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

New Zealand boss Gordon Tietjens has been pleased with the way his new additions have slotted in ahead of the HSBC Sevens World Series opener in Australia.

New Zealand, who are chasing a 10th world crown, has named uncapped quartet Glen Robertson, Charles Piutau, Joe Webber and James Marshall in their 12-man squad for the Gold CoastSevens as well as the following legs in South Africa and Dubai.

Robertson and Piutau have been promoted from the Under-20s set-up, while they have been joined by Waikato's Webber and Tasman's Marshall.

"All the players trained very hard over the last few days and I was impressed with the way the four new players really stepped up and worked extremely hard for their spots," Tietjens told allblacks.com.

The vastly experienced DJ Forbes will once again skipper the side, with New Zealand set to face Fiji, Kenya and Niue in their pool on the Gold Coast.

New Zealand: Toby Arnold, Tomasi Cama, Scott Curry, DJ Forbes, Frank Halai, Solomon King, Tim Mikkelson, James Marshall, Lote Raikabula, Charles Piutau, Glen Robertson, Joe Webber

Afrika out of Gold Coast Sevens

IRB Sevens Player of the Year Cecil Afrika will miss the opening leg of South Africa's challenge at the HSBC Sevens World Series.

Afrika, who finished as the leading points and try scorer last season, has been ruled out of the inaugural Gold Coast Sevens in Australia with a facial injury.

However coach Paul Treu, who steered his side to a second-placed finish last season, is hoping to have the 23-year-old available for the Dubai leg of the Series.

With Afrika definitely missing in Australia, Treu has named a 14-strong squad to cover the opening three tournaments - which take place over successive weekends and culminate in Port Elizabeth.
Cheetahs centre Robert Ebersohn has been named in the squad but there is no place for Cornal Hendricks despite the Boland player having agreed a two-year deal to join the Springboks Sevens set-up.

South Africa: Chris Dry, Kyle Brown, Frankie Horne, Boom Prinsloo, Chase Minnaar, Paul Delport, Renfred Dazel, Mark Richards, Steven Hunt, Bernado Botha, Robert Ebersohn, William Small-Smith, Cecil Afrika, Branco du Preez