Tokyo 2020: Six Scots in initial GB Sevens squad

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Chloe RollieImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Rollie, who made her Scotland sevens debut in 2016, plays her club rugby in England with Harlequins

Six Scots have been included in the initial 24-strong GB Women's Sevens squad for Tokyo 2020 after none made the final cut for the Rio 2016 squad.

Chloe Rollie, Helen Nelson, Megan Gaffney, Rhona Lloyd, Hannah Smith and Lisa Thomson, who are also part of Scotland's 15-a-side team for the Six Nations, all make the cut.

England's Emily Scarratt, who led Great Britain to a fourth place in Rio, is absent as she focuses on 15-a-side, but Abbie Brown, Heather Fisher and Amy Wilson Hardy all return.

Three Welsh women - Keira Bevan, Hannah Jones and Jasmine Joyce - are also included.

Joyce was the only non-English player in the final 13 for Rio four years ago.

A 13-player squad for this year's Olympics will be named in July.

"I have been able to spend a decent amount of time with the English players and staff in their environment.

"With them being the one full-time squad competing on the World Series, this has been invaluable for me to get to know them better," said head coach Scott Forrest, who also coaches Scotland's women.

"I obviously know the Scotland Sevens team very well and I have had some good conversations with Ollie Philips as well, since his appointment as Wales Women's Sevens coach."

The squad will go through three training camps, with the first taking place in Edinburgh this week before others in Wales and England in April.

Should they make the final squad, Scotland's women will face a short turnaround before a qualifying tournament for women's Rugby World Cup in September.

Great Britain's women's sevens training squad

Holly Aitchison (England)

Keira Bevan (Wales)

Abbie Brown (England)

Abi Burton (England)

Heather Fisher (England)

Deborah Fleming (England)

Megan Gaffney (Scotland)

Sydney Gregson (England)

Hannah Jones (Wales)

Meg Jones (England)

Jasmine Joyce (Wales)

Ellie Kildunne (England)

Rhona Lloyd (Scotland)

Alex Matthews (England)

Helen Nelson (Scotland)

Jodie Ounsley (England)

Celia Quansah (England)

Chloe Rollie (Scotland)

Helena Rowland (England)

Hannah Smith (Scotland)

Lisa Thomson (Scotland)

Emma Uren (England)

Beth Wilcock (England)

Amy Wilson Hardy (England)

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