The Newcastle update on the GB7s Olympics approach for Adam Radwan

Steve Diamond has explained the status of the recent request made to Newcastle about Adam Radwan possibly helping the Great Britain 7s team to qualify for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

The tournament at the Stade de France, which is set to see Antoine Dupont represent France and Michael Hooper play for Australia, is scheduled to take place across three days in late July, starting with the preliminary round on Wednesday, July 24.

The quarter-finals are planned for the following day, July 25, with the event concluding with the medal matches on Saturday, July 27.

Britain have yet to qualify for the Games and they have one final chance of doing so by winning the 12-team repechage event that is pencilled in for Monaco on June 21-23 where they have been drawn in a pool that also features Canada, Uganda, and China.

The GB7s team skippered by Scotland’s Robbie Fergusson are currently ninth in the HSBC SVNS Series. They are seven points behind the eighth-place USA and unless that margin is overturned at the Singapore 7s on May 3-5, they will contest the relegation/promotion play-offs at the Grand Final in Madrid on May 31-June 2.

Now 26, Radwan won the last of his two England Test caps in November 2021. He has three rounds of Gallagher Premiership matches left with Newcastle before their terrible bottom-of-the-table season finally ends, starting Sunday at home to Sale, at home again to Bath on May 10, and then finishing at Gloucester on May 18.

Asked by RugbyPass for an update on the Olympics approach made to Radwan, Newcastle boss Diamond said on Wednesday: “The sevens selectors are looking around for people who would suit the game and there are a couple of qualifying rounds still to go.

“I think it’s not just Adam Radwan, they have gone to other Premiership clubs. We had a chat with Adam and if it fits and he wants to do it then we will back him all the way. We’ve not heard anything since, so no doubt the powers that be picking that team will be in touch if they want him.

“Of course he wants to do it, anybody would want to go to the Olympics. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he may have. He may not have if they don’t qualify.”