Alex Gray bidding for 7s World Cup glory
By Paul - Sportsbeat
June 12 2013
ALEX Gray readily admits his switch from the XV code of rugby to the sevens game has been done with England's summer schedule in mind – and he is wasting no time in setting his sights on World Cup glory.
At the end of the regular XV season Gray left London Irish, the No.8 frustrated at a lack of regular playing time in the Aviva Premiership, and made the surprise switch to sign full-time with Ben Ryan's England sevens team.
Last weekend he made his debut, helping England triumph at the Lyon leg of the European Grand Prix series, a result which sets Ryan's men up nicely going into the sevens Rugby World Cup in Moscow which for them starts with a Pool match against Portugal on June 28.
Gray admits England were inconsistent during the World Series, but he believes the World Cup represents a chance to put things right – and he is desperate to help out. "I have always wanted to play a bit of sevens and like a lot of young players I was struggling and getting a bit frustrated at not getting as much game time in the Premiership as I would have liked," said the 22-year-old discussing his switch."Sevens was a bit of an outlet to try and get away and work on my game and my skills, and I don't think there is any better place to do that than the sevens circuit.
"I knew the schedule coming up with a World Cup this summer and a Commonwealth Games next summer. There are a lot of big tournaments coming up and a lot of places to go and test myself and prove what I can do.
"Being involved in a World Cup that only comes around every four years will be something special. Coming into the sevens I want to play in these big tournaments and you don't get much bigger than a World Cup, so that is my first aim to get myself into contention for that.
"It is going to be a big finish to the year and if you can come out world champions it is going to put a bonus on anyone's season. If we could get a win at the World Cup I think that will put a few things right."
The J.P. Morgan Premiership Rugby 7s kicks off on August 1 at Kingsholm, with rounds at Franklin's Gardens and Allianz Park and the final at The Rec. For tickets and more information, visit www.jpmorgan7s.com or follow @jpmorganrugby7s on Twitter.