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Test winger Lachie Turner will join a formidable looking Australian Rugby Sevens squad in camp on Sunday, as preparations get underway for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October.

Coach Michael O’Connor has selected a 14-man training squad which will assemble at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra from 4-7 July and has bolstered his side with the inclusion of Qantas Wallabies winger Turner and also 2009 Spring tourist Luke Morahan.

Fullback Morahan has just returned home from the IRB Junior World Championships in Argentina where Australia recorded their best-ever result at the tournament to finish runners-up to New Zealand.

Flanker Liam Gill, lock Ed Quirk and centre Kimami Sitauti were also standout performers in the Australian U20s team.

Sevens captain Patrick McCutcheon returns to the squad after missing the final two legs of the IRB Sevens World Series through Super 14 duty with the NSW Waratahs.

The 23-year-old flanker has been involved with the national squad for the past month alongside Turner, playing two mid-week games for the Australian Barbarians against England.

Australia enjoyed the back end of their IRB Sevens series to finish third overall after claiming their first title since 2002 in London in May and a runners-up spot at the Edinburgh tournament a week later.

O’Connor’s side have the chance to make history at the Delhi Games on 11-12 October and end New Zealand’s gold medal dominance at the event.

Australia won the bronze in 1998 when rugby sevens was first granted entry in Kuala Lumpur but did not make the podium in 2002 or 2006.
 

Australian Rugby Sevens training squad:
Bernard Foley, Liam Gill, Brackin Karauria-Henry, Patrick McCutcheon, Luke Morahan, Nicholas Phipps, Edward Quirk, Brian Sefanaia, Clinton Sills, Kimami Sitauti, James Stannard, Jacob Taylor, Lachie Turner, Daniel Yakapo