New Zealand Sevens coach Gordon Tietjens has unveiled an exciting 22-man Commonwealth Games trial squad on Monday that includes discarded All Blacks Zac Guildford and Adam Thomson as well as New Zealand Maori standout Hosea Gear.
World Champion New Zealand Under-20 standout Julian Savea has also been rewarded for his physicality and pace that saw him named IRB Junior Player of the year.
One-Test All Black and New Zealand Barbarians midfielder Ben Smith, Crusaders centre Robert Fruean and former All Blacks halfback Brendon Leonard are other notable inclusions.
The final squad will be trimmed to 14 players, which will be named next month. Only 12 will make cut for the trip to Delhi in October.
Tietjens said he was pleased with the depth of the players coming into the trial camp.
"We have a good mix of current Sevens national squad members and quality players coming in from other national teams," he said.
The players will assemble in Mount Maunganui from Monday until Thursday this week. They will then take part in a gruelling two-day camp in Auckland on August 23-24 and then again on September 29th before departing for Dubai on October 1st.
Players not considered for the camp due to injury were Sean Maitland (shoulder), Tim Nanai-Williams (hamstring), Lelia Masaga (knee), Kendrick Lynn (groin), Jared Payne (ankle) and Scott Waldrom (hand).
The squad is:
Toby Arnold (Bay of Plenty), Kurt Baker (Taranaki), Beauden Barrett (Taranaki), Tomasi Cama (Manawatu), Edwin Cocker (Auckland), DJ Forbes (Counties Manukau), Robert Fruean (Canterbury), Hosea Gear (Wellington), Zac Guildford (Hawke's Bay), Jason Hona (BOP), Solomon King (BOP), Zar Lawrence (BOP), Fritz Lee (Counties Manukau), Brendon Leonard (Waikato), Tim Mikkelson (Waikato), Lote Raikabula (Manawatu), Julian Savea (Welllington), Ben Smith (Otago), Ben Souness (Taranaki), Sherwin Stowers (Counties Manukau), Adam Thomson (Otago), Save Tokula (Waikato)