"Olympic Dream Team" - Ultimate 7s: Team GB Sevens Rugby

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games has had a recent bolstering of rugby union star-power, as two of the world's top talents get set to run out on the Rugby Sevens circuit. Wallabies legend Michael Hooper and France maestro Antoine Dupont have both expressed their desires to chase Olympic gold.

The Olympic Sevens get underway this afternoon, with Australia taking on Samoa to kick off the tournament at 14:30. All of the men's teams are in action today, with all 12 qualified teams taking part in two pool stage fixtures at the Stade de France.

Arguably the most physically enduring version of rugby, sevens is played on a full pitch in a true test of fitness, skill but most of all, pace. Speed is paramount to success in rugby sevens, with an abundance of space, the circuit is lit up by the top international speedsters as they ignite the afterburners.

Fiji are the current gold medal holders in men's rugby sevens, with New Zealand taking silver and Argentina claiming bronze from the Tokyo Olympics. Fiji and New Zealand also claimed medals in the women's tournament, yet it was New Zealand taking gold, France claiming silver, and Fiji bringing home the bronze medals. For both the men's and women's sides, it was a case of so close yet so far for Team GB back in Japan.

Both the men's and women's Team GB rugby sevens sides came finished in fourth place, after defeats in the bronze medal matches. The sevens additions of Hooper and Dupont got us thinking, and we pieced together the Ultimate Rugby Sevens squad for the Team GB Men's Rugby Sevens side.

Here are RUCK's picks, for a Team GB Rugby Sevens squad, made up of England, Scotland and Wales stars.

1. Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland and Glasgow Warriors)

Starting off in the forward three, we have selected Scotland centre Sione Tuipulotu to start off our squad. Tuipulotu is an excellent all-rounder in Gregor Townsend's side, as he brings both the physical prowess and technical skillset that optimises rugby sevens. Tuipulotu would bring an explosive first step into contact, and the handling ability to distribute offloads to the supporting options.

2. Jac Morgan (Wales and Ospreys)

The only out-and-out forward in our dream GB Sevens starting side, Wales captain Jac Morgan possess unbelievable pace for a back-rower. The Osprey has impressed in ever appearence he's made for Warren Gatland's side, and brings a resolved defensive approach to the squad. Morgan rarely misses a tackle, and in the open-field frenzy of sevens rugby, making your hits count is more important than ever. Also, the 23-year-old never stops working, with his unrelenting fitness another string to his sevens bow.

3. Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland and Edinburgh)

Scotland's titanic winger, Duhan van der Merwe would be an excellent fit in rugby sevens. Look no further than his unstoppable solo try in the 2023 Six Nations against England, to see what individual brilliance the South African born winger brings to the fray. The Edinburgh man would be a revered opponent on the Sevens circuit, that would take some serious stopping when he hits full gear.

4. Harry Randall (England and Bristol Bears)

Our choice to distribute quick-ball throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics is Harry Randall. The Bristol Bears scrum half has been on the England fringes in recent years, and brings an added edge of dynamism to the number nine jersey. Able to snipe through the narrowest of gaps, Randall sells a dummy like a con-artist, and of course packs some breathtaking pace to fire him off into the back-field. Hopefully England fans will see more of Randall in the upcoming Six Nations, with a code change looking like a viable option if Randall so wished.

5. Marcus Smith (England and Harlequins)

Standing at first receiver is Marcus Smith, who would tear teams sevens apart in more ways than one. Firstly, Smith possess unnatural speed, and can skip his way round tackle attempts with neat displays of footwork. Secondly, Smith is fearless when carrying the ball high to the defence, and puts his body on the line when drawing in defenders, before shipping out a pass to send his supporting runner through to score. And thirdly, Smith's kicking game has improved from open play, with chip and chase tries against the likes of Wales and Chile, presenting this in recent England run-outs.

6. Louis Rees-Zammit (Former Wales - Kansas City Chiefs NFL )

One of the quickest men in international rugby who has since headed 'stateside' in pursuit of the NFL, the secret has long been out about the aptly nicknamed 'Rees-Lightning'. Having lit up the touchlines up and down the Premeirship, Rees-Zammit's added bulk makes him that much more of a physical threat when he hits top speed. The Kansas City Chiefs man also possess a well weighted boot, that sends the ball into the back-field to chase after. With just seven players to take on, LRZ would back his pace in open play on the Olympic circuit.

7. Adam Radwan (England and Newcastle Falcons)

And rounding off our starting seven is arguably the quickest rugby player Team GB could pick. Newcastle Falcons speedster Adam Radwan is pace personified. With an outrageous 100m time of 10.72s, Radwan's top speed is reported to near 11.2 metres per second. The Falcons man has been building himself away from being a one-dimensional speed winger, with confident handling and a fearlessness to bring down much bigger opponents with chop tackles.

8. Ben Earl (England and Saracens)

Onto the replacements bench now, with five players allowed to reinforce the bench in this exhausting version of rugby. First off, we've picked Ben Earl as an option in the 'forwards', due to his clinical tackling and unrelenting work ethic over the gain-line. Earl was at his very best throughout the Rugby World Cup, and frequently topped England's tackling and carrying charts. An excellent all-rounder with and awesome engine, Earl would be a top asset to explode off the bench for Team GB.

9. George North (Wales and Ospreys)

We've selected George North in our squad, as the Wales legend is amongst the most versatile players for a sevens squad. Having come through the ranks out on the wing, North is experienced at taking on players at pace and making the key one-on-one tackles out wide. Having moved to centre during the latter stages of his career, North is an astute playmaker, and brings his own power game to the squad. Also, the Welshman tackles like a back-row, and has a highlight reel of big hits to his name.

10. Finn Russell (Scotland and Bath Rugby)

The mastermind in support of Marcus Smith, Finn Russell would be an excellent addition to the Team GB sevens squad. There are few players that can land a cross-field kick on a 20p piece, with Russell's accuracy from the boot able to pinpoint his wingers for impressive tries in the corners. The Bath man also presents a classy passing skillset, with a knack to find his supporting runners with nicely weighted offloads. 'The engineer' of this fast moving machine, Russell would pull the strings and organise his flyers with aplomb.

11. Joe Marchant (Former England and Stade Francais)

The first of two stars that are currently plying their trade in France, Joe Marchant would bring another adaptable and dependable pair of hands into the back-line. The Stade Francais man presented his strengths across the midfield and out on the wings throughout the Rugby World Cup, as he has done for Harlequins throughout the past decade. A top class playmaker that never hesitates to back himself, Marchant will be sorely missed by England fans, yet would be a welcomed asset to Team GB.

12. Henry Arundell (Former England and Racing 92)

It was a tough choice, but after much deliberation Henry Arundell is on the bench behind Adam Radwan. After making waves at London Irish, England's latest break-out star has found a new home at the appropriately named Racing 92, where he stays in Paris alongside Joe Marchant. Electrifying and exhilarating, Arundell scored a stunning hat-trick on his Top 14 debut, and would run rings around his opponents on the Olympic circuit.