Scotland 7s take part in biggest ever Team Scotland squad announcement

Today, at Stirling Castle the biggest ever Team Scotland squad was finalised for a Commonwealth Games event.Some 310 athletes will compete for the host nation at Glasgow 2014 in July and August, with 12 rugby sevens players playing a key part in one of the tournament’s core sports. Scotland 7s players James Johnstone and Scott Riddell took part in today’s announcement, along with 70 of their Commonwealth teammates.  Meeting media, Team Scotland and government officials and tourists visiting the castle they welcomed today’s news and looked ahead to the multi-sport event at Ibrox, in a little over six weeks time (Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July).  Johnstone said:Being with Scottish athletes from all the different sports for this year’s Commonwealth Games brings another sense of the reality to me, following my selection for the rugby sevens squad. “Last weekend I was competing in Lyon and that was important for me to get some much needed game time under my belt, after being injured.  It was an important weekend as we look ahead to the Games.”On Monday we begin our training camp and I’m really looking forward to getting started.  It will be great to start working with the new players who are coming in and I think they will give everyone a lift with their experience.”Scotland’s first match at Ibrox will be against New Zealand and is the tenth match-up of the first session (on Saturday 26 July), which is played between 10.30am and 3pm. They then play Bardados in the first game of the second session, which starts at 6pm, before meeting Canada in game 21 of the first day. Their games on Sunday 27 July (day two) will be determined by their results on day one.Scotland 7s are next in action in the second FIRA-AER Grand Prix Sevens Series tournament in Moscow on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June.  They will then compete in a one-day event in London on Saturday 12 July before heading to the Games.