Sunshine Coast product Tate McDermott is in line for his Australian Sevens World Series debut this weekend, after being named in the Australian Men’s side for the Wellington leg of the tournament.
A current member of the Queensland U20s squad, McDermott will join fellow Sunshine Coast original Conor Mitchell in the 12 man squad, alongside Sevens stalwart James Stannard and 2016 St.George Queensland Reds debutant Alex Gibbon.
McDermott came through the combined secondary school system, starring for Sunshine Coast Grammar in the Sunshine Coast First XV competition before representing the Australian Schools Barbarians last year.
After Sunshine Coast Grammar also took out Queensland Rugby’s All Schools Sevens tournament in 2016, defeating Brisbane State High School in the final, McDermott was also named the player of the tournament.
Outside of schoolboys Rugby, McDermott has also represented the Sunshine Coast in the Junior Gold Cup and went on to represent Queensland in the 2015 Queensland v NSW Junior Gold Cup interstate derby.
Qantas Australian Men’s Sevens coach Andy Friend said: “Both Tate and Dylan Pietsch performed well up at Darwin on the weekend, they really stood out and now they get a chance to represent their country.
“Tate is more of a half, he’s sees the game of football and has very good feet on him to put people through holes and he can get through holes himself as well.”
Australia have been drawn in Pool B alongside South Africa, Japan and Olympic Gold Medalists Fiji, but are keeping one eye on their home tournament in Sydney the following weekend.
“The important thing for us is to get out of that third tier of teams. We finished 11th in our last tournament and we have put ourselves in a very tough pool, so we have to fight and get out of that.
“Sydney is our target tournament this year and it’s our home tournament. It’s Australia playing in Australia so it’s very exciting but in saying that, we have to go to Wellington and do a job there. We know Sydney is around the corner but Wellington is the main focus right now.”
FOX SPORTS will broadcast all of the action from Wellington.
FOX SPORTS 2 will be on air from 8.50am AEDT on Saturday 28 January.
Qantas Australian Men’s Sevens fixtures in Wellington, New Zealand, 28-29 January
Australia v Fiji, Pool B, 9.46am AEDT
Australia v South Africa, Pool B, 1.33pm AEDT
Australia v Japan, Pool B, 4.52pm AEDT
Qantas Australian Men’s Sevens squads for Wellington Sevens:
1. Henry Hutchison, Club: Randwick NSW
2. Tom Kingston, Club: Sydney University NSW
3. Sam Myers, Club: North Sydney NSW
4. Alex Gibbon, Club: Norths QLD
5. James Stannard, Club: Souths QLD
6. Tate McDermott*, Club: University of Queensland, Sunshine Coast QLD
7. Boyd Killingworth, Club: Warringah NSW
8. Dylan Pietsch*, Club: Randwick NSW
9. Tim Anstee, Club: Eastwood NSW
10. Michael Adams, Club: Warringah NSW
11. Charlie Taylor, Club: Warringah NSW
12. Conor Mitchell, Club: University of Queensland, Sunshine Coast QLD
13th man - Simon Kennewell, Club: Randwick NSW
*denotes uncapped
