You were selected in the Dream Team for last weekend’s tournament in Hong Kong – what does it feel like to be the first Welsh player this season to make a Dream Team from any of the World Series tournaments?
I’m very honoured to make the Dream Team – it has been a couple of years since a Welsh player has made it in so it was a proud moment to do it at such a special tournament.
The performances of the Welsh team in the last two tournaments have shown a dramatic improvement – what do you put this down to?
I think it’s a lot down to the hard work we have been putting in with Babs (Wales 7s head coach, Gareth Williams) and Pughy (Wales assistant coach, Richie Pugh) on the paddock behind the scenes. Also how we have been able to keep consistency in selection this season and now it’s starting to show in our results what investment into the 7s programme can bring. We are a team that are on the up and getting better and better every time we play together which excites me.
You joined a select band of Welsh players in Hong Kong when you reached 100 matches – what did that mean to you?
It was a huge honour reaching my 100th game for Wales and to get a try and a win was a nice way to do it. I remember my first game against Argentina in Vegas a few years back and think how much I’ve developed as a player and a person through the 7s programme since then, which I’m very grateful for.
You were unfortunate to miss out on selection for the Commonwealth Games – how much has that been a driving force for you since?
It’s something that was very disappointing at the time and it has motivated me and made me even more hungry to succeed, and I feel I have developed a lot more as a player and a person from that experience.
With the Olympics now just round the corner, how big a motivation is that driving you on for possible selection. With just three tournaments left, are you looking to stake a claim for Team GB at the Olympics?
I think any home nation player that says they don’t have one eye on making team GB for the Olympics would me lying. But I’m concentrating on my own game and doing the very best I can for Wales every time I take the field and hoping that my performances are enough to put me in contention to make that plane for Rio in the summer.
If you managed to make Team GB, what would that mean to you?
If I was selected it would be a life changing experience, a huge honour for me and my family and a once in a lifetime opportunity to be an Olympian and the chance to win a medal in Rio this summer would be incredible.
Vancouver was a new tournament this season, as is this weekend’s event in Singapore. As a group how are you looking forward to it, and what do think your prospects are having drawn Australia, Argentina and Japan?
Vancouver set the bar very high as a new tournament so we are expecting big things in Singapore. After the greeting we had from fans at the airport and arriving at the hotel it looks set to back it up. On the circuit now there are no easy games or easy pools but the way we are playing we are confident if we put our game onto teams we will continue our run and get out of the group and be in the top half of the draw come Sunday.
As a seasoned pro, what do you make of Luke Treharne’s efforts as a captain during the campaign?
Luke has led fantastically well as captain. He’s a man with a lot of previous sevens experience and someone who knows the game very well which I feel has helped him slot into the role so well. What he’s brought on and off the field has helped take the 7s programme forward and we’re excited to see what we can achieve together as a group.
What are the team’s goals for the remainder of the season?
The target for us now is to keep our run of form going keep improving and working hard to stay in the top half of the draw. We’re aiming to pick up as many points as possible to finish as high up the table as we can come the end of the season.
