Sydney University Football Club’s Ed Jenkins and Pat McCutcheon have been named in the 13-man Australian Men’s Sevens squad to contest the first tournament of the 2016-17 Sevens World Series in Dubai on December 3.
Jenkins, Australia’s most capped Sevens player, stepped down as captain of the Australian team after the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games after re-signing to play for another two seasons.
He made his Sevens debut in 2008 and has represented at two Rugby Sevens World Cups.
Jenkins was part of the squad that won the 2010 London Sevens and 2012 Japan Sevens, however missed out on most of the 2012-13 World Series after picking up a hamstring injury in the opening round.
He won silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and captained Australia to the bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
McCutcheon is also a former Australian captain from the 2009 Sevens World Series after making his debut in 2007.
He was combining Sevens duties with the 15-man game when it was announced Rugby Sevens would make their Olympic debut at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. He rejoined the Sevens program on a full-time basis in August 2015 and won selection for the Games.
A former Australia Under-19 and Australian Schoolboys representative in the 15-man game, McCutcheon captained Australia to a Sevens silver medal at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games alongside Jenkins.
He returned to the 15-man game and represented NSW Waratahs on 37 occasions in Super Rugby before switching back to Sevens for the 2015-16 World Series.
Australian Men’s Sevens head coach Andy Friend has named a new look squad to represent Australia in the first tournament in the 2016-17 series.
Sam Caslick, Michael Adams, Simon Kennewell, Charlie Taylor and Tim Anstee will be making their Australia Sevens debuts at the Dubai tournament, with Sam Meyers takes over the captaincy from Jenkins.
Coach Friend said it is an exciting period for this young group of players after an intense pre-season.
“We learnt a lot from the recent Oceania Sevens tournament and this group is showing real potential with a lot of young players really putting their hand up for future opportunities,” he said.
The squad includes: Sam Myers (c), Ed Jenkins, Michael Adams, Connor Mitchell, Boyd Killingworth, Alex Gibbon, Simon Kennewell, Patrick McCutcheon, Samuel Caslick, Henry Hutchison, James Stannard, Charlie Taylor and Tim Anstee.
