Quade Cooper misses out on Sydney Sevens selection

Experienced fly-half Quade Cooper's hopes of playing for the Australia sevens team at the Olympics this summer has been met with a minor setback.

The 27-year-old was expected to make his international sevens debut this weekend at the World Series event in Sydney but arrived too late to make the final squad.

Cooper's club side Toulon have agreed to release him for the Sydney, Paris and London legs of the World Series.

However, he did not arrive until Wednesday, meaning he only had time to take part in a single training session, and head coach Andy Friend was forced to omit him from the final 12-man squad.

Friend said: "Quade is an exceptional footballer and has shown real character to put his hand up and say 'I want to be part of this team and work hard for this opportunity'.

"That's exactly what you want.

"There is no doubt in my mind that he will be a tremendous addition to the squad as we build towards Rio but, due to circumstances which were beyond Quade's and our control, he just couldn't get enough work in this week with the team.

"Quade is going to get his opportunities during the series and we are really excited to have him here in our group and with us throughout this preparation."

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Capped 58 times by the Wallabies, Cooper was part of the squad who finished runners-up at the rugby union World Cup last autumn.

Rugby sevens will make its debut at the Olympics in Rio this summer, the oval ball sport last having featured at the Games in 1924, when the United States won gold in a 15-a-side event.