Leicester Tigers development squad player Ryan Olowofela is included in the England squad for the opening round of the 2017 Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix Series which takes place in Moscow this weekend.
The team contains a mix of players from the senior England Sevens set-up, England Sevens academy, Premiership academy and the universities programme, with coaches Simon Amor, Warren Abrahams and Tony Roques accounting for a number of factors in their selection.
Head coach Amor, said: “Off the back of a successful HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series with the team achieving second place overall, the Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix Series provides us with a great opportunity to identify the next generation of talent that will come through the England Sevens pathway.
“This tournament also holds a great opportunity for our academy coach Warren Abrahams to lead this programme and further develop his coaching skills, and for Tony Roques who will be in Moscow to support him.
“The squad for Moscow is made up primarily of our young England Sevens academy players and players identified through our relationships with the universities and Premiership academies, which demonstrates the good connections that the programme is building with different partners."
England face Belgium, Portugal and France in the pool stages on Saturday. Coverage is streamed live on RugbyEurope.tv.
The Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix Series carries added significance this year as it forms part of the qualification process for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018.
England Sevens squad for Moscow:
Alex Davis
Cameron Cowell
Calum Sirker
Jordan Ainslie
Henry Martin
Tom Ffitch
Will Glover
Fergus Guiry
Will Wilson (University of Oxford)
Yaree Fanitini (Northumbria University)
Mason Tonks (Gloucester)
Ryan Olowofela (Leicester Tigers)
The team contains a mix of players from the senior England Sevens set-up, England Sevens academy, Premiership academy and the universities programme, with coaches Simon Amor, Warren Abrahams and Tony Roques accounting for a number of factors in their selection.
Head coach Amor, said: “Off the back of a successful HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series with the team achieving second place overall, the Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix Series provides us with a great opportunity to identify the next generation of talent that will come through the England Sevens pathway.
“This tournament also holds a great opportunity for our academy coach Warren Abrahams to lead this programme and further develop his coaching skills, and for Tony Roques who will be in Moscow to support him.
“The squad for Moscow is made up primarily of our young England Sevens academy players and players identified through our relationships with the universities and Premiership academies, which demonstrates the good connections that the programme is building with different partners."
England face Belgium, Portugal and France in the pool stages on Saturday. Coverage is streamed live on RugbyEurope.tv.
The Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix Series carries added significance this year as it forms part of the qualification process for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018.
England Sevens squad for Moscow:
Alex Davis
Cameron Cowell
Calum Sirker
Jordan Ainslie
Henry Martin
Tom Ffitch
Will Glover
Fergus Guiry
Will Wilson (University of Oxford)
Yaree Fanitini (Northumbria University)
Mason Tonks (Gloucester)
Ryan Olowofela (Leicester Tigers)
