Rugby: Search is on for Games gold nuggets

The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union is holding women's sevens talent identification camps with an eye to finding golden nuggets before the national tournament to be held in Rotorua early next year.

The initiative is a continuation of the New Zealand Rugby Union's Go For Gold programme, which was held nationwide last year to find promising athletes keen to have a crack at representing New Zealand at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Bay of Plenty Rugby Union player and coach development manager Chad Tuoro said the emphasis for finding and developing sevens talent had shifted to the provinces.

"This year the NZRU aren't doing their programme so we are continuing it on at a regional level to find talent and girls who are keen to be part of the sevens programme, hopefully with aspirations of making the New Zealand Sevens team and the Olympics," Tuoro said.

"New Zealand's budget is not as big as what other countries are able to do, but our women's team is dominating the world circuit at the moment.

"The Olympics are still more than two years away so we have to stay ahead of the game.

"We will do a final selection for the training squad from talent days that will then train towards trying to qualify for the nationals in January," he said.

Tuoro will oversee the programme to be run by David Mays.

The first camp will be held at Trident High School on June 9, the second at Rotorua Girls' High School on June 23 and the third at Baypark on June 30.

Weekly Monday night regional trainings begin on July 7 in the build-up to December's northern regional provincial tournament.