National sevens coach Gordon Tietjens has revealed plans to boost his squad by five players next year as the countdown to the game's inclusion at the Olympics intensifies.
Using extra funding from Sparc and with the incentive of a gold medal at Rio in 2016 looming large, Tietjens has been guaranteed an extension of his national squad by five full-time players.
Even this year, as he puts a 30-strong trial squad through their paces at Mt Maunganui for four days, plans to involve a small wider training group to sit outside the 15 contracted players and provide injury cover are taking shape.
Tietjens has told the 30 players named to assemble in Mt Maunganui for the national trials this week that the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 are there for the taking.
"Next year, having 20 full-time contracted guys will be a massive boost, and even having guys in a wider training group is a bonus because right now I very rarely, if ever, have a fully fit squad to choose from. If I lose one, then I can bring a guy straight in."
Sevens debuts at the Olympics in 2016 and High Performance Sport New Zealand has already indicated it will receive extra funding over the next few years.
Tietjens' trial squad includes secondary school stars Lolagi Visinia, Ardie Savea, Joe Webber and Mark Jackman, although he admitted some of the trialists might be daunted about what the next few days will bring.
"It's great to see these young kids coming through but I think for some of them, the prospect of coming to a sevens trial can be quite intimidating, although I know a couple of them are really looking forward to it.
"It's an exciting time to be involved with sevens if you're a talented young player coming into this trial wanting to put up your hand as an Olympic medal hopeful in four years."
The Condor sevens secondary schools tournament team will train with the side at Blake Park today.
Tietjens has lost three players from his original trial squad, with Auckland's Nathan Hughes ruled ineligible, Counties Manukau's Ahsee Tuala withdrawing to focus on playing for Samoa and Frank Halai attending a family funeral.
A national contracted squad of 15 will be named on Friday at the conclusion of the trial and will assemble in Wellington next Thursday ahead of the Wellington tournament on February 3-4.
New Zealand sevens trialists: Toby Arnold (Bay of Plenty), Tomasi Cama (Manawatu), Shane Christie (Tasman), Rob Thompson (Manawatu), Frazier Climo (Taranaki), Scott Curry (Bay of Plenty), Matt Faddes (Otago), DJ Forbes (Counties Manukau), Frank Halai (Waikato), Bryce Heem (Auckland), Joe Hill (Otago), Mark Jackman (Canterbury), Solomon King (North Harbour), Warwick Lahmert (Taranaki), James Lowe (Tasman), Jono Malo (Waikato), Tim Mikkelson (Waikato), Kieran Moffat (Otago), Waisake Naholo (Taranaki), Kylem O'Donnell (Taranaki), Ken Pisi (North Harbour), Charles Piutau (Auckland), Lote Raikabula (Wellington), Glen Robertson (Waikato), Ardie Savea (Wellington), Ben Souness (Taranaki), Nafi Tuitavake (Harbour), Lolagi Visinia (Auckland), Joe Webber (Waikato), Jack Wilson (Bay of Plenty).