Rugby: Bay duo named in AB Sevens squad

Two Bay of Plenty players are among five new names announced in the All Blacks Sevens development squad for next weekend's Oceania tournament in Noosa, Australia.

Steamers winger Junior Tofa Va'a and former Steamers flanker Matt Clutterbuck were named by coach Sir Gordon Tietjens ahead of the first leg of the 2014/2015 HSBC Sevens World Series tournaments on the Gold Coast from October 3-4.

Tauranga local Tietjens will take all 16 players to Noosa and will name the playing 12 for the Gold Coast tournament a week later.

"I'm quite excited about this group - we've got some real talent in there and the question will be whether they take their chance and step up to the challenge," Tietjens said.

"Matt [Clutterbuck] is a workhorse who excelled at trials and got my attention. He's got to be one of the fittest guys around. As someone who has been around senior rugby for a while and as a former ITM Cup player, he has great experience. As he has shifted his focus to sevens, I've seen a real improvement in his skills - he'll be a great addition to the team.

"Junior's a big winger, and the game is calling for big wingers - so he's got some real potential to be a key weapon for us.

"These new players, and the return of players like Trinity Spooner-Neera, George Tilsley and Gareth William-Spiers is a great opportunity to create some competition to playing spots and that's exactly what I'm looking for."

The squad trains at Mt Maunganui's ASB Arena tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Women's Sevens team to play in next weekend's Oceania tournament in Noosa, Australia, trains at Mount Maunganui today.

Tauranga-based coach Sean Horan says they are looking to build depth for the precurser tournament to the IRB Women's Sevens World Series in Dubai later this year.

"This is about giving girls who have not had a lot of tournaments, an opportunity to test themselves in this environment," Horan said.