The grand experiment that will make or break the Australian sevens team’s dream of Olympic gold will start in Sydney this weekend.
In an attempt to bolster the Australian team’s performance and profile at the Rio Games, the Australian Rugby Union has enlisted the services of three Wallabies — Quade Cooper, Nick Cummins and Henry Speight for the sevens program.
The recruitment of Cooper, Cummins and Speight has helped to raise the awareness of sevens to the point where the 44,000‑seat Allianz Stadium will be sold out on Saturday and Sunday.
But the question is will the high‑profile 15‑a‑side stars help or hinder Australia’s chances at the Olympics?
Cooper, Cummins and Speight are still playing for their respective 15‑a‑side teams and have been released to play in a few tournaments in the build‑up to the Olympics.
Meanwhile, the Vodafone Fiji 7s is pooled with Samoa, Argentina and France.
They will take on Samoa at 12pm this Saturday in their first pool match.
The Sydney 7s will be held this Saturday and Sunday.
