England coach Ben Ryan says the RFU must act quickly or risk being left behind © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

News: Fiji claim Wellington 7s crown

News: Canada join big guns in last eight

News: New Zealand edge out Fiji for George crown

News: New Zealand made to work in George

News: New Zealand eye more Sevens glory

Teams: England

Picture Gallery: IRB Sevens World Series - Dubai, Day 2

The Rugby Football Union are conducting a major review of their Sevens programme to ensure England are not left trailing in the global rush for Olympic gold in 2016. England have been at the vanguard of the sport in recent years, combining central contracts and innovative sports science techniques to become a major power.

But that competitive advantage is under threat after England's rivals reacted quickly to rugby's re-inclusion in the Olympic Games by immediately increasing their investment in Sevens. South Africa coach Paul Treu believes Olympic inclusion will soon mean Sevens is "bigger than 15s", with rising powers like the USA and Russia looking to challenge the established elite.

England head coach Ben Ryan admitted the RFU must act quickly or risk being left behind.

"You can already see the impact of the Olympic vote. There are more analysts and conditioning staff now, more teams are using central contracts which means they have had better preparation before coming to Dubai," said Ryan, whose team get their Dubai Sevens campaign underway on Friday.

"Three years ago that wasn't the case and undoubtedly it is the Olympics that is causing this. England have a lot to do. We cannot stand still. The union are having a game-wide review. We want some strategy because if we stay still and accept what we are doing is best practice then in 12 months time it is not going to be."

England's Sevens squad have been using GPS machines in training for the last three years, a system that has only just been introduced into Martin Johnson's senior Test squad. Ryan's conditioning team have collated detailed data on every player and they are three years ahead of every other Sevens nation in that respect.

But times are changing fast. World series champions South Africa have travelled to the Dubai Sevens - the first tournament since rugby won the Olympic vote - with a new sports scientist in tow.

The USA and Russia, who are both in England's group this weekend, are better prepared than ever before. Scotland spent a week training in Delhi and they tackled Wales and France in a warm-up tournament before arriving in Dubai.

The RFU's Sevens programme is part of the academy structure run by elite rugby director Rob Andrew, who has come under fire in recent weeks following England's disappointing November Test performances.

But Ryan said: "The Under-18s are unbeaten, the Under-20s were second in the world last year and we were third in the world. I think we are doing a terrific job at national academy level.

"It does grieve me a little bit when you start hearing about how England's elite department is doomed. People should see the full facts. We have a good succession plan in place for the 2015 and 2019 World Cups."

The gap between a successful academy structure and the England Test has arguably never been wider with Johnson unwilling to select graduates of the system like Tom Varndell, Mathew Tait and Ben Foden. But England's conveyor belt continues to churn out exciting talent and Ryan is set to unleash two more devastating pace-men this weekend in the shape of Wasps' Christian Wade and Blackheath's Dan Caprice.

England open their campaign against the United States in the early hours of tomorrow and Ryan added: "All the players that are here are capable of lighting up the turf and I can't wait to see them out there."