmine Joyce (both Wales); Holly Aitchison, Abbie Brown, Abi Burton, Heather Fisher, Deborah Fleming, Megan Jones, Alex Matthews, Celia Quansah, Helena Rowland, Emma Uren, Amy Wilson-Hardy (all England).
Team GB Men’s squad: Alec Coombes, Jamie Farndale, Robbie Fergusson, Paddy Kelly, Ross McCann, Max McFarland (all Scotland); Luke Morgan, Luke Treharne, Morgan Williams (all Wales); Dan Bibby, Tom Bowen, Phil Burgess, Richard de Carpentier, Alex Davis, Tom Emery, Ben Harris, Ollie Lindsay-Hague, Tom Mitchell, Will Muir, Dan Norton, Ethan Waddleton (all England).
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