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England sevens captain Ollie Phillips is still unsure what role he can realistically play in this year’s IRB Sevens World Series as talks remain ongoing about his potential release between Stade Francais and the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

Phillips is currently enjoying his time in France and scored a crucial last-minute to beat Bath in the Heineken Cup earlier this season. The Sevens World Player of the Year was a crucial part of England’s success last season which saw them beat New Zealand twice in the finals in Wellington and London.

Although he remains optimistic about playing some part in the 2009/10 IRB Sevens campaign he appreciates that Stade are his paymasters and the final decision will largely be up to them.

“As far as I am concerned I am involved,” he told frenchrugbyclub.com.

“It’s more of a case of a compromise between England and Stade and I leave that discussion to those two parties, because as a player you don’t want to get involved in that and be seen to be taking sides.

His involvement will only go ahead on Stade’s blessing, and the coaching set up there has changed since he signed from Newcastle Falcons in the summer, with Jacques Delmas and Didier Faugeron coming in for the sacked Ewen McKenzie and Christophe Dominici.

“I would love to play in them because they are great tournaments and it’s the World Series, but at the same time I want to win the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup with Stade Francais, and I want to start. If me going away with England on and off is going to affect that then I will need to look at it, but hopefully Stade will come to some sort of arrangement over my release,” he adds.

The 26-year-old is still buzzing that Sevens has been accepted into the Olympic family and has now set his sights on playing in the world’s biggest sporting event.

“That would be the pinnacle of my rugby career if I could play in the Olympic Games. I would be fortunate enough to probably be going with a team that could win it, that would be pretty awesome.” he added.