RUGBY UNION
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BATHURST rugby union can lay claim to another international representative after former All Saints’ first XV star Charlie Clifton was selected to tour Fiji with the Australian Thunderbolts sevens side this week.
Clifton, who grew up in the city and learned most of his rugby playing with his school team, was a last-minute call-up to the Thunderbolts after an injury to Jordan Tuapou forced him out of the Uprising Fiji International Sevens tournament, a forerunner to the annual IRB Sevens series.
Clifton’s father Matt explained that his son’s call-up has completed a major transition from schoolboy rugby union to the Shute Shield Sydney first grade competition.
“Charlie went to All Saints’ and played three years in the firsts there and also represented the Central West at under 18s level before he went down to Sydney after he finished school,” Matt Clifton said.
“From there he spent two years in the colts firsts at Eastern Suburbs before making the top grade opens side on the wing at Easts.
“He was selected in an Australian Rugby Union academy squad at the end of last year and from that he got the call-up into this team.”
While it isn’t at full-strength right at the moment because of injuries, the side Clifton finds himself in this week is the top national sevens unit and his elevation to it could lead to some interesting decisions down the track for the talented speedster.
The academy group of which he is a part has a 15-a-side focus and he still plays with Easts in the traditional format.
In recent years though sevens rugby has become more and more specialised to the point where there are now ARU contracted players who’s job is solely to play that format.
With sevens rugby set to become an Olympic event at Rio De Janeiro in 2016, there will be even more of a shift towards specialists in the modified version.
For the time being though Matt Clifton says his son is likely to treat this sort of experience as an exception rather than the norm and continue to focus on 15-a-side rugby.
“Funnily enough he’s actually in this sevens squad as a forward, obviously away from the tight stuff it is a pretty open style of football and if you can get anyone with a bit of speed you try and adapt them to the situation. Not many proper front rowers actually play sevens,” he said.
“The academy stuff is all 15-a-side, they are grooming those players for Super 15 football in the future.
“He loves the traditional format, that’s where his focus is. But this is a great opportunity for him and one he wants to make the most of.”
The tournament will be held in Lautoka, Fiji this weekend.