Mikkelson, Curry to be co-captains

Co-captaincy has come to the New Zealand sevens team.

Illness and concussion prevented incumbent Scott Curry from fulfilling all of his duties in 2016, so he and veteran Tim Mikkelson will share the role this year, starting in Dubai next month.

Fresh from finishing second at the recent Oceania championships, New Zealand have named a fairly seasoned 14-man squad to begin a programme made up of 11 world events along with April’s Commonwealth Games.

‘‘It would be tough to captain on your own over such a long season as it’s impossible for a player to play every minute of every match in a sevens season so we feel doubling up helps our group,’’ New Zealand coach Clark Laidlaw said.

‘‘The way they are working together and getting the best out of men and the environment is exciting. Having Scott and Tim will grow our leadership on and off the field.’’

New Zealand lost 26-0 to Fiji in the Oceania final, but Laidlaw insists that was a worthwhile experience.

‘‘On the field, there was some good stuff and also areas that need improvement, so we have reflected on that and what we need to add into our game,’’ said Laidlaw.

‘‘The massive positive was around the values and vision that we have as a group. We are excited about what the players have done off the field and the foundation that has been set.’’

New Zealand will now meet Samoa, Argentina and the United States during pool play in Dubai. The Samoa match is the big one for Laidlaw.