• • Facebook
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Stumble Upon
  • Furl

Andy Lane & UR7s staff

The fourth University World Sevens tournament is currently well underway in a sun drenched in Portugal. Various nations from around the globe have amalgamated the very best students from their universities and headed to Porto to battle for the prestigious crown.

Many of the teams travelling to the tournament will hold the highest of aspirations, with favourites Great Britain no exception to that.

For many students in the UK the ridiculously generous summer holidays can be a fairly inactive time. But for the group assembled in Porto the next few days won’t exactly involve lounging round a swimming pool with a cold one in their hand.

“The expectation amongst the lads and the coaches is a medal spot,” explains GB Manager, Tim Stevens. 

“We are definitely looking to build on the silver medal we achieved in Rome two years ago and eclipse the 5th place the team managed in Spain in 2008. We are travelling with a confident and talented group of players.”

In the Men’s competition, 14 nations are represented and have been split into two pools that will play for three days with the knockouts taking place on Saturday (July 24). Britain were drawn with Spain, Canada, Japan, Morocco, Norway and Hungry.

Wednesday saw Stevens’ side humble Hungry (52-0) with tougher contests expected over the next few days

‘We have an experienced but young squad and we should do well. Our initial target is the Cup semis and a medal would obviously be fantastic. The heat could potentially be a factor but we have an exciting team’.

Manchester auditions

As well as building on success at previous World Championships in both Italy and Spain, the GB students took part in the recent Manchester leg of the National Sevens Series to aid their preparations.

The Series of course has bought together some of the best sevens players in the UK with the Students taking solace from a Plate runners-up position in Cheshire. As-well as being able to monitor his own side, Manchester was a perfect opportunity for Stevens to view players, that he ended up taking to Portugal, who were part of other National Series teams such as Paul Jarvis (White Hart Marauders) and Hamish Smales (HFW Wailers)

“Manchester was a chance for myself and coaches such as James Farndon to watch some potential guys through a tournament scenario.

“Selection itself started back in April with a tournament in Edinburgh (Four Nations Sevens) and we as coaches have been in conversation with University coaches since then to try and scout our potential squad.

“A few such as Alex Cheeseman, Hamish Smales and Dave Smith are obvious choices,” added Stevens.

Cheeseman, from Oxford University, is currently in England’s Commonwealth Games training squad and will be a crucial player for GB. Smales was superb throughout the National Series and will give the Students some cutting edge.

Hartbury's Paul Jarvis grew with confidence with each National Series leg and was the match-winner for the Marauders in their heroic semi-final victory against Samurai in Newquay last weekend.

However, perhaps the key man could be winger Dave Smith.

Sevens nomad

Smith is captaining the side in Portugal and his CV boasts a wealth of worldwide sevens experience despite his young age. He has represented England on the IRB Sevens World Series in recent seasons and last season saw him cross the Atlantic to spend a season on the USA Club circuit. Based in Washington DC, Smith became an integral part of a North Virginia Rugby Club (NOVA) that made the US Nationals in San Francisco.

Having missed out on the latter stages of the Manchester tournament through injury, Smith will be looking to make up for his absence with blistering performances over the next few days.

“It was good to play in Manchester. It really built up the excitement for Porto amongst the player group.” said Smith

“There is definitely a buzz when we are together. We are all similar ages so we can connect on that level and this is a great opportunity. With the Olympics around the corner many of us are looking to get on the selectors clipboard.”

Olympic targets

Clearly the introduction of rugby to the Olympics is huge for the sport joining the premier showpiece in sport.

“It is such a fantastic opportunity, the Olympics is obviously the pinnacle of sport. As players, we just have to play well and hope to train with the England squad and then make the full GB squad. That would be incredible as a player."

Smith’s sentiments are echoed by Tim Stevens who feels that both the National Sevens Series and Olympics will acts as catalysts to inspire his players.

"The National Series is a brilliant development tool for Sevens in this country. It is so important to get more people playing in order to continue success on an international level.

"The Olympics just adds to the motive to get involved in the game. Sevens is now going to be played at the highest level on a global stage and young players can’t help but be excited about that."

With recent British success in Beijing and the fast approaching London 2012 Games every rugby fan you speak to can’t wait to see sevens included in the showpiece of sport. The World University Games is another stepping stone for players to shape careers that have such obvious potential.