Australian rugby sevens coach Geraint John has revealed an "ambitious plan to poach players" from the National Rugby League and Australian Football League -- and "even possibly athletes from track and field -- specifically for the Commonwealth Games and new Olympic format," according to Chris Barrett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. John, "who took the reins of the Australian Rugby Union's sevens program a month ago and is head coach of the men's team in Glasgow," said he planned to draw up a "hit list of athletes in other codes and sports that he believes would make the transition to sevens and work with the ARU on recruiting them." John's desire is "not without obvious obstacles, not least of which is the ARU's balance sheet, which makes luring highly paid, top-line stars a major hurdle." However, his plan reflects the "increasing role the now full-time sevens format could play in the thinking of national administrators now that it is an Olympic sport." John does not "expect to begin approaching players from other codes" before sevens makes it debut in Rio de Janeiro in '16. He does, however, want the ARU to "make a play for athletes he identifies in the lead-up to the following Olympics" in Tokyo (SMH, 7/21).
