Australia Sevens coach Michael O'Connor has selected a former Australian Schoolboy star returning from rugby league in his Aussie Spirit team to compete at the Heineken Hottest 7s, to be staged in the Northern Territory later this month.

The Darwin tournament on 24-25 January offers O'Connor an ideal opportunity to try out some new players ahead of the NZI Sevens in Wellington, the third event in the IRB Sevens World Series. 

Twenty-two-year-old Shaun Foley scored six tries in nine NRL appearances for the Sydney Roosters and has been hand-picked for by O'Connor, himself a dual international.

The full back was sidelined for most of last year’s rugby league season after breaking an ankle and is yet to play a game of rugby union since coming off contract with the Roosters.

“I was always a rugby union player before I joined the Roosters straight out of school, and I always wanted to come back at some stage and give it another go,” Foley said.

“I haven’t played for four years and I’ll be heading down to the Randwick club on Tuesday for my first training run with them.

“So it came as a shock when Mick O’Connor rang me during the week to offer me the opportunity to play at the Sevens. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Schoolboy star 

Foley played for the Australian Schoolboys against New Zealand Schools in 2004 and, although he was on the losing side in Christchurch, scored all of his team’s points in the 20-16 loss with a try, a conversion and three penalty goals.

On that tour Foley played alongside several starlets now playing at Super 14 level including Josh Holmes, Ben Lucas, Anthony Faingaa, Saia Faingaa, Caleb Brown and Christian Lealiifano, as well as Jonathon Jenkins and Will Brock, who are also in the Aussie Spirit Sevens side O’Connor has assembled.

“Darwin is very important for us because in the first two IRB rounds we played with a squad of 12, and 11 of them had never played on the circuit before,” said O’Connor.

“This tournament will also be about giving a couple of new guys an opportunity to see how they go.

“I’d like to think they could push for selection in the next two IRB rounds to be played in Wellington and then San Diego. Shaun Foley is one of those guys.”

Aussie Spirit squad for the Heineken Hottest 7’s in the World: Peter Betham, Will Brock, Stanley Hokafonu, Jonathon Jenkins, Richard Kingi, Ben McCalman, Brian Sefanaia, Afusipa Taumoepeau, Shaun Foley, Damon Murphy, Greg Jeladouv