Tom Mitchell in training for the Games © RFU

Enlarge

Related Links

Sites: Commonwealth Games

Tom Mitchell has been named as England Sevens captain for the Commonwealth Games.

Mitchell skippers a 12-man team with eight players making their Commonwealth Games debuts. John Brake, Dan Norton, Tom Powell and James Rodwell will be playing in their second Games having competed in Delhi.

Coach Simon Amor has called up Charlie Hayter, who recently signed a full-time Sevens contact, while London Scottish skipper Mark Bright is also included.

Amor, who was a silver medallist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, said: "The squad selected has a very good balance of speed, playmaking ability, physicality and the all-important X-factor.

"With players returning from long-term injuries the competition for places has been particularly strong. This has raised the performances in training and the attitude throughout the team has been excellent. We will be looking to bring the experiences and progress made throughout the Sevens World Series to Glasgow."

Captain Mitchell added: "Glasgow 2014 has been on the horizon for a long time and we've been working hard towards this one goal for a while. It's nice to know selection has now been made and we can start to get that extra bit of focus as the event draws near.

"Our preparations since the end of the World Series have been really well managed. Training has been very specific and tailored to ensure we peak at the Commonwealths. We've also worked on a lot of on-field things, both tactically and technically, that we needed to improve on from last season.

"The event will be a totally new experience for all the boys and that comes with its own challenges, which we recognise and are prepared for. It is a huge opportunity to mix with other sports and it will be great to see how other athletes operate and to learn from them."

England squad: Daniel Bibby, John Brake, Mark Bright, Philip Burgess, Michael Ellery, Charlie Hayter, Christian Lewis-Pratt, Tom Mitchell (captain), Daniel Norton, Tom Powell, James Rodwell, Marcus Watson