Record-breaking Rodwell to captain England in Singapore
When James Rodwell captains England at the Singapore Sevens this weekend (16-17 April) he will be setting a new record of 69 consecutive tournaments on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
The 31 year old’s 68 consecutive caps equalled the current record held by South Africa’s Frankie Horne in Hong Kong last weekend, when he scored England’s second try in the plate final as they beat USA 19-0.
England make two changes to that squad, with John Brake and Sam Egerton coming in for Phil Burgess and Tom Mitchell. As the World Series heads to Singapore for the first time, England take on Portugal, Samoa and Fiji in the pool stages.
Head Coach Simon Amor said: “James will set an incredible record that can’t be broken when you consider the intensity of the game now. To go 69 tournaments back to back is phenomenal. Most players can’t string together a handful on the bounce and for him to reach that number, especially as a forward with an aggressive style of play, shows just how durable he is. He really is a superstar.
“He is incredibly professional, as you must be to play this game, especially for as long and consistently as he has. What is also impressive is his desire to continue developing. He is the senior member of the programme but is still improving and has more years in him. It will be exciting to see how much better he can become as his experience continues to be so important for the young guys and their personal development.”
One of those young players is Sam Egerton who earns his first cap for England Sevens after featuring in a number of invitational tournaments this season. His selection, together with that of Brake, allows Burgess and Mitchell to take some time out from competition.
Amor added: “Sam was recently on loan at Harlequins and did well for them and is a great example of a player who has come in, trained really hard with the programme, and has the potential to return to 15-a-side rugby, better for the sevens experience. While Sam makes his debut, John takes his total to 41 tournaments and he is a player with an outstanding attitude who has been a great asset for England over the years.
“With the GB Sevens programme now finalised and starting at the end of May, it’s important that we rest some of the guys who are really going to put their hands up for a place in that Olympic squad. It is both an intense World Series and GB programme so players can’t feature in every tournament. This is tough for England Sevens but it is the right thing for GB.”
Amor, who is also Head Coach of Team GB, will take a different approach in Singapore by looking to spend time with Wales and Scotland, while Tony Roques, England Sevens Assistant Coach, will act as Head Coach for the tournament.
“Spending a decent amount of time with the other home unions will give me a better understanding of how both Gareth Williams [Wales 7s Head Coach and Team GB Assistant Coach] and the players operate in the build-up and during competition. I have watched a lot of footage but it will give me a much better feel for all those involved. As we continue to work to prioritise GB, it will be an important experience.”
England Sevens squad for Singapore:
Tom Bowen, John Brake, Cameron Cowell, Richard de Carpentier, Sam Egerton, Charlie Hayter, Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas, Warwick Lahmert, Ollie Lindsay-Hague (Harlequins), Ruaridh McConnochie, Dan Norton, James Rodwell (Capt)
Pool fixtures (Saturday 16th in BST) with coverage live on Sky Sports:
• 5.34 am v Portugal
• 8.55am v Samoa
• 12.26pm v Fiji
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