Gillespie called up to Scotland 7s

Former Jed-Forest back-row, Darren Gillespie has been called into the Scotland 7s squad.He takes the place of Joseva Nayacavou, who will not compete due to illness at the Wellington 7s this weekend (Friday 6 and Saturday 7 February).This will be Gillespie’s sixth outing with the abbreviated national team. He was last involved at the same tournament 12 months ago and currently plays for Hornby Panthers, a rugby league side in New Zealand.Head Coach Calum MacRae said: “It was always our intention to have Darren train with the group this week. Sport at times hands opportunities to players, this is Darren’s.He is a very competitive player who relishes the tackle contest.”Teammate James Fleming, who will pull on the sevens jersey for the first time this season, is excited about featuring in the fourth round of the 2014/15 HSBC Sevens World Series.He said: “I’m really looking forward to being back with the squad. I can’t wait to get out there with the boys and get stuck into our games, which we have been training hard towards.I’m looking forward to taking my opportunities when they come, by utilising my strengths and building on the results achieved in the last two legs of the circuit.” One of the fastest players in the team, Fleming boasts 285 points from 57 tries in just 22 tournaments, making him a valuable asset to the squad. Scotland 7s will face Samoa (12.46am), Kenya (3.42am) and Argentina (7.16am) in Pool D, on day one in Wellington (Friday 7 February, all times GMT) – live on Sky Sports. Fleming continued: “I really enjoy the Wellington leg of the series. The city is buzzing for the tournament and the team parade through the streets the day before is a special welcome. “Qualifying for another Cup quarter-final is at the forefront of our minds. This is our minimum standard.”Being the second seed in the group we are in a strong position, but we will have to get our detail right and put ourselves on the front foot in defence.”Possession is key for us and once we have the ball we have an attacking style we know can threaten any team we come up against.”Samoa and Kenya are physical teams with dangerous runners and Argentina are currently sitting in fifth place in the rankings and look like one of the hungriest teams on the circuit.”Scotland 7s squad to compete at the Wellington 7s (Friday 6 and Saturday 7 February): Scott Riddell, James Fleming, Struan Dewar, James Johnstone, Colin Gregor, Mark Robertson, Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby), Nyle Godsmark, Darren Gillespie (Hornby Panthers), Chris Dean (Edinburgh Rugby) and Gavin Lowe (Glasgow Warriors).