Hong Kong closest to Rio 7s format
New Zealand sevens coach Gordon Tietjens says this weekend’s World Series event in Hong Kong is the closest his team will get to the Rio Olympics format before the Games start in August.
While most tournaments are twoday affairs, the long-standing and hugely-popular seventh stop on the series calendar is contested across three days.
Just three rounds follow before the series wraps up in late May and teams turn their full focus towards the sport’s Games debut in Rio.
‘‘It is the nearest we are going to get to Rio moving forward now,’’ Tietjens said.
"For some of the players going to be quite new.
‘‘Preparation and planning is massive for any tournament you are involved in and it is no different here.’’
Competition among the 14-player squad for a place in the 12-man playing group had been increased by the return from injury of All Blacks midfielder Sonny Bill Williams, with Waikato outside back Dylan Collier and Auckland midfielder Teddy Stanaway confirmed yesterday as
it
is NZ team for Hong Kong Sevens: Pita Ahki (North Harbour), Kurt Baker (Taranaki), Sam Dickson (Canterbury), DJ Forbes (Counties Manukau), Gillies Kaka (Hawke’s Bay), Liam Messam (Waikato), Tim Mikkelson (Captain) (Waikato), Sione Molia (Counties Manukau), Lewis Ormond (Taranaki), Isaac Te Tamaki (Waikato), Regan Ware (Waikato), Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau). the unlucky pair to miss out.
The two players recalled to the NZ squad for the Hong Kong and Singapore tournaments, Hurricanes utility back Pita Ahki and young flyer Isaac Te Tamaki, have both made the cut.
A member of the 2013 World Cupwinning side, Ahki is back in the Kiwi team for the first time since the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, while 21-year-old Te Tamaki is returning from injury.
Tietjens said it had been a ‘‘really competitive week’’ leading into the selection of the final 12.
‘‘Having 14 players competing for spots is a real advantage for the side,’’ he said.
‘‘Unfortunately, those are the two guys that missed out but they could be very important leading into Singapore.
‘‘There is a lot of challenges in the squad now and lot of competition, which is really healthy for the guys.’’
After arriving in Hong Kong a day earlier than normal to give the players longer to recover from travel and a tough camp in New Zealand, Tietjens said the team had trained really well.
Technical and tactical aspects had been their primary focus, not looking beyond their first match tomorrow night against France.
Just two points off series leaders Fiji after winning the previous round in Canada, the Kiwis complete pool play with matches against Kenya and Samoa on Saturday.
‘‘We have three tough pool games in this tournament,’’ Tietjens said.
‘‘Like every team they’ll all look to get themselves up for Hong Kong and it’ll be no different this time.
‘‘All teams can sense we’re not far away from Rio.
‘‘We all want to improve at every tournament so these next two tournaments are very important.’’