The Australian Men’s Sevens team have been dealt a major blow, with star Pama Fou to undergo surgery.
Fou has a history of shoulder complaints and dislocated his joint in Australia’s match against Fiji in Cape Town.
The team returns to Australia on Wednesday and the 25-year-old will go under the knife in a bid to keep his Olympic dream alive.
His return date is not yet known but it is likely the Queenslander will miss almost the entirety of the World Series, which finishes on May 21-22 in London.
Fou has been one of the side’s best performers in the opening two rounds of the World Series and his loss will be felt through the side.
Ironically, a troublesome shoulder was what brought him to the Rugby Sevens program in the first place after ending a promising volleyball career.
The Sevens side is also monitoring the progress of Nick Malouf (knee), Tom Lucas (hamstring) and Pat McCutcheon (hamstring) as the series continues.
Interim coach Scott Bowen praised the depth of his side after their seventh placing in Cape Town, with five players making their debuts over the first two rounds of the series.
Meanwhile, rugby league speedster Marmin Barba has just six weeks to prove his long-term Sevens potential.
Barba, who plays for Ipswich in the Queensland Cup has signed a training contract with the Sevens program, finishing after January’s Coral Coast Sevens.
That tournament will give him an opportunity to show his wares against quality opposition including a number of Fijian club sides.
The Coral Coast Sevens runs from January 14-16, 2016.
The next round of the HSBC Sevens World Series is the Wellington Sevens on January 30-31, 2016, with the Sydney Sevens a week later.
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