England Sevens head coach Simon Amor has named a 13-man squad for the upcoming HSBC London Sevens to be played at Twickenham Stadium on 2nd and 3rd June.
Tom Mitchell will lead the side on what will be his 50th appearance and the squad will be further bolstered by the presence of all-time leading try scorer Dan Norton and England Sevens’ most capped player James Rodwell.
Ryan Olowofela will make his Twickenham debut this weekend alongside Newcastle University’s Harry Glover while Ruaridh McConnochie, Richard de Carpentier and Charlton Kerr will be unavailable for selection due to injuries.
“The opportunity to play your home tournament is always special, and whether you’ve played at Twickenham 50 times or whether you’re playing there for your first time, you’ll always want to have one more opportunity so everyone’s really excited about this weekend,” said head of England Sevens Simon Amor.
“It’s great to have Harry Glover back in the mix for London – he wasn’t available for Singapore due to university commitments but he was exceptional in the Commonwealth Games so we’re really pleased to bolster the squad with his talent.
“Ryan Olowofela – who has progressed through our academy team this year – has really grown as a player. His aerial game is a real strength, he has scored a number of tries on the World Series already this season and we are excited to see him show his effort and attitude this weekend on the Twickenham stage.”
Armor also congratulated Mitchell for reaching another milestone and hopes to finish the penultimate leg of the series on a high.
“So few English people have achieved 50 tournaments on the World Series so for Tom to reach that – especially at Twickenham surrounded by his friends and family – is a special moment.
“He’s been such an unbelievable servant and captain to the England team. He led the side brilliantly at the Commonwealth Games where they brought home a bronze medal and it this unique style that is both respected and inspires all around him to give their all for the team.”
England Sevens squad for HSBC London Sevens:
Dan Bibby, Phil Burgess, Alex Davis, Mike Ellery, Harry Glover, Charlie Hayter, Ollie Lindsay-Hague, Tom Mitchell, Dan Norton, Ryan Olowofela, James Rodwell, Ethan Waddleton
13th man: Tom Bowen
England’s Pool C fixtures, Saturday 2 June:
England v France, 12.04pm
England v USA, 3.10pm
England v Kenya, 6.16pm