Scotland XVs star Darcy Graham called up for Great Britain rugby sevens debut
Borderer Darcy Graham has been called up for a Great Britain rugby sevens debut this weekend in a bid to save the Scottish-based national team from relegation.
The Hawick 28-year-old, Scotland’s all-time record try-scorer at XVs with 38, has been named in GB’s squad of 14 for France’s Bordeaux Sevens this weekend in a last throw of the dice as they strive to avoid a Sevens World Series exit.
A top-eight finish is required to retain their place in the series next year and Graham, a world series player from 2016 to 2018, is hoping to help them secure survival.
“I’m on downtime right now but I jumped at the opportunity and I’m buzzing,” said the 55-times-capped Edinburgh right-winger. “If I wasn’t doing this, I would just be training away, so I’d rather be competing at a high level.
“I’m excited to get back out there. It’s been eight years since I was last on the world series and the game is a lot different, so I’ll have to flick that switch to catch up with the rest of the boys.
“There is a bit of added pressure there to finish in the top eight so it’ll be a massive weekend for me and the boys.”
Fellow Borderer Ciaran Beattie, GB’s director of rugby sevens, is delighted to have such a high-profile recruit helping out, saying: “With it being the first year of the reformed programme, we’ve had some challenges but there have been lots of signs of promise and we’re hoping to end on a high this weekend.
“Having Darcy Graham with us this week is brilliant. He is Scotland’s record try-scorer and someone who has used sevens as a springboard for his career.
Ex-Melrose scrum-half Roan Frostwick and Finlay Callaghan, a member of the Scottish Thistles team that won this year’s Melrose Sevens, are also in Souter Beattie’s squad, captained by Charlton Kerr.
Joining them are Marcus Kershaw, Matt Davidson, Jacob Henry, Brent Jackson, Ethan Waddleton, Ben Salmon, Fin Lloyd Gilmour, Ryan Apps, Kaleem Barreto and Josh Radcliffe.
See also …