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Overlooked Wallabies wing joins Australia sevens squad
By Online Editors
Overlooked for the Rugby World Cup, Jack Maddocks is joining his older brother Will in the Australian men's sevens squad as they attempt to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
Melbourne Rebels star Maddocks was considered unlucky to miss Wallabies World Cup selection, but he has been training with the Cup squad in Japan on standby ahead of their first match against Fiji on Saturday.
Rugby Australia said he would be loaned to the sevens program in a short-term move ahead of their Olympic qualifier, the Oceania Sevens, in Fiji in November.
The 22-year-old will join the squad in Germany for this month's Munich Sevens.
Australian men's sevens coach Tim Walsh said he was excited about having two Maddocks in the squad.
"Jack is a quality athlete and an amazing rugby player; he can run, leap, jump, weave and is a competitor, which is exactly the kind of player we want," Walsh said.
"Will has been no slouch either and continues to smash records in the team with his speed and fitness, so to welcome Jack is going to enhance our environment."
With six Test caps, Maddocks said he was looking forward to trying something new.
"It's a good opportunity for me to go test out sevens for a bit and have a crack," he said.
"Tim (Walsh) hit me up to see if I was interested.
"I haven't played much of sevens before so the challenge excited me, and it was a good opportunity to play with my brother so that was a big lure for me."
Maddocks will return to the Rebels after the Oceania Qualifier and remains on stand-by for the Wallabies' Rugby World Cup campaign.
- AAP
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Latest Comments
It certainly needs to be cherished. Despite Nick (and you) highlighting their usefulness for teams like Australia (and obviously those in France they find form with) I (mention it general in those articles) say that I fear the game is just not setup in Aus and NZ to appreciate nor maximise their strengths. The French game should continue to be the destination of the biggest and most gifted athletes but it might improve elsewhere too.
I just have an idea it needs a whole team focus to make work. I also have an idea what the opposite applies with players in general. I feel like French backs and halves can be very small and quick, were as here everyone is made to fit in a model physique. Louis was some 10 and 20 kg smaller that his opposition and we just do not have that time of player in our game anymore. I'm dying out for a fast wing to appear on the All Blacks radar.
But I, and my thoughts on body size in particular, could be part of the same indoctrination that goes on with player physiques by the establishment in my parts (country).
Go to commentsHis best years were 2018 and he wasn't good enough to win the World Cup in 2023! (Although he was voted as the best player in the world in 2023)
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