The Mirror News Today

Rugby sevens: Great Britain men’s team set for final Paris 2024 qualifying event

Rugby sevens: Great Britain men’s team set for final Paris 2024 qualifying event

GB head coach Tony Roques has named a 12-player squad for the repechage tournament, which sees the return of both Tom Emery and Alex Davis.

Roques took over as coach of the GB Sevens men’s team for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 where his side were defeated by Argentina in the bronze-medal match.

Since Tokyo, GB have lost experienced captain Tom Mitchell and all-time top try-scorer in the World Series Dan Norton, who both retired from sevens in 2022.

Scotland’s Robbie Fergusson will captain GB, who over the past two seasons have struggled following the loss of their experienced Olympians and finished ninth and eighth in the World Series.

However, in March GB reached the final in the Los Angeles tournament, where they were defeated 21-0 by a French team inspired by Antoine Dupont.

That run to the final included wins over repechage opponents Canada as well as Australia and Spain.

This month, World Series champions France also needed extra-time to defeat GB at the Grand Final in Madrid.

The men’s sevens tournament gets under way at the Olympics in Paris on 24 July, with the women’s event starting on 28 July.

GB repechage squad: Kaleem Barreto, Ross McCann, Harry Glover, Morgan Williams, Robbie Fergusson (capt), Ethan Waddleton, Will Homer, Max McFarland, Jamie Barden, Charlton Kerr, Tom Emery, Alex Davis.