England Men’s Sevens squad named for HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Dubai

Nov 22 • General News, International • 1412 Views • Comments Off on England Men’s Sevens squad named for HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Dubai

England Men’s Sevens squad has been named for the first tournament of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Dubai next week (2-3 December).

The experienced group, captained by Tom Mitchell, will play Samoa, Russia and New Zealand on day one (live on Sky Sports 2).

Head Coach Simon Amor said: “It is a very physical pool so we need to match that but be smart in playing to our strengths. The first tournament is always an interesting one as new coaches and players bring different styles and create unknown challenges.

“It has been three months or more since the guys have played a competitive tournament. This time has allowed for a good break and for some players to have operations to clear up niggles and work towards full fitness.

“The squad are very much looking forward to getting out there, giving their best in front of the expat supporters, and making England proud.”

Ethan Waddleton, who captained the England Sevens Academy to victory at the Singapore Cricket Club Sevens earlier this month, is also named for Dubai. The 19-year-old earned his first cap on the World Series in Wellington and featured in a further four tournaments last season.

“Ethan is a dynamic player, one of the stand-out academy players from last year, and he showed excellent leadership in captaining a young team in Singapore,” Amor added. “As he continues to build experience, we’re looking forward to seeing what he can offer alongside the seniors.”

The England Sevens Academy will also travel to Dubai to compete in the invitational tournament under the banner of The Royals where they will play Les Blues Sevens and Georgia 7s on Friday 2 December.

“The England Sevens Academy programme is fundamental to our sevens player pathway strategy, as we continue finding and developing young, exciting talent. There is a strong England Sevens spirit, which we have seen in training, and with both teams competing in the same location the players are looking forward to having the opportunity to support each other in competition.”

England Men’s Sevens:
Dan Bibby
Tom Bowen
Phil Burgess
Alex Davis
Richard de Carpentier
Ollie Lindsay-Hague
Charlie Hayter
Ruaridh McConnochie
Tom Mitchell ©
Dan Norton
James Rodwell
Ethan Waddleton

Fixtures: (2 December, kick-off times GMT) Coverage live on Sky Sports 2.
v Samoa, KO 7.14am
v Russia, KO 10.58am
v New Zealand, KO 4.37pm

The Royals (England Sevens Academy): Jordan Ainslie, Will Attfield, Cameron Cowell (c), Dan Temm (Newcastle Falcons), Will Edwards (Loughborough University), Tom Fitch, Will Glover, Harry Glover (Newcastle University), Charlton Kerr, Charlie Kingham (Loughborough University), Henry Martin, Callum Sirker

Fixtures (2 December, kick off times GMT):
v Opposition TBC, KO 10.20am
v Les Bleus Sevens, KO 12.20pm
v Georgia 7s, KO 2.20pm