GB Sevens confirm pre-Olympic schedule

They will compete in  the Rugby Europe Event in Kazan (11-12 June), entering two teams, and an invitational tournament in Tignes (14-16 July) as they look to build further on the experience of GB Select playing in Dubai, Las Vegas and Vancouver where they finished first, second and third respectively.

The final 12 player squad will be announced in mid-July and women’s Head Coach Simon Middleton will continue to work alongside Assistant Coach Richie Pugh with the squad of 24, including two Welsh players and one Scottish, which has been training together since October.

Management teams have been appointed for both squads as planning and preparations continue in advance of the full time GB training and competition schedules.

GB at both women's and men's level face a real challenge to gel their non-English players before the tournament but the women's squad have the real benefit of having had the three additional players competing for places, as part of their training squad since the end of 2015.

Team GB Sevens Head Coach Simon Middleton (Women) said: “The focus for the squad right now is continuity. The girls are training together and preparations are going well. It is also important that we have the opportunity to compete as a GB team given, that as with the men, it is an England squad that plays in the World Series.

“These invitational competitions are therefore right up there in the Rio preparation. There are still a few months to go but we need synergy within the team and so it’s a case of girls putting themselves forward, getting the shirt and then keeping it.”