Fortescue Academy young gun Wallace Charlie has been called up by Australia Men’s Sevens coach Liam Barry to make his debut at the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles on May 3-4.
Force outside back Wallace, an 18-year-old prodigy from Cairns who was crowned MVP at the Global Youth Sevens tournament in Auckland last year, is one of two changes made by Barry for the season finale.
The teenager joined the Fortescue Academy earlier this year and has impressed with his blistering pace and evasiveness, making a cameo in the Force’s Super Rugby Pacific squad’s final internal game in February.
After a pulsating six rounds of the HSBC SVNS world series, both Australian teams go into the World Championship primed to finish on the podium after the emergence of several young stars post the Paris Olympic Games.
Australia Rugby Sevens Men’s coach Liam Barry said: "The opportunity that Wallace has taken when he’s been around training this season has exceeded our expectations and that’s why we’ve selected him.
"We’ve made four quarter-finals and finished on the podium twice this season, so it is a fair reflection of the progress and where we’re at as a team.
"If we do well it will be a strong finish to a solid season. If we don’t do well it will be a continuation of an up and down season. We are looking to finish on a good note."
The Aussie Men, who finished sixth in the standings following a highly-competitive season, have been drawn into Pool B alongside Spain, Fiji and New Zealand.
Every round of the HSBC SVNS series will be shown live and exclusive, ad-free and on demand on Stan Sport.
Australia Men’s Sevens team for Los Angeles World Championship:
1. Henry Hutchison (c)
2. Ben Dowling
6. Henry Paterson (c)
9. Matt Gonzalez
10. Ben Dalton
11. Maurice Longbottom
13. Jayden Blake
14. James Turner
23. Aden Ekanayake
25. Hayden Sargeant
29. Josh Turner
77. Wallace Charlie
87. Michael Icely
