Brumbies flyer Henry Speight sustained a serious knee injury in a rugby sevens practice match. Photo / Getty Images
Wallabies winger Henry Speight won't be adding a Rio de Janeiro Olympics sevens appearance to his rugby resume after being ruled out of the Australian team because of a ligament injury to his right knee.
The Australian Rugby Union on Wednesday said the Fiji-born Speight, who has played five tests
and is contracted to the Canberra-based Brumbies but took time out from Super Rugby this season to push for Olympic selection, sustained the injury in a match between the Australian sevens side and a development team.
He is expected to be sidelined for up to 12 weeks. The Olympic tournament in Rio runs from Aug. 6-11.Speight played in the Dubai and Sydney tournaments during the 2015-16 World Rugby Sevens series, scoring two tries.
"We're all (upset) for Henry," Australia sevens coach Andy Friend said. "He made a commitment to the program and has done everything he possibly could to get himself in the frame for Olympic selection."
Speight and Quade Cooper were the two highest-profile players bidding for selection in the Australian sevens team for Rio. France-based Cooper had already been ruled out.
