Honey Badger goes for sevens

Nick Cummins will join the Australia Sevens squad ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The Wallabies winger is currently in Japan playing for Top League side Coca-Cola West Red Sparks having left the Force, where he had been since 2008, at the end of the 2014 seaon.

He will join the Australia Sevens squad in March at the end of the Japanese season and will stay with them until after the Rio Olympics, which take place in August.

Cummins is no stranger to the sevens set-up having won a silver medal with Australia at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and he is keen to add Olympic gold to his medal cabinet.

‘I’m keen as mustard to get this opportunity to play sevens again. She's a big year, we all know why,’ he said. ‘To make the team, you've got to get on the burst and perform – and that's what I intend on doing.’

Cummins is the first major signing by new coach Andy Friend, and will join fellow 15s star Henry Speight in the squad.

‘Conversations between Nick and his management and the ARU have been ongoing for a while now but we're delighted to be able to bring him into the squad.’ Friend said. ‘He'll bring a wealth of knowledge into the squad and his previous experience in sevens will stand him in good stead.’

Cummins will be joining the side for the last four legs of the current Sevens Series in Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris and England before heading off to Rio.

Photo: Matt King/Getty Images