Tuesday 22nd November 2005
The IRB Sevens leading points scorer Ben Gollings may have emigrated to Australia from England last year but last Saturday Ben flew back into the UK ahead of the new IRB Sevens season. 25 year old Gollings is currently playing for Sunnybank on the east coast of Australia but flew back into London at the weekend to meet up with the rest of the England Sevens squad at their west London base.
Speaking exclusively to RFU.com Ben said, "I play for Sunnybank in the premier competition in Queensland and we had a good season, winning the final. We finished our season in early October and since then I have been getting fit for the new sevens season. Sunnybank is a good level, probably comparable to National Division One over here. Its not professional and the players aren't as big or powerful but it is quite quick and there are some quality players around. Quite a few of the Super 14 players come in towards the end of the season when the competition hots up and a guy who plays for Sunnybank is playing for Samoa this weekend against England. There isn't as much strength and depth as you might think in Australia as rugby union isn't as big a sport as AFL or rugby league but it is still a good standard."
Ben moved to Australia with his family last autumn and loves the Australian way of life, "It's been really good living over there. The weather is just starting to get warm again now having just had winter and I have been told my accent is getting more Australian! I have recently been doing a personal training course which has gone well so we are really making the most of living out there."
Ben has been involved with England Sevens since 2001 and is the leading points scorer in the IRB Sevens, overtaking Fiji's Waisale Serevi in February this year. Despite living in Australia Ben keeps in regular contact with the England Sevens coach Mike Friday. He said, "I have been playing pretty much constantly all summer so my fitness levels are pretty good. I do independent fitness testing as well and the results come back to Mike. He trusts the fact that I will do the right training. I feel good at the moment, having come off the back of a good season so am excited about the new sevens series."
Ben played in six of the IRB Sevens tournaments last year as well as the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong. He is named in the core squad this season and is likely to be named in the team for the opening tournament - the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens - when the squad is announced later this week. Looking back at last year Ben recalls the highlights of his season, "To represent your country in the World Cup is a player's highest achievement. I know we missed out in the semi final but to have had the opportunity to be involved was certainly one of the best moments for me. I was also proud to have overtaken the points record and it was a good milestone for me as a player. Someone told me I was actually in the Guinness Book of Records which is quite funny!"
England narrowly lost to the Fijians in extra time of the semi final at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in March and Ben regards this as one of the biggest disappointments of his season. "Losing the London tournament was disappointing, particularly as we reached the final. Its always good to retain your home tournament. And also the World Cup where we came so close but then were also so far. But hopefully this year with the Commonwealth Games we can put it together and learn from where we went wrong and go down to Australia and win a medal."
Ben represented England in the 2002 Commonwealth Games which were staged in Manchester. "I am definately working towards being selected for the Commonwealth Games and I would love to be involved in March. Not many rugby players get the opportunity to represent their country at such a major sporting event and its frustrating that rugby didn't get into the Olympics, but hopefully it will in the future."
England face Australia in the pool stages of the Commonwealth Games and Ben knows that England face a tough challenge taking on the home nation in Melbourne, "I think the fact that I am an Englishman living in Australia will add to the fun of the games. It will be a tough tournament as the big countries will bring out their big players. There is already a sense of excitement building back in Australia, even on the Gold Coast. Quite a few squads will travel to the Gold Coast to train before travelling down to Melbourne so there is a lot of talk about the tournament already. It is very exciting."
Last season Ben was playing for the Christina Nobel Children's Foundation Team in Dubai's international, invitational tournament which runs alongside the IRB Sevens before being recalled to the England Sevens squad for the George tournament. "Dubai is a very friendly tournament and the crowd are awesome. There are lots of ex-pats out there which helps England when we play and its becoming one of the big tournaments which everyone wants to go out and win. Its becoming a mini Hong Kong and Dubai is growing as a city so quickly that it changes each time I go there. Last year was fun and the invitational side is a good standard - we lost out to the Kentz South Sea Drifters, which is basically the Fijian second team, in the semi finals."
This is the first England Sevens camp Ben has attended this season and he has been impressed by the new breed of youngsters who are breaking into the squad, "This is the first time I have seen many of these players as I haven't seen any English club rugby back in Australia. There are some very quick players in the squad so we won't be short on speed. And it looks like we have some skilful players who will suit sevens and hopefully come through the squad and play well for England. There are lots of fresh faces this season and less of us old fellas!"
The England Sevens squad for the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens and the Emirates Airline George Sevens will be announced on Thursday 24th November.
