CUMMINS SHOWS COMMONWEALTH CREDENTIALS
Emirates Western Force winger Nick Cummins has joined the Australian Sevens training camp and is on the cusp of a call-up to the side which will compete at the Commonwealth Games to be held in India in October.
Cummins is no stranger to the Sevens format having competed at national level in 2006/07, prior to joining the Force, with his speed and evasion skills major weapons.
After an injury interrupted start to his 2010 Super rugby campaign Cummins showed his value on the wing with some exciting displays that earned him another call-up to the Wallabies training squad.
The 22 year old said the chance to represent Australia in any form of the game would be a huge honour and he’ll be doing everything he can to book a seat on the plane to Delhi.
“These types of opportunities don’t come around very often so you have to take it with both hands and give it your best shot,” Cummins said from the Sevens training camp at the AIS in Canberra.
“The boys can smell a medal and to be able to be part of a side that could bring home the gold would be a massive achievement.”
Cummins is one of five Super rugby players vying for a spot in the 12-man squad. Lachie Turner, Chris Alcock, Luke Morahan and Pat McCabe are also competing for their place in the team which will be announced on August 13.
“Training has been full on and the weather hasn’t been all that kind either. We had a couple of games yesterday and the rain was coming in sideways and the temp was just six degrees.
“Everyone is up for the challenge and competing hard because we all want one of those spots in the side when it is announced,” Cummins said.
Australia has been drawn alongside England in Pool D and is considered a genuine medal contender after finishing third in the 2009/10 IRB Sevens World Series.
The Aussies are in good form having win the London Sevens in May, their first tournament victory since 2002.
Their best placed finish at a Commonwealth Games was in 1998, the first time Rugby Sevens were played at the event, where Australia collected the bronze medal but in subsequent Games the Australians haven’t been able to replicated that form and missed out in 2002 (equal fifth) or 2006 (fourth).
The Australian Sevens will prepare for the Games with a week-long camp in Darwin; where they’ll compete in a tournament 1-3 October against IRB Sevens World Series champions Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Niue, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Tahiti and American Samoa.
RugbyWA
