Quade Cooper joins Australia Sevens

The Australian Rugby Union have today announced that Quade Cooper has joined their Sevens program and will be available for selection for the Rio 2016 Olympics.
The fly-half, 27, will be released by Toulon for the Sydney, Paris and London legs of the World Series and will then link up with the squad in Sydney ahead of the Olympics.
Cooper has won 58 Test caps and was part of the Wallabies squad that lost to New Zealand in the World Cup final last year.
He said: “I’m passionate about Australian Rugby and to be given this opportunity to represent my country in a different form of the game is one which excites me. I’m looking forward to working with the players that are already part of the squad and hopefully I can add something to the group.
“As a rugby player growing up you never think you’ll have the chance to play at an Olympics so I’ll be doing everything I can to make the squad. The Olympics is a real opportunity to grow the game of Rugby in Australia and it would be a privilege to play my part in that.
“I would also like to thank Toulon and Mourad Boudjellal [Toulon president] for coming to an agreement with the ARU which will allow me to pursue this opportunity.”
Head Coach Andy Friend added: “We are delighted that Quade has agreed to join the national Sevens program. He brings with him an x-factor that I feel could add an extra dimension to our squad.
“The key for us is the fact that Quade has a genuine desire to represent his country in the World Series and Rio 2016 Olympics. I believe we already have a talented squad and adding Quade to that mix will only help us as we look ahead to a busy 2016.”