MX23RW : Thursday, April 25 23:16:30| >> :600:712291:712291:

Ben Ryan hits out at Sir Clive Woodward

Ryan hits out at Woodward
© PA Photos
Ben Ryan says that he is unlikely to select Test players for the Team GB rugby sevens despite the suggestions of Sir Clive Woodward.

England sevens coach Ben Ryan has played down Sir Clive Woodward's suggestion that Test players could be called upon to help Great Britain achieve Olympic gold.

Rugby sevens will appear at the Olympics for the first time in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, and Woodward claims that it would be like picking a Lions squad.

However, Ryan believes that different fitness levels and issues means that integrating 15-a-side players into the team is unlikely.

"It would be a really hard ask for them to come in," Ryan told BBC Radio Five Live. "As far as the way our leagues are set up in the UK and how the game is played and structured, it has taken our players a long time to get to the conditioning levels you want.

"You never say never because there may be somebody that has played sevens in the past and is above everyone else's fitness levels in the Premiership or international rugby and they really want to give it a go.

"But for the general population that are playing 15s at club or international level, it would be really hard. That is backed up by our fitness statistics, which are a level above first XVs."

Woodward led England to World Cup glory in 2003.

ID:49272: cacheID:49272:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2069:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Olympic Torch
Read Next:
Bruce Forsyth carries Olympic torch
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
10am
Bublik
Carballes Baena
10am
Marozsan
Cerundolo
10am
Musetti
Seyboth Wild
10am
Paul
Klein
10am
Rublev
Bagnis
10am
Andreeva
Noskova
10am
Bronzetti
Rybakina
10am
Garcia
Wang
10am
Pavlyuchenkova
Saville
11.30am
Altmaier
Fils
11.30am
Martin Etcheverry
Shapovalov
11.30am
Alexandrova
Krueger
11.30am
Bucsa
Kasatkina
11.30am
Dolehide
Kalinina
11.30am
Jimenez Kasintseva
Paolini
11.30am
Linette
Sabalenka
1pm
Baez
Van Assche
1pm
Hurkacz
Draper
1pm
Bejlek
Kalinskaya
1pm
Cristian
Krejcikova
1pm
Kostyuk
Sherif
2pm
Zheng
Putintseva
2.30pm
Humbert
Van De Zandschulp
2.30pm
Darderi
Fritz
2.30pm
Boulter
Montgomery
3pm
Shevchenko
Alcaraz
3.30pm
Vondrousova
Rogers
4pm
Griekspoor
Daniel
4pm
Munar
Struff
5pm
Navone
Rune
7pm
Coric
Zverev
8.30pm
Collins
Danilovic
11.30am
Shang
Davidovich Fokina


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!