New Zealand Head Coach Clark Laidlaw has named his squad that will take part in the Commonwealth Games slated for Birmingham from July 28 2022.
Eight members of last year’s Olympic silver medal-winning squad have been picked for Birmingham, alongside a handful of newcomers to the international sevens scene.
The Olympic squad members Regan Ware, Sione Molia, Scott Curry, Dylan Collier, Joe Webber, Tone Ng Shiu, and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black have been re-selected for the Commonwealth Games.
Sam Dickson, who was injured just before last year’s Olympic Games and had to be replaced, will captain the team, and he will be well supported by vice-captains Collier and Webber. Birmingham will be Dickson and Curry’s third Commonwealth Games participation.
Teenagers Caleb Tangitau and Che Clark have made the cut. Tangitau lit up the World Series in 2022 with 17 tries across four tournaments, while Clark is yet to make his World Series debut but was a standout performer at last weekend’s Oceania Sevens.
For Joe Webber and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, the excitement of selection will be heightened after both being named for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games but being forced to withdraw through injury.
The team will continue training at their Mt Maunganui base before departing for a pre-Games camp in Scotland next weekend. The Rugby Sevens competition at Birmingham 2022 will begin on July 29th.
New Zealand Men’s Rugby Sevens team: Leroy Carter, Che Clark, Dylan Collier (vc), Scott Curry, Sam Dickson ©, Moses Leo, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, Sione Molia, Tone Ng Shiu, Akuila Rokolisoa, Caleb Tangitau, Regan Ware, Joe Webber (vc)
Travelling reserves: Amanaki Nicole, Roderick Solo
Non-travelling reserves: Brady Rush, Kurt Baker, Trael Joass, Tim Mikkelson
New Zealand Women’s Rugby Sevens team: Michaela Blyde, Kelly Brazier, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Sarah Hirini (c), Stacey Fluhler, Jazmin Hotham, Shiray Kaka, Tyla Nathan-Wong, Risaleaana Pouri-Lane, Alena Saili, Niall Williams, Tenika Willison, Portia Woodman
