Family commitments meant Dallas Seymour could not share in New Zealand's World Cup sevens rugby win in Argentina, but he is "absolutely stoked" at the triumph of his long-time team-mates.
The veteran of the 1993 and 1997 World Cups withdrew from contention for this year's squad to be with wife Julie - a former Silver Fern - for the birth of their first child, Harrison, last week, and to prepare for the Crusaders' Super 12 campaign.
"I would have loved to have been there [at Mar del Plata]," Seymour said last night. But I could never have missed the birth of our son.
"They had the guys over there to do it and it's great to see them come through and carry on their excellent form.
"You couldn't get a more deserving bunch of guys.
"I know how hard they would have worked.
"And for Rushy [Eric Rush] to finally have a World Cup win after all those years is absolutely awesome."
Seymour and Rush have long been the backbone and brains trust of the New Zealand sevens side on the pitch, and the Canterbury man felt for his friend and team-mate after hearing about the captain's broken leg.
"I was absolutely gutted for him because he was forced out of the 93 World Cup with a knee injury."
But Seymour said Rush's unfortunate injury was "great motivation for the guys, just as it was when they played [without Rush] in France last year."
"Everyone stepped up. That's one of the hallmarks of this side."
Seymour said the challenge now was to live up to the standards set at the World Cup for the rest of the world sevens series.
If family and rugby commitments in the 15-man game allow, Seymour hopes to rejoin the squad later this year.
- NZPA
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