Stannard: I'm too old for Rio sevens

Stannard: I'm too old for Rio sevens
AAP
BEN HORNE
July 28, 2014, 5:11 am


Australia's unsung hero James Stannard doesn't see how he can continue on to the 2016 Rio Olympics, selflessly willing to step aside for young sevens stars coming through.


Stannard's team-first work ethic was epitomised by an incredible try-saving tackle in the quarter-final against Wales.


Despite his bitter disappointment at losing to New Zealand in the semi, it was his ticker that made it possible for Australia to at least leave Glasgow with a bronze medal around their necks.


In a team where the average age is 23, the smallest and oldest Australian at 31 shut down a two-on-one chance which would have sent the gold jerseys packing empty handed.


Instead, Australia went the length after fulltime had sounded, to score and clinch a win for the ages.


Stannard, who is contracted with the sevens until December, says he's determined to set Australia on the road to Rio by helping them secure qualification in the three end-of-year tournaments beginning in October on the Gold Coast.


But as for seeing Australia's promising journey through to their Olympic dream, the proud two-time Commonwealth Games medalilst admits he probably won't be there beyond next year - with sevens players in their 30s as rare as low scorelines.


"I'm probably a bit old now," Stannard told AAP.


"There's some good young blokes coming through - speedy guys.


"And if I'm playing in two years and keeping up with them, geez, I don't know. There might have to be some miracle drug, that's allowed, to keep me going.


"I'd love to go another year and do as much as I can to get them into that bloody Olympics. It's a crucial year next year.


"(But) I can't see myself going another two years."


Stannard has plenty to look forward to when the team flies home on Monday.


He became a first-time dad just days before departing for Glasgow, when his wife Kym gave birth do twin girls, Layla and Zara 10 weeks premature - with the pair, healthy in hospital, weighing 1.06kg and 1.3kg respectively.


"I was getting to training (last week in Glasgow) and thinking, 'geez, I wish I could just go and see them," he said.


"But they're in good hands and I'll see them ... with a medal around my neck."

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...or-rio-sevens/

how good was that tackle!

Apparently 171 000 total attendance for the sevens over the weekend. (This compares to about 24 000 for the actual Scotland Sevens held in the same city earlier in the year.)

Just watching the Oceania Sevens and Chucky is an absolute star for Australia. I'm not sure he's too old for Rio; it'd be a travesty if one of the high profile blow-ins took his spot.

anyone got any links to video's? especially the chucky tackle?

man, i thought this was recent! will start searching for videos again, in a different year :)

The Oceania Sevens was this weekend, and Chucky played a blinder in the games I saw. There was a 30-second passage of play where he ran down a winger for a try-saving tackle, bundling the guy into touch, then took the line-out, and from the next ruck dummied and sprinted 70 yards for the try.

against cook islands?

It was either the Cookies or Tonga (I missed the first match on the Saturday). But the fact that it might have been against the Cook Islands shouldn't detract from the effort Chucky put in. Plus, the Cookies were the only side to score against Australia in 6 matches!

Did hear an interesting thing whilst watching, though. In Sevens tournaments, the group matches (3 games) are all played in one day, with the knock-out rounds on the next day. For the Olympics, teams will only play 2 games a day (presumably stretching the tournament to 3 days). The extra rest time might make a few differences.