Men’s Sevens coach Andy Friend believes there a number of players showing their wares at the National Sevens Championships in Adelaide this weekend who will grab national team honours sooner rather than later.
Speaking on the sidelines at Adelaide Shores complex, Friend said tournaments like the Nationals were a coach’s gold mine.
“It’s great to come here and see all the young talent on offer,” Friend said.
“There’s never a day off in this game as you know and we’re always on the lookout for the next bit of talent to come through.
“There’s been some good games out there already and there are some names we do know of and some we don’t.
“That’s what’s exciting about tournaments like these, some names pop up that we have never heard of.
“There’s certainly going to be some players who come out of this tournament who will be wearing the jersey in Tokyo (at the 2020 Olympics).”
Friend said the experiences gained at the Oceania Championships in Fiji last weekend had set his team on the right course with the start of the World Sevens Series a fortnight away in Dubai.
“It was a good learn for us and a good learn for me about certain individuals,” Friend said.
“We’ll select the team this week and then go and have a good crack in Dubai and Cape Town.”
NATIONAL WOMEN'S SEVENS POOLS
POOL A: NSW Blue, National Indigenous, NSW White, Tasmania
POOL B: Queensland Red, Australian Universities, Victoria, South Australia
POOL C: ACT, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland Whit
NATIONAL MEN'S SEVENS POOLS
POOL A: NSW, National Indigenous, Victoria, Armed Services (ASRU)
POOL B: Queensland Red, Queensland White, Western Australia, South Australia
POOL C: ACT, Australian Universities, Northern Territory, Tasmania
Rugby.com.au will be live streaming all of the action from the National Sevens Championships this weekend.
