BOP players named in NZ side for Wellington sevens

Scott Curry, pictured in action for the Bay of Plenty men's team, has been named the All Blacks Sevens' captain for the HSBC Wellington Sevens tournament. PHOTO/ BEN FRASER

Two Bay of Plenty players have been named in the All Blacks Sevens team for the HSBC Wellington Sevens tournament starting today.

Scott Curry has been named as captain, and Regan Ware has also been selected in the 12-man side competing over the two days.

Two new caps have been given to players Tone Ng Shiu and Vilimoni Koroi making their debut for New Zealand in the third leg of the 2016/17 HSBC World Series.

DJ Forbes will make a record-breaking 82nd Sevens World Series appearance and his 11th in Wellington.

Bay of Plenty men's sevens player Regan Ware in action. PHOTO/ BEN FRASER.

Interim All Blacks Sevens head coach Scott Waldrom said the players were confident ahead of the tournament.

"There were big improvements in the team between the Dubai and Cape Town tournaments as the squad got to spend more time together. Since then we have had the nationals and a four-day camp together in Rotorua," Waldrom said.

"Wellington is always the highlight of the series for the boys. There is nothing like having a big crowd at Westpac Stadium cheering the team on. It's also special to be able to play in front of our family and friends.

"We enter the tournament defending champions and we will be giving it our all to hold on to the Wellington trophy and make it four wins in a row."

But the All Blacks Sevens have a tough opening challenge facing off against a Samoan team coached by their former mentor of more than two decades, Sir Gordon Tietjens.

Tietjens has been watching the first two series tournaments from the stands after signing with the Samoa Union in October and will officially take the helm as coach in Wellington.

Waldrom said it would not be a big deal for his players, given Tietjens' observer role with Samoa during the first two tournaments.

"It's probably not going to feel strange," Waldrom said.

"It will just be seeing him again, you know we have seen him around for two weeks walking around in a Samoan T-shirt. So it won't be anything new to the boys, it will probably be a little bit just different for him now that he is going to be on the sideline.

"The group has moved on pretty quickly and we're just focused on our job and creating our own legacy now."

All Blacks Sevens team for the HSBC Wellington Sevens tournament

Scott Curry - Captain (Bay of Plenty)
Dylan Collier (Southland)
DJ Forbes (Counties Manukau)
Iopu Iopu-Aso (Taranaki)
Rocky Khan (Auckland)
Vilimoni Koroi* (Otago)
Tim Mikkelson (Waikato)
Sione Molia (Counties Manukau)
Tone Ng Shiu* (Tasman)
Sherwin Stowers (Counties Manukau)
Isaac Te Tamaki (Waikato)
Regan Ware (Bay of Plenty)
*new cap

Schedule for All Blacks Sevens pool play:

Today
1:41pm v Samoa
5:05pm v France
9:02pm v USA

For more information on World Rugby HSBC World Sevens Series here