Mark Bennett has revealed that the memories of playing for Scotland at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games two years ago spurred him on to make the Team GB men’s sevens squad for the upcoming Rio Olympics.
The 23-year-old and Mark Robertson were the only two Scots named in head coach Simon Amor’s 12-man squad for the showpiece event yesterday. Scott Riddell, Jamie Farndale, Gavin Lowe, Lee Jones and Joseva Nayacavou missed out after having been named in the initial, bigger squad, while Steph Johnston also missed out on selection for the women’s squad.
Bennett, the Glasgow Warriors centre, has 16 caps for the full Scotland team, but decided to miss last month’s two Tests in Japan to try and make his Olympic dream a reality. “Being part of the Scotland sevens squad at the Commonwealth Games two years ago was a big driver behind my decision to really go all out for an Olympic place, because the buzz around a multi-sport event really is great," he said yesterday. “You get to meet other athletes and people that you would normally not get the chance to meet and you can feed off of them and learn from them.
“We also played some good rugby in the Commonwealth Games and I managed to bag a few tries. It showed me what sevens is like at the top level and I love the different challenges that it poses to the 15-a-side game.
“I love playing rugby for Scotland, but it is not every day you get a chance to go to an Olympic Games,” he added. “I had a chat with Scotland head coach Vern Cotter and he understood my reasons [for missing Japan] while Scottish Rugby backed my decision and I am just glad I have been able to repay their faith by getting selected.
“It is disappointing that a number of other Scots missed out on selection because they were flying for the national team during the World Series last season, but there is so much quality in the squad I am sure we can go to Rio and put on a good show.”
Robertson, 31, was not part of the Scotland sevens squad at Glasgow 2014, but has impressed Amor in recent weeks and his experience will be key at the Olympics. There are eight Englishmen, two Scots and two Welshmen in the men’s squad, which will be led by England’s Tom Mitchell. Emily Scarratt, also from England, will skipper a women’s squad that includes 11 English players and one from Wales. Johnston had been the only remaining Scot in the squad when it was cut to 24 earlier this year.
Jack Hegarty, the Hawick forward who played six times for Scotland, has died aged 91. He won his caps between 1951 and 1955, making his debut in the back row but playing the other five Tests at lock.
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