Former Australia U20s captain Teddy Wilson is in line to make his HSBC SVNS Series debut at the seventh round in Singapore on May 3-5, the penultimate leg in the 2023/24 campaign.
The son of former Wallaby and Rugby World Cup winner David, Wilson is one of two changes to John Manenti’s side from Hong Kong.
The 21-year-old Waratahs half-back has been called into the squad with Maurice Longbottom (hamstring) and Matt Gonzalez (shoulder) unavailable through injury. James McGregor also returns for his second tournament after making his sevens debut in Cape Town.
Australia have already qualified for the Grand Final in Madrid in June after finishing fourth in Hong Kong, and will be looking to improve their ranking for both the final and the Paris Olympic Games in July.
Manenti said: “As the tournaments roll around, they all become more significant in one way or another. For us, the chance to play consistently remains a key focus. There were heaps of positives to take from Hong Kong and on a short turnaround we have worked on a few areas to improve on for Singapore.
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Don’t miss out on tickets for Singapore SVNS, to see if @nz_sevens can continue their winning ways ?#HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSSGP
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“On the back of a few injury niggles, we get to welcome Teddy Wilson from the Waratahs into the squad for his debut. We are grateful to the Waratahs to give us the opportunity to play Teddy and know that he will fit right in with the team.
“We also welcome back for his second cap, Jimmy McGregor. He was the standout player in the recent Hong Kong 10s tournament when playing with the PAC Baa-Baas and has been training full-time with us for the past six months.
“The rest of the squad remains the same, with Michael Hooper getting further exposure after handling Hong Kong well.”
For the women’s side, Tim Walsh has made two key changes with Australian legends Charlotte Caslick and Sharni Smale set to miss the Singapore trip due to niggling injuries.
Dominique du Toit returns from an ankle injury in a timely boost while Lily Dick and Sidney Taylor are the fresh faces in the squad with Bienne Terita also unavailable.
The Aussie women claimed bronze in Hong Kong and are chasing another strong showing with arch-rivals New Zealand currently equal in points at the top of the table.
“We are after a performance in Singapore as we prepare for the final event in Madrid and the Olympics in July,” Walsh said.
“We are equal top on competition points with New Zealand, which makes for a Singapore showdown, and watching France beat them in Hong Kong at their peak makes for a very competitive last couple of tournaments.
“It’s an important part of the game. A lot of people don’t like it.”
– Teddy Wilson, with Liam Heagney ???, on box kicking, the Junior Wallabies and having a Rugby World Cup-winning father. #WorldRugbyU20shttps://t.co/RFHETVCBip
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 8, 2023
“Madison Ashby will captain the team in Charlotte Caslick’s absence and both Bridget Clark and Ruby Nicholas will play in their second cap in Singapore.”
The women’s side start their campaign against Brazil on Friday, May 3, before clashing with Great Britain later that day. The Aussie men face series leaders Argentina in their first match, followed by Canada.
- Click here for all the details about the Singapore SVNS
